One of the most well-liked and well-known chefs in Britain is Michael Caines MBE, who also serves as the chef and patron of Lympstone Manor. He has been the proud owner of two Michelin stars for the past 18 years in a row, and now he is ecstatic to have received a Michelin star for Lympstone Manor just six months after it first opened its doors. Michael has spent the last 22 years building a name for himself around the world thanks to the distinctive modern European cuisine that he creates using only the freshest local and regional fruit and ingredients.
Getting Started in the Kitchen at a Young Age
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Michael Caines was born in Exeter in 1969 and spent his childhood as a member of a large family. He has pleasant recollections of assisting his adoptive mother in the kitchen while she prepared meals using the produce harvested from his biological father’s garden. Following his stint at Exeter Catering College, during which he was named Student of the Year, he spent one and a half years working for the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. But it wasn’t until Michael spent the next three years working at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons under the tutelage of chef Raymond Blanc that he started to really hone his skills.
Michael went to France for his last training because he had been thoroughly indoctrinated with a love for the cuisine of that country. He worked under the tutelage of renowned French chefs Bernard Loiseau and Jol Robuchon, both of whom contributed to and shaped the cooking technique that Michael is famous for today. As a result, Michael has established himself as one of the finest chefs in the country.
Michael left France in 1994 in order to return to Britain and take the position of head chef at Gidleigh Park. At the time, Gidleigh Park was considered to be one of the top restaurants in the UK and held a Michelin star for its culinary excellence. Even though Michael was only twenty-five years old at the time, this was a tremendous opportunity for him. However, just two months into the job, the young chef was involved in a serious car accident that required him to have his right arm amputated. This almost brought an abrupt end to the opportunity.
After only four weeks, Michael was back at Gidleigh Park working full-time in the kitchen. He decided not to allow this setback prevent him from pursuing his goals. After overcoming a significant challenge, he went on to bring Gidleigh Park to new gastronomic heights, which resulted in a second Michelin star being awarded to the country house hotel in 1999 and cemented his position as one of the country’s top chefs.
Michael has established a large number of his own businesses in the field of food and hospitality, in addition to owning the incredibly successful restaurant at Gidleigh Park, which he also manages. He collaborated with Andrew Brownsword to launch the Michael Caines Restaurants located within the Abode Hotels in Exeter, Glasgow, Canterbury, Chester, and Manchester. Each of these hotels is named after a different city. In addition, he owns a restaurant in Abu Dhabi, which he has been using to provide catering services for the Williams Formula One team since 2011. In addition to all of that, he is the director of the Michael Caines Foundation, which provides financial assistance to a variety of different organizations.
Michael left Gidleigh Park in early 2017 to create his own hotel and restaurant in Devon under the name Lympstone Manor. He had worked there for the previous twenty-one years.
Cooking Style
His distinctive approach to the kitchen, which involves fusing traditional French cooking methods with the freshest local ingredients, is responsible for the creation of some truly outstanding meals. Superlative Poached in butter and served with leeks, mushrooms, and a luxurious truffle butter sauce, the Brixham turbot is a dish not to be missed. There is loin of Powderham venison with chestnut, parsnip, and vanilla purée, roasted vegetables, jasmine and raisin sauce, and langoustine cannelloni with braised fennel, sauce vierge, fennel purée, and langoustine bisque. Both of these dishes are served with roasted vegetables. The tasting menu and the à la carte menu are both updated on a regular basis to reflect the changing of the seasons. In addition, the grounds of Lympstone Manor are home to a wide variety of wild foods and a young vineyard, both of which are used by Michael’s team to produce their own sparkling wines.
Providing Support to The Local Community
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Michael Caines is a well-known example of a prominent chef who gives back to the community in addition to having an impressive restaurant career. In 2016, he launched the Michael Caines Academy at Exeter College, which trains the next generation of chefs, restaurant owners, and other hospitality employees. In addition, he has been at the forefront of Exeter’s Festival of South West Food and Drink ever since it was first established in 2003. Since the chef, Michael Caines, was recognized in 2006 for his contributions to the hospitality business and invited to prepare meals for former Prime Ministers at 10 Downing Street, he was given the honorary title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), which is now his official title.
He is the driving force behind the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, which is a festival of national and international interest that highlights the high quality and diverse selection of food and drink that can be found in the southwest of England. The Michael Caines Foundation, on the other hand, provides financial assistance to a number of charitable organizations, some of which include Families for Children, Farms