Holbeach Red Lion pub reveals new award-winning chef

A popular Holbeach pub that has enjoyed roaring success in the past year has added a new head chef to its team.

The Red Lion has become a hive of activity since Alex Garrett and Ben Steel took the keys just over a year ago.

This month, award-winning chef Chris Newman has joined the fold - and he is promising to serve up some mouthwatering treats.

“I’m super excited as this is the place for me,” Chris said.

“My style is classic French cooking really - everything is cooked in a pan with plenty of butter.

“It’s all homemade and I’ll be continuing with the guys’ ethos of using good, locally sourced ingredients.

“This is what I love to do, and having been here to eat a meal with my wife I know what’s on offer is good, rustic pub food. I won’t be changing that but I’ll be adding some new dishes to the menu.

“It’s lovely here and the pub is a busy environment so it’s definitely where I want to be.”

Chris, previously head chef at The Bull Hotel in Peterborough, opened his own restaurant in Whittlesey in 2019 - but he closed the doors earlier this month after the pandemic took its toll on business.

With more than 20 years of experience, Chris has big plans for the Spalding Road pub.

Alongside Alex and Ben, he has set a target of gaining the pub an AA rosette.

When Alex and Ben took the keys from Dana and Sean Portass last summer, they had a goal of putting the ‘life and soul’ back into the pub.

The duo feel that a mix of good food, an extensive drinks menu and live entertainment has done just that.

Alex said: “We’ve been doing really well and I’m proud of where we have come from and where we’ve taken it.

“We certainly want to go further - with the rosettes, for example - and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”