Meet the Chefs - Angus McCaig | Matt Mason | Dhruv Baker |

Angus McCaig

Head Chef - The Holt, Honiton

For the last seven years, Angus has been cooking at The Holt in Honiton, using local produce to create food that has a bit of a difference. Using skills learned from Scandinavian roots, curing, pickling and smoking play a key role in the food at The Holt.

Traditional cured sausages and smoked cheeses, are served with truffled honey and smoked dried fruits. Smoked vanilla ice cream with chocolate, thyme and rum. Using ideas and ingredients that work well together, keeps the dishes simple and uncomplicated.

www.theholt-honiton.com/ 

Darrin Hosegrove

Ashburton Cookery School

After training at Exeter College Darrin began his career at Gidleigh Park Hotel under the guidance of Michelin starred chef Shaun Hill. After spending several years working in fine dining restaurants around the UK he returned to Exeter College teaching catering to an advanced level. Darrin also spent two years developing recipes for Sainsburys before joining the Ashburton Cookery School where he now shares his passion for local produce by overseeing and teaching various courses using an abundance of local suppliers.

In January 2012 Darrin has also overseen the launch of the Ashburton Chefs Academy which provides professional Chef training to a Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts. www.ashburtonchefsacademy.co.uk 

James Nathan

Chef & Masterchef Winner 2008

James was a Criminal Barrister who decided to swap the cut and thrust of the courtroom for the heat and hassle of the kitchen. Since winning MasterChef 2008, James has been on a crash course in some exceptional kitchens to transform himself from talented amateur to a professional chef. He has worked for legendary chefs including Michael Caines, Michel Roux Jnr, Rick Stein, Richard Corrigan and Michel Bras’ 3 Michelin star restaurant ‘Bras’.

James is now at the end of his culinary apprenticeship and has launched his own private catering businesses offering creative catering to those who enjoy food. For more information visit www.jamesnathan.net.

 As well as demonstrating at this year's Exeter Food Festival, James will also be cooking mouthwatering dishes alongside MasterChef’s Jackie Kearney in a large, silver, street-food trailer; so stop by and sample a serving of the South West's most sumptious food!

Mat Follas

Winner of Masterchef 2009

Mat is passionate about cooking with local, wild ingredients, as well as learning about the fantastic bounty of sea vegetables and hedgerow produce that can be found all around us. His dishes use these naturally delicious ingredients to produce food that is full of flavour and a delight to eat. Mat's dream of having his own Restaurant serving real food with something wild at its heart, has become a reality.

www.thewildgarlic.co.uk

www.thewildgarlicblog.co.uk

Michael Caines MBE

Michael Caines Restaurants & Gidleigh Park

Michael Caines is one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs. Awarded an MBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry and AA Chef's Chef of the Year in 2007, Michael is a  Director of Brownsword Hotels and Michael Caines Restaurants. He is also the Executive Chef at Gidleigh Park, the acclaimed and prestigious country house hotel on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, where he has earned his reputation - as well as holding two Michelin stars for the past 13 years - serving distinctive modern European cuisine utilising the finest local and regional produce and ingredients. Since February 2009, he has also held the position of Executive Chef at The Bath Priory, Bath, Gidleigh Park's sister establishment.

Gidleigh Park was recently voted Number 1 for the second year running in the Sunday Times/Hardens Top 100 Restaurants in Britain. Amongst numerous other accolades, Michael has cooked in 10 Downing Street for the Prime Minister  and he took part in ‘The Great British Menu' chef's competition broadcast on BBC2 television for the honor of cooking for the Queen's 80th birthday..

belief that good food – and yes great food – should always be inclusive not exclusive,

A  regular face on Television including BBC Masterchef and Saturday Kitchen, Michael is passionate about staying true to his roots in the South West. Michael is driven to support his chosen local charities and is also a co-founder and Director of the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink.

Jackie Kearney

The Hungry Gecko & Masterchef Finalist

Jackie Kearney is a top 4 finalist in BBC One's MasterChef 2011. She is now developing her experience and reputation with pop-up dining events, a vegetarian fine dining club and working with a number of highly regarded chefs in the UK.

Her food passion lies with vegetarian dining and Asian street food, inspired by her extensive travels across Asia with her husband and twin children. You can read more about Jackie's adventures with her family on her blog.

Jackie's ambition is to raise the bar in vegetarian and street food dining. She aims to create food that is exciting, delicious and thought provoking.

