The Great British Roast Competition: Olly Stains, Head Chef, The Victoria Inn

Olly Stains is Head Chef of The Victoria Inn, Penzance, the winner of ‘Best Meat Roast’ in The Knorr® Professional’s Great British Roast Competition 2022-2023.

Launched in 2011, the Knorr® Professional Great British Roast Competition is open to all businesses that serve roasts.

Upon application, Knorr® ’s panel of judges will review the entries, visiting shortlisted restaurants anonymously to reach a final decision on which two roasts - one including meat, one vegetarian or vegan - are the best in the country for the year.

Commenting on the win, Victoria Inn Head Chef Olly said that winning this award “means a lot to the whole team at The Victoria Inn” explaining that the competition “brought us together to celebrate our strengths and encouraged us to try new things and keep pushing.”

After leaving school in 2010, Olly went straight into work, starting out as a kitchen porter at a local pub. Since then, Olly has spent the last thirteen years working his way up the ranks before taking up his role as head chef at The Victoria Inn in Penzance.

Explaining why he loves working in hospitality, Olly said his favourite part about working in hospitality is “working as part of a team, being creative and the fast-paced environment, the only downside to it for me is the unsociable hours.”

The Victoria Inn is set in the heart of the quiet, coastal village of Perranuthnoe only 1½ miles east of Marazion, home to St. Michael’s Mount and only a minute from the South West Coast path. The pub offers award-winning food, fine wines, good local ales, and a Cornish cider, as well as boasting 3 en-suite rooms available for bed and breakfast.

The Victoria Inn’s Sunday roast menu includes a range of different meats and vegetable pairings including; roast sirloin of Cornish beef; braised belly of pork with apple puree; roast leg of lamb; or a beetroot and horseradish nut roast.

Each meat is served with roast potatoes, kale, honey roast carrot and parsnip, swede mash, creamed leeks and sprouts, cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire pudding.

Head Chef Olly explained that his aim with the roast was “to stay classic, using different and more up to date cooking methods to get it to the plate.”

For readers looking to mirror Olly’s award-winning roast dinner, he explained: “My tip would be to always use fresh and local produce and let that talk for itself.”

Among those in the distinguished judging panel was Alex Hall, Executive Chef for Knorr® Professional and Unilever Food Solutions.

Announcing the winners, Alex said: “This year the competition saw an exceptionally high standard of entries from establishments across the UK. Winning the title of Britain’s Best Meat Roast is an incredible achievement and a testament to the work that the team at the Victoria Inn have clearly put in to serving outstanding roast dinners.”

As well as the prestigious title of Britain’s Best Meat Roast 2022-23, the Victoria Inn will receive a prize package including a £3,000 voucher to spend on equipment for their businesses.