Restaurateur named Midlands Chef of the Year

A Shropshire restaurateur has said she is "still pinching herself" after being crowned Midlands Chef of the Year.

Suree Coates, originally from Thailand, opened her restaurant Suree's Kitchen at the White Hart in Ironbridge 25 years ago.

She was given the accolade at the Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards in Birmingham.

"The appreciation is great… it's a fantastic feeling," she said.

Coates learned about food and cooking through watching, tasting and helping at home in Thailand, rather than from written recipes.

She said those memories were with her every time she cooked, helping her to adjust to the life-changing experience of moving to the UK.

The move meant she was away from familiar ingredients and flavours and had to adapt - a challenge which she said helped her grow.

"I make pretty much everything here, the sauces, the pastes… meats, I like to see and I like to touch it," she said.

She serves up authentic Thai cooking, using family recipes as well as her own recipes, and sources many ingredients from Shropshire.

After being nominated for the awards, she got a call from the event team, recommending she attend.

So, she did - not thinking she would come away with the top prize, during the ceremony last week.

"I thought I might get third or second, there were lots of people there," she told the BBC.

"They announced my name… I can hear my name and I look, and there's a big screen with my picture," she said.

Her restaurant is a small and independent venue, but she believes it's not all about size.

"It's what you do with it, what you can create, and how much you love doing what you do," she said.

"I put in 110% because I love and enjoy the faces of the people who are coming in and enjoying the food… that is my reward.

"I create something to make people happy."

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