A PUB chef, who owns The Plough Inn, in Longparish, will have his food served at a banquet to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

James Durrant fought of competition from top chefs during BBC2’s Great British Menu to cook at the banquet this evening, at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral.

His food will be served to guests including some of those who fought on D-Day.

James, a father-of-three, will serve up his main course entitled Blitz Spirit, which was the highest scoring of the week in the regional rounds.

James said: “It’s about the spirit of the blitz and the community spirit we had as a nation. We got through the hard times and survived.

“The way we worked together helped us to win the war.

“The idea behind Blitz Spirit was to do something that was a sharing dish and reflective of the community feel and have people sharing it and enjoying it together.”

Filming took place in December, and James said that appearing on the show has been great publicity for The Plough Inn, where customers have been watching the show each day and enjoying the dishes James created.

He said: “It’s certainly made a big impact on business being on television. It’s fantastic exposure.”

For the full story, pick up a copy of The Gazette next week.