A pub near Norwich is hoping for success in a national pub food competition.

A pub near Norwich is hoping for success in a national pub food competition.

The King's Head in Bawburgh is a national finalist in two categories of the 2010 Great British Pub Food Awards.

Sous-chef Lewis Burrell, 19, is travelling to Surrey today to compete in the dessert category with his ginger parkin bread and butter pudding. And later this month head chef Sam Bryant, 24, will be competing in the roast category. He is hoping to impress with his menu of a classic bar plate to start, with pork scratchings, a mini quail Scotch egg, and handmade crisps, followed by roast pork, followed by local apple crumble.

They were selected for the final following a written application and an interview.

Mr Bryant, who formerly worked at Stratton's in Swaffham, has been at the King's Head for 18 months. He said: 'It is hard work, but I love it.'

He said he chose to enter the roast category 'because our Sunday roasts have always gone well'. He added: 'We are taking our ingredients down with us and we will use local produce, as we do in the pub.'

They will make their dishes in the test kitchens of food manufacturer Unilever, which is sponsoring the competition. The winners will be announced on March 11, and the winning chef of the year will have their own specially devised menu served to guests at the awards ceremony at Plaisterers Hall in London.

The Great British Pub Food Awards (formerly the PubChef Food Excellence Awards) are organised by PubChef, the food section of trade paper the Morning Advertiser. There are 19 categories in the awards - 11 in the chefs' competition, four pub company and four people awards - and three finalists in each category.

t Are you up for an award? Let us know by emailing sarah.brealey@archant.co.uk or call 01603 772485.