Cateys 2017: Newcomer Award, Mark Jarvis, Anglo

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Mark Jarvis opened Anglo just off of Leather Lane in Farringdon, London, in March 2016 and has since received rave reviews from critics nationwide.

The much-missed critic, AA Gill, writing in The Sunday Times, said his meal was "perfect … It was the most accomplished thing a kitchen can achieve: classic flavours made harmonious, but also beguiling and ingénue fresh", while Grace Dent of the London Evening Standard compared it to Noma, "if it was born and raised in Norwich".

Farringdon is an area of London that is notoriously busy during the day, bustling with office workers, and deserted by the end of rush hour. The Cateys judges were impressed by Jarvis's way of "making an unfashionable part of London fashionable" along with his "passion and determination".

Jarvis started working in kitchens at the age of 16. In 2003, he worked as a chef de partie at the Lords of the Manor in the Cotswolds and, two years later, he took on a role at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire, where he worked under Raymond Blanc for two years. While at Le Manoir, Jarvis cooked alongside chefs Agnar Sverrisson, Robin Gill and Ollie Dabbous before going on to open Blanc's pub, the Thatch.

After eight months at the Thatch, Jarvis went on to work at the Royal Exchange London as senior chef de partie before joining with Sverrisson again at the Michelin-starred Texture in London, holding the position of sous chef for two years. His first head chef role was at the Blueprint Café, where he took over from Jeremy Lee. A year later, Jarvis took on his first executive chef role at the Bingham hotel in Surrey, where he remained for two years.

Anglo is Jarvis's first solo restaurant and it combines all of his experience working in top kitchens. It's headed by Jack Cashmore, who has worked with chefs including Sat Bains at his two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Nottingham and Kobe Desramaults at In de Wulf in Belgium.

When Jarvis bought the property, formerly a pizzeria called Fabrizio's, he and Cashmore refurbished the site themselves. After a month of ripping out the old kitchen, repainting the restaurant and even making their own furniture, they were open for business. The three AA rosette-accredited restaurant is now booked weeks in advance and offers a weekly menu, depending on the produce available.

The difference at Anglo is that it's not a typical fine-dining eatery. There's not a white tablecloth in sight, nor is a long speech delivered to you before each course about the preparation of the celeriac. In fact, the dishes at Anglo are often brought over by the chefs, and although they only serve a tasting menu in the evenings, it's laid back and reasonably priced. Sample dishes include wild turbot with smoked onions and dill; new season lamb with violet artichoke and anchovy; cheese and onion on malt loaf; cherry with hay and horseradish; and strawberries with elderflower and clotted cream.

Over the past 16 months, Anglo has become such a hit that the restaurant has started to open for dinner on Mondays to accommodate the surge in popularity, which we are sure is only on the rise.

What the judges said
"Embracing the team spirit of this Catey! They're risk-taking and bold and letting the food and service drive the business forward."
Tom Kerridge

"What they have achieved in a short space of time is remarkable. Long may it continue."
John Calton

The shortlist
Will Bowlby. Kricket
Adam Handling, The Frog
Mark Jarvis, Anglo
Nick and Nadia Stokes, Gourmet Goat

The judges
Kenny Atkinson, House of Tides
Pascal Aussignac, Club Gascon
Richard Ball, Calcot Hotels
William Baxter, Hospitality Action
John Calton, The Staith House
Tom Kerridge, The Hand & Flowers
David Pitchford, Reads
Jane Sunley, Purple Cubed