England chef re-launches pub

The man who cooks for the likes of Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard as official England chef has re-launched his pub.

Roger Narbett has reopened The Bell and Cross after a major refurbishment which closed the pub for a number of weeks. Roger, who runs the pub at Holy Cross, Clent, with wife Jo and business partner Paul Mohan, are now looking forward to welcoming their regulars back in to see the newlook pub.

He said: "We have had six terrific years here and we felt the time was right to create a fresh appeal. The Bell and Cross is a very quintessential, English pub, full of tradition and we wanted to retain that, but at the same time add a contemporary touch without spoiling its inherent look and feel."

His business partner, Paul Mohan, said there has also been a shake-up of the menu.

He said: "We have brought back a number of traditional dishes onto our menu which we have called pub classics. Fish and chips and slow cooked lamb and dumplings are a couple of examples where we are providing customers with their real favourites." There has also been a change of decor and four separate dining rooms created, each with a different theme. Roger Narbett has been owner of The Bell and Cross and its sister pub, The Chequers, Cutnall Green, Droitwich, since July 2001.

Roger, a former chef at the Savoy and the Dorchester, first started putting together culinary creations for the England squad and management after the team drew to Albania in a World Cup qualifier in 1989 and FA members thought there might be a problem with the quality of food.