Felixstowe Nub News aims to be supportive to every element of the community from business and shops to people and charities and clubs and sports organisations. Everyone is finding it tough at the moment and wants life to get back to normal so we will be profiling some of these local businesses and groups regularly over coming weeks in a feature called UP CLOSE IN FELIXSTOWE:

Today we serve up a treat for your as we chat to Louis Andrews, the new executive chef at the Mariners in Trimley, one of Felixstowe's oldest pubs.

A forced smile by a very special person set Louis on his vocational path to be the very best chef he could, and put real smiles on the faces of everyone he cooked for.

Louis recalls as young teenager how an attempt to make cookies for his ill father changed his life.

"My dad had multiple sclerosis. I looked after him for a long time along with professional carers," said Louis. "I remember making him cookies one day, and they were awful, but when I saw his fake smile it made me really happy and I have wanted to cook ever since. I wanted to get better and to make people really happy with my cooking."

Louis' route to becoming the Mariners' top chef was very unconventional, as he literally learned on the job. Even before he left school he was helping as a general dogsbody in the kitchen at Le Talbooth, Dedham, and worked his way up.

He said: "I loved the experience especially New Year's and Christmas and they eventually offered me an apprenticeship and got two A*s.

"I did did two years learning the basics, veg, larder, meat and sauces then I went to Kesgrave Hall and worked with sous chef there."

Louis expanded his experiences working with top people at, Twenty5 in Ipswich, the Crown at Stoke by Nayland and the Marquis in Upper Layham before making the move to London and the prestigious Tom Kerridge's bar and grill at the celebrity chef's Corinthia hotel in London.

With even more skills and experience under his apron, Louis came back to Suffolk and worked at K Bar in Ipswich and did some agency work until lockdown and the chance to join the Mariners came up.

After learning from the ambitious Louis is nakedly ambitious and sees the Mariners in Trimley as the ideal platform to achieve his dreams.

The pub recently celebrated its fifth birthday under the current owners, used lockdown for a refurb and will be installing a brand new kitchen as part of its investment into making it east Suffolk's food venue of choice. More here...

"I love it here," said Louis. "It is a really good match, the people are great and the ideas flow.

"I want us to push for two rosettes in two years. It is ambitious I know, but I have worked with some of the best chefs in the word, Danny Clifford at Midsomer House in Cambridge for free - just to get experience, I have learned all sorts along the way.

"I have been cheffing for 10 years ever since I left school so at 24 years young I'm really excited by our new menu, the really good team here and and I'm really eager."

The Mariners already has good reputation for its food, while ensuring the drinkers still feel welcome in their local, but Louis is keen to take the menu to a new level.

That includes adding bone marrow to burgers and steaks, so keeping to the traditionally popular meals, but with that added special touch.

Louis explained: "It is all about elevating pub classics, which is something I learned from Tom Kerridge It is two Michelin stars, but it has Scotch eggs on the menu, that sort of thing, which is essentially the sort of food I like to eat.

"I want to spend £20 and a drink and leave happy."

As executive chef working closely with owner Melissa Allen and general manger Dave Iles, Louis has introduced interesting new tase combinations, such as sardine dressing, monk fish fillets, and sprinkling marrow in meat dishes.

Louis revealed: "We use very lean meat then add the beef bone marrow cells, which is little pockets of fat for taste. It makes for an amazing taste. It is similar with our rib eye steaks."

Perhaps not surprising for a pub call the Mariners, Louis is keen to increase the fish dishes and catch more diners with its seafood.

He said: "We will be doing things like paella, fish pie, fish and chips, but we are just taking it all to the next level, by adding curry sauce, tartar sauce mushy peas.

"I love British food, like roast dinners, I also love Asian flavours, Spanish food, Italian classics like pasta dishes. There will also be a vegan or vegetarian options which will be something different all the time, plenty of variety.

"There will also be chocolate soufflé's, custard tarts, for desserts - all home cooking.

"I'm really excited about all the dishes we have going on."

Combining the traditional with the contemporary is just one element of Louis' recipe for success as he also looks to use Suffolk produce, including Young's fishmongers, Cleveleys the butchers and it is a calculated move.

"I'm aiming to be named young Suffolk chef of the year and I can do that by working closely with trusted local suppliers," said Louis, whose dedication and ambition shines through in our conversation.

The 24-year-old has no other hobbies and admitted: "Food is literally my life. I'm always looking at cook books

"I tried to leave cheffing once due to the hours but within two months I was back."

Louis' inspirational dad Lawrence passed away in December 2018 and no matter who has given him new experiences, or where he has learned more, there remains one thing that he will never forget and said: "That smile is what I remember."