Meet our Summer Chefs
We’re delighted to introduce the chef’s behind our alfresco dining events. South Devon has a wealth of outstanding talent and all our chef’s share a passion for fresh local produce, quality and above all delicious food. Our menu’s include a variety of foods from Vegetarian Cuisine, A Taste of Summer, South American and Asian influences to The Whole Hog and Little Piggy.
J.P. Bidart learnt how to cook from an early age, surrounded by a large family of enthusiastic cooks, all willing to pass on their knowledge. Inspired by the great Bernard L’Oiseau, J.P. trained in Paris at the Centre Formation d’Apprentissage at Evry and his first job was as a Commis Chef at Aux Armes de France, an award-winning restaurant in Coreilles, France. He has also worked at triple-Michelin starred Le Saint Clement in Paris. Since arriving in Britain he was awarded two rosettes during his time at Buckland Touts-Saints Country Hotel and has built up a growing reputation as one of Devon’s finest chefs.
More recently J.P. has put Millbrook Inn in South Pool on the map for food. He has gained nationwide recognition with the Millbrook winning Silver in the Best Tourism Pub category at the prestigious South West Tourism Awards 2015, Devon Food and Drink Best Restaurant 2014, Gold Award in Taste of the West’s Best Dining Pub category 2013, won both Kitchen Team and Pub Chef of the Year at the Morning Advertiser’s Great British Pub Food Awards in 2011, Restaurant Pub Chef Of The Year in both 2010 and 2012, has led his kitchen team to win the Gastro Pub Challenge at The Restaurant Show 2010.
As well as cooking live at International Food Festivals J.P. can be found cooking with the very best produce on offer in Devon at local Food Festivals too adding of course his own “Gallic twist”.
Serin Aubrey started out his route to ‘chefdom’ with a Conran Scholarship’ training at the Butlers Wharf Apprentice and Chef School. With a career progressing rapidly through what was then then the ‘Conran Empire’, he eventually settled at the flagship restaurant Le Pont de la Tour, where a highlight was cooking for Bill Clinton and Tony Blair.
After 13 great years at Anzac, Serin decided a new direction was on the cards and Dartmouth Fine Foods was launched with his long term friend Simon.
Dream team Jane Baxter and Samantha Miller created their food and events business ‘Wild Artichokes’ in 2015. With a base in Kingsbridge, they hold regular dining events in and out, as well as providing an outside catering and event service.
They originally met in 2005, when setting up the Riverford Field Kitchen together, which they successfully ran for five years in which time they won two Observer Food Monthly awards and the recognition of some of the country’s top food critics. The girls have a combined talent of creativity and organisation along with over 60 years of experience in hospitality.
Chef, Jane Baxter started her cooking career here in South Devon, working for Joyce Molyneux at the Carved Angel, before going on to The River Café in London, and later to the South Pacific where she worked and lived for 7 years. Jane also wrote the recipes for the two Riverford Farm Cook Books the first of which gained two Guild Food Writers awards. More recently she has written Leon Fast Vegetarian, Leon Happy Salads, and Leon Fast free and had a regular column with Henry Dimbleby in the Guardian.
Alastair David is a South Devon based chef influenced by the years he spent cooking and eating around the globe and the Michelin starred restaurant (Chez Bruce in Wandsworth) and top tier caterers that Alastair worked at during his career in London. Alastair’s food combines the best ingredients with modern and inventive cooking techniques.
Following a relocation from London to Devon, Alastair joined the River Cottage team as Head Chef before branching out on his own catering company, catering for all types of events, from corporate parties, weddings and even Glastonbury! His food is recognisably British in tone, but borrows occasionally from India, the Americas, France, Italy and Spain.
The focus is always on sourcing the best local ingredients, and Alastair has a personal relationship with some of the best producers in the South West and beyond. Sustainability is also high on his agenda, and wherever possible ingredients are organic and always certified sustainable.
As excited by a greenhouse tomato as by a fine beef fillet or native lobster, Alastair squeezes the last ounce of flavour from everything and lets quality ingredients speak for themselves.