"I love everything about streetfood. I love the accessibility of it, the array of flavours and spices, the fresh preparation of ingredients and most of all, the opportunities this gives for creating great dishes, regardless of whether it's vegetarian or not. It's simply about producing an amazing plate of food for people to enjoy."

www.thehungrygecko.com

Andy Appleton

Fifteen, Cornwall

Andy Appleton has been a big part of the Fifteen family for many years now; originally a Senior Sous chef at Fifteen London, he was part of the team that launched the Fifteen concept back in 2002. Andy loves everything about Italian food and went on to become Head Chef at the Italian-style Tabernacle Bar and Grill in Shoreditch, London before moving to Fifteen Cornwall in 2007. He’s been Head Chef here since March 2010.

For Andy, Italian food is about more than the recipes – it’s a whole attitude and lifestyle that makes great food the focus of every day. It’s about sourcing the best seasonal ingredients at their peak, and letting them do the talking without unnecessary clutter and complexities. Taking rustic, Italian dishes and adding a contemporary Fifteen Cornwall twist, Andy creates unique menus that bring the best of Italy and Cornwall together on a plate.

Neil Haydock

Watergate Bay

It’s fair to say that Executive Chef Neil Haydock has always been obsessed with food. Growing up in rural Lancashire, his grandfather taught him a love of traditional countryside foods, from game to foraged wild ingredients, and his decision to become a chef was made very early. Throughout his career, Neil has retained this passion for local, seasonal foods; he has always sought small-scale local artisan producers to give his menus a real sense of place.

Neil’s experience includes senior roles at a number of highly regarded restaurants, including the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados, Terence Conran’s Bluebird in London and most recently, as Executive Chef at Fifteen Cornwall. Now controlling The Hotel’s Brasserie, The Living Space and The Beach Hut, Neil is building on Watergate Bay’s reputation as an outstanding food destination, creating diverse, contemporary menus that showcase the very best of Cornwall’s produce while taking inspiration from around the world.

Tim Bouget

Ode, Shaldon

Devon born Tim Bouget’s culinary journey started at Exeter college and he has gone on to cook with the likes of the Roux brothers and Gaulteiro Marchesi, cooking for Luciano Pavorotti, U2, Donna Karen and Nelson Mandela among others.

 On returning to his home county from overseas in late 2006 Tim and his wife Clare opened their own restaurant called “ODE” in picturesque coastal village of Shaldon, South Devon.

 ODE is reconised as one of the UK s top ethical eateries and in January was awarded “Sustainable Restaurant of the Year 2012”, beating River Cottage HQ and Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.

This year will see the opening of their latest venture “Café ODE” a purpose built family friendly café and take away at Ness Cove in Shaldon

ODE holds 2 AA rosettes is listed in all the major guides including Michelin, Good food Guide, Trenchermans and Hardens.

www.odetruefood.co.uk

Simon Hulstone

The Elephant

Simon’s culinary career started early in his life. By his early teens he already had several World Junior titles to his name and he has been adding to the list ever since, with a myriad of awards, including the Roux scholarship for young chefs in 2003 and the National Chef of the Year award in 2008. 

Before moving to Torquay, Simon had been perfecting his culinary technique working for highly regarded, Michelin starred restaurants throughout Europe where he was mentored by some of the world’s most respected chefs. 

Since becoming head chef at The Elephant, Simon has brought his extensive influence of traditional and world cuisine to Torbay, putting the English Riviera on the culinary map. The Elephant was awarded a Michelin star in 2006 which it maintains today. 

Mark Dodson

Masons Arms

Having spent 12 years at The Waterside Inn, Bray as Michel Roux’s Head Chef and 3 years as Executive Chef at Cliveden, Taplow, Mark decided to spread his wings to Devon. He and his wife Sarah bought the 13th Century Masons Arms, Knowstone in 2005 and the accolades have followed, including a Michelin Star, first awarded in 2006, six months after opening and retained since. In 2008 the Masons Arms was named as North Devon’s Best Restaurant, in September 2009 Michelin chose it to be it’s 2010 Pub of the Year and in 2011 it was named as North Devon’s Best  Pub.

The Masons Arms, Mark and Sarah Dodsons’ Thirteenth Century characterful thatched Inn with a beamed bar, lounge, patio and restaurant to the rear. Offering log fires and a warm welcome.  An à la carte menu and seasonal lunchtime specialities are served in relaxed surroundings overlooking the rolling foothills of Exmoor. Real Ale on draught and Champagne by the glass. There is also a concise, good value, wine list largely French with a smattering of New Worlders.
www.masonsarmsdevon.co.uk
 

Peter Gorton

Gorton's

Consultant and celebrity chef Peter Gorton and Masterchef of Great Britain is one of the best-known chefs in the south west of England.

Peter has many years of Michelin Star experience and provides consultancy services to hotels and restaurants. He also runs a very successful outside catering business. He works extensively with schools in food education and has recently opened his new dining club/restaurant in Tavistock; Devon called ‘Gortons’ for up to 25 people.

