Cross Kitchen Emsworth named Hampshire's best cafe in the Muddy Stilettos Awards 2023

Only the businesses with the most delectable food and vibrant atmospheres are chosen, with award winners having potential for national recognition.

Owner Steven Cross, 39, said the prize was worth all the months of hard work graft and dedication. He told The News: ‘We’re ecstatic. It’s been a long hard slog since buying the business to make it what we wanted to make it.

‘We’re coming to the end of year two, and we’re starting to feel that we’ve made it where we want to be. It’s a great achievement.’ The Emsworth business-owner also thanked his young team for their support.

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‘Working with youngsters is a big deal for me, so we wanted to employ young team,’ he added. ‘It shows how much hard work they’ve put in and what can be done when they’re trained well.’

Cross Kitchen Emsworth opened its doors in 2021 following an extensive interior transformation. Mr Cross said the road has been very tough given the state of the economy, ‘crazy’ energy costs and food prices, and labour costs ‘increasing hugely’.

‘Every caterer would admit that it’s not an area to be in for money’, he added. ‘It’s very difficult to make enough money out of the sector, but if done well, it can happen.

‘We’ve promoted quality and offer a higher quality product with greater expertise, love and care. It’s been a huge success.

‘Emsworth is great for food, and we’ve pushed the boundaries of what kind of food we’re serving in this field. People have warmed to that and it’s down to wanting something different.’

The entrepreneur said the food – including cakes and scones freshly baked in house by Gemma Cross – is the cafe’s unique selling point. Dishes are seasonal and made from ingredients sourced from local suppliers.

Some of the most popular meals include a dressed Devonshire crab, as well as a confit tandoori chicken leg with pickled sultanas, cucumber and Bombay potatoes. ‘Specials are always a big winner, which we change regularly,’ he added. ‘It’s different. It’s not your normal jacket potato and panini cafe food.’

Staff celebrated the achievement with a two-week break. Mr Cross is eyeing up expansion plans in the future. ‘We’re currently trying to find the correct venue and location,’ he said. ‘This location was literally stripped back to brick, so we kind of know what we want to do in another one.

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‘We want to expand, but the location has to be right.’ The caterer added the previous refurb took two and a half months and cost ‘ a hell of a lot of money’ – roughly £100,000.

He believes the cafe will see an uptick in customers since being crowned Hampshire’s best, and is hopeful of Cross Kitchen Emsworth progressing into the national finals. ‘I think we’re good enough’, Mr Cross said, ‘It’s picked by a judging panel. The award is kind of a notch on the post.

‘We’ve put in a lot of work to make it what it is. It shows hard work pays off and you can achieve great things.’

• Muddy Stilettos Awards - 27 Hampshire winners including cafes, restaurants, theatres and businesses