After only five months since it re-opened, The Chequers at Gedney Dyke has made it into the Michelin Guide.
That’s not a surprise for its head chef Michael Billington, who is used to working in Michelin-starred restaurants and is aiming for a star for The Chequers some day soon.
Michael was recruited by the pub’s new owners Gareth and Kirby Franklin, who have totally refurbished it after it had been empty and unused for too long.
He said: “Before coming to The Chequers I worked as sous-chef at Chapter One in the London suburbs, which has one Michelin star, and before that I was at Midsummer House, Cambridge, which has two. I hope that’s where we at The Chequers are going too.
“This is my first head chefship and I’m very happy to be in an area where the raw materials are so good and fresh. Our food is modern European-style, taking the best ingredients available in season, sourcing them as locally as possible. It’s not over-complicated.
“For example the asparagus we served in early summer came from the field directly behind the pub, and our beetroot is grown at Long Sutton - both suppliers are regular customers now.”
Inspectors came to eat at The Chequers halfway through July and have awarded it a Michelin Bib Gourmand, an accolade for good food at reasonable prices, in the 2013 Guide.
It’s open from Wednesday to Sunday inclusive, offering Sunday dinner from 12 to 3pm and on other days a choice of bar classics and a set lunch for £12.95 for two courses; switching to Michael’s a la carte menu on Wednesday, Thursay, Friday and Saturday evenings.