Peter began his culinary career in 1980 at the age of 16 and trained at some of the finest restaurants in the UK and around the world, from The Walnut Tree in Abergavenny to the Burnham Beaches Hotel in Melbourne, Australia and Jamin in Paris. He has made a number television series including Little Chefs, a six-part programme for ITV Westcountry, and Kill It, Cook It, Eat It for BBC3. Peter is happy in the media spotlight and regularly contributes to magazine articles and recipe columns for the local and national media. He is also a regular voice on BBC Radio Devon’s Breakfast Show where he gives tips and recipe ideas to listeners on the show’s ‘phone-in’. www.gortons-tavistock.co.uk

Craig Sampson

The HH Restaurant

I started my career 13 years ago in my local pub the Agricultural inn at Bram ford speke as most chefs do cleaning pots and pans and getting involved with any food prep that was put my way.

In 2000 I started at the jack in the green and soon made my way to sous chef and stayed there for 10 years helping to achieve 2 AA rosettes and a Michelin bib gourmand as well as many other local accolades...

in 2010 I met my soon to be business partners Stephen and Debbie Hill who shared the same passion for fine food and service that I did and we embarked on a journey to transform a small 17^th century run down coachhouse into a elegant fine dining destination on the outskirts of Exeter.

2011 was a good 1^st year with the restaurant picking up a taste of the west gold award and myself coming runner up in the south west chef of the year competion all of which is a solid platform for an even better 2012.

Duncan Glendinning & Patrick Ryan

The Thoughtful Bread Company

Started in 2009, the core of Thoughtful Bread is the partnership between Duncan and Patrick, bringing together their combined passions with Patrick’s culinary expertise and Duncan’s abilities for foraging and thrifty sourcing. The business has its own shop in Bath, and a bakery at a farm in nearby Farrington Gurney. It tripled in size in its first year, with a rapidly expanding range of customers.

Its bread is found in the best delis, in Michelin-starred restaurants and in children’s lunchboxes. The company has won multiple awards for its bread and for its ethical business. Prizes include many Gold stars awarded by the Great Taste Awards – regarded as the Michelin stars of the food industry – including three stars for their Wild Garlic Bread. 

Duncan and Patrick feature strongly in the BBC2 series The Big Bread Experiment (Keo Films), where they are mentors to a group of women in the Yorkshire Dales setting up a community bakery and restoring a local water mill to grind flour. The series aired on the BBC in early December 2011.

Mitch Tonks

Seahorse & RockFish restaurants

Mitch Tonks runs the highly acclaimed Seahorse & RockFish restaurants and take away in Dartmouth and Bristol with his long time friend, business partner and fellow chef Mat Prowse. Mitch was founder of the highly regarded FishWorks chain which was named ‘seafood restaurant of the year’ & in 2006 he won London Restaurateur of the year before coming to Dartmouth in 2008. 

He is a self-taught published chef who has written  4 books with a fifth, Fish Easy, out in Spring 2012. Mitch's first book was shortlisted for the prestigious André Simon award for food writing and his second book "Fresh" won a world gourmand award for Best Fish book. His tv & radio credits include, Saturday Kitchen, GMTV, Radio 4 and UKTV where he co-presented the highly popular series on Dave, "Mitch & Matt’s Big Fish” with international rugby star Matt Dawson.  Mitch still cooks every week at The Seahorse and lives in Brixham with his wife Pen and their five children.

Lee Streeton

Brown's Hotel

Born in 1977, Lee’s career started at The Savoy Hotel,Londonbefore moving to Caprice Holdings. Here Lee worked at both The Ivy and Le Caprice before moving to Villa Moda inKuwaitas Head Chef. In 2004 Lee returned to Caprice Holdings as Head Chef for Daphne’s Restaurant before joining Rocco Forte's Brown's Hotel in December 2007 for three years. After an exciting venture re-opening the Waldorf Astoria, Lee is delighted to be returning to Brown’s Hotel and the restaurant that he helped launch.

Lee has worked with Mark Hix over many years, both at Le Caprice and at HIX at The Albemarle. Lee is a stylish cook and has created a unique menu of great British classics, simply presented, using only the finest British seasonal ingredients. Lee, originally from Dorset, is passionate about supporting British suppliers and goes to great lengths to source some of the finest seasonal ingredients from all over theBritish Isles.  www.roccofortehotels.com

Lesley Waters

Lesley Waters Cookery School

Well known for her regular television appearances on Ready Steady Cook, Great Food Live and This Morning, Lesley is also a former Head Tutor of Leith's School of Food & Wine, author of several Cookery Books, a qualified Fitness Instructor and a mother of two! Originally a Londoner born & bred, Lesley was quickly charmed by the beauty of the West Dorset area and inspired by the superb quality of the fresh local produce available right on her doorstep. She likes to cook seasonal food whenever possible and her simple, modern style creates dishes that are easy to recreate with stunning results. Teaching has always been her great passion and opening her own Cookery School in this amazing location is the realisation of a long held dream. Her energetic style of presentation is expertly combined with clear and simple guidance, making her classes both entertaining and informative. www.lesleywaters.com

Nathan Outlaw

Nathan Outlaw was introduced to the professional kitchen by his father at the age of 8 when he was allowed to flip toast for the breakfast service! He attended Thanet Technical College in Kent and his first job was at the Intercontinental – Hyde Park Corner, learning his skills under the late Peter Kromberg.

Having worked for several esteemed chefs, Nathan eventually found his way to Rick Stein in Padstow, where his passion for fish was ignited.

 In 2003, Nathan opened his first restaurant, The Black Pig in Rock and within a year was awarded his first Michelin star. Following other ventures, he finally settled at the St Enodoc Hotel in Rock, Cornwall where his fine dining Restaurant Nathan Outlaw now holds 2 Michelin stars. Alongside this is The Seafood & Grill where his team of chefs cook under Nathan’s guidance. In both settings, Nathan is proud to champion local fish, meat and produce cooked simply to showcase the flavours. He is also passionate about educating young chefs.

Nathan has appeared on BBC’s‘Great British Menu’ and is a regular guest chef on ‘Saturday Kitchen’.

Dez Turland

Group Development Chef at Brend Hotels

 Within the past few years Brend Hotels have been working extremely hard in launching our culinary standards, and in particular enhancing our growing reputation within the culinary industry. In April 2008 Dez Turland who had previously been Head Chef at the Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth Cornwall, was appointed Brend Hotels Group Development Chef. Dez has always been passionate about food as well as dedicated and committed to the industry we are in. With the knowledge and credibility he has gained, Brend Hotels are now raising the awareness about our excellence within the hospitality and catering industry.

Tom Cull

Dartmoor Kitchen & Tom's Pies

 Tom Cull is the Director and Head Chef of Dartmoor Kitchen, one of Devon’s most stylish & highly regarded catering companies, and creator of Tom’s Pies, a range of handmade pies, tarts & cakes.

Tom possesses a raw talent that has originated from a background of eating and cooking beautiful food sourced on his own Dartmoor doorstep. He was raised in a cooking environment and has been inspired and guided by food from an early age.

The Dartmoor Kitchen ethos comes from Tom’s belief in using responsibly produced, local ingredients, and this is reflected in his insistence on sourcing only the best produce for all his food. From individual customers, specialist food shops or the wider hospitality industry, Tom works closely with all his clients to provide “honest” food that will excite and tempt customers back time and time again.

Dhruv Baker

Dhruv Baker, winner of MasterChef 2010, face of Waitrose LIVE and a regular contributor for Waitrose Weekend is delighted to be taking part in the Exeter Food Festival 2012. He lives in London with his wife Aileen and their two sons, Arun and Alexander. Dhruv is planning on opening his restaurant this year as well as writing his first book.

Steve Groves

Roux at Parliament Square

In 2009 Steve won Masterchef: The Professionals after impressing judges double Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jnr and food expert Gregg Wallace with his cooking skills and creativity.

Steve currently works as senior sous chef for Michel Roux Jnr at the award winning Roux at Parliament Square. 

Adam Little

Harry's Grill Bar

After a 6 year spell at the Dart Marina Hotel Dartmouth, Adam moved to Exeter and took up the position of Head Chef at Harry’s Grill Bar. Adam prides himself in only using fresh local produce and using seasonal ingredients and is committed to the development of others and passing skills and knowledge to his team.

Matt Mason

Jack in the Green

For the past eighteen years, Matthew has been delighting hungry diners with his locally inspired menus and winning plenty of awards along the way including ‘South West Chef of the Year’. Always striving for excellence, Matthew and the team have turned the Jack into a well-loved destination famed for its innovative and affordable food. In October they were voted 52^nd in the UK’s Top 100 Restaurants.

Sam Moody

The Bath Priory

Progressing from his first role at the Michelin starred Ockenden Manor , Sam moved on to join Michael Caines two Michelin star team at Gidleigh Park. Sam spent two years working through every section in the kitchen honing his skills and learning as much as he could. Still only 26 years of age Sam demonstrates total commitment and passion for all things foodie.

Ian Webber

Gidleigh Park

Ian has been based at Gidleigh Park in his capacity as Head Chef since meeting Michael Caines in 2006. Having returned to Devon to indulge his passion for the really great local produce the county yields, Gidleigh Park has proved to be the perfect place to demonstrate his skilful interpretation of the regions food.