Novelli cooks up a treat with Rag's staff

World famous multi-Michelin starred chef Jean Christophe Novelli teamed up with staff at The Rag pub and restaurant near Cannock to cook a special lunch menu for 85 diners.

The master chef was at The Rag, in Ironstone Road in Rawnsley, yesterday after owner Mike Benniston and chef Phillip Whittle won a national competition.

After seeing off the challenge of the other finalists in a cook-off final at the Novelli Academy in Hertfordshire, Mr Novelli visited the establishment for a demonstration of a signature dish he created for The Rag, sea bass cooked in fennel and Carlsberg Export, which was cooked by Mr Benniston.

The day's menu included a choice of three starters – a cappuccino of pea and mint soup with foie gras, scallops with ratatouille, chorizo and brie baked in a puff pastry shell and baby squid stuffed with king prawns skewered with lemon grass with an orange and vanilla reduction.

Mr Novelli, who was treated to a tour of The Rag before the cookery demonstration began, said the passion and enthusiasm shown by Mr Benniston, aged 50, from Burntwood, had impressed him.

He said: "When Mike and Phil were at the academy, the first thing that surprised me was that Mike could cook. I didn't know that, he didn't say anything. I thought he was just the owner, so he can multi-task."

Mr Benniston said: "It was a great honour and learning experience to have Jean-Christophe here and he has been great to work with."

The cookery demonstration will be screened on the BBC's Money Programme in November as part of an investigation into the struggling pub trade.