A CHEF in the Cotswolds has won a national award.

Dinu Popovici, the sous chef at the White Hart Royal in Moreton, has been named kitchen team member of the year.

The title was awarded to Mr Popovici by the Coaching Inn Group, which runs the hotel on High Street along with more than 30 others in market towns across the country.

“I really enjoy my role and the buzz of working with my colleagues, but winning the trophy came as a complete surprise,” said Mr Popovici, whose wife Elena works front of house as a trainee duty manager.

“But besides all my catering shifts, I also attend Birmingham University twice a week to study for an HND in business and marketing,” he added.

“As well as that, Elena and I love visiting local places with our young daughter, so our lives are pretty full,” he said.

Mr Popovici was presented with the Kitchen Team Member Award at the Coaching Inn Group’s annual awards night in Lincoln by the company’s executive chef, Dave Simms.