Red Lion in West Deeping, near Stamford and Peterborough, named Pub of the Year in Great Food Club Awards

A village pub is celebrating winning a top food award just two-and-a-half years after re-opening under a new husband and wife team.

The Red Lion in West Deeping was named Pub of the Year in the 2023/24 Great Food Club Awards which celebrate the best food producers and eateries in the East Midlands.

Frazer and Emma King have been quick to make an impression, having bought the Red Lion in March 2021 and opened the following May.

They follow in notable footsteps, with last year’s having gone to the Olive Branch, in Clipsham, where Frazer previously worked as head chef.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but this makes it worthwhile,” said Emma, who moved into the pub trade after a career in West End Theatre management and customer services.

“It took us a while when they made the announcement for us to believe it.”

Career chef Frazer trained under celebrity chef Mark Hix in London restaurants and hotels, working his way up the ladder before becoming head chef at the award-winning Gunton Arms in Norfolk.

Having grown up in Market Deeping and Emma in Langtoft, the couple decided to return to their roots and move closer to their parents when Emma was expecting their first child.

Starting a family would also give them the push needed to turn the dream of running a pub into a reality.

“Lockdown gave Frazer a lot of time to think and made him realise how much time he had been missing with his daughters,” Emma explained.

“After 18 months of lockdown he just said ‘I can’t go back to working for anyone else, it’s now or never’.”

Despite the perilous climate for many locals, the couple took the plunge and took on the historic village pub.

They stripped it back to reveal its 16th century glory as part of extensive makeover.

“It was in need of TLC but we could see the potential in it and fell in love with it,” Emma recalled.

“It had become a bit run down and a bit lost so we worked really hard to put it back on the map for the right reasons.

“It was a big gamble, and there were hard times as well as good, but it’s paying off. We have built up a reputation now for good quality food.

“But it’s a whole team effort – we have an amazing front of house team.”

Frazer, meanwhile, revamped the food offering, creating a menu of high quality food without the stuffiness fine dining can come with.

“He calls it elevated pub dining,” Emma added.

“One of the judges said we get good pub grub and we get fine dining, but there is a massive gap between the two and we feel you fill that gap really well.

“We always wanted wellies, kids, and dogs in the bar, and fine dining in the restaurant, so we can be a pub for everybody.”

As his own boss, Frazer relished the chance to put his stamp on the dining experience.

“Frazer has worked in places when they’ve been given AA rosettes and awards, but it’s never been for him,” said Emma.

“To go out on a limb and do the food that he wants to do, this accolade is for him.

“It means the world and is a huge pat on the back to tell us we are doing the right thing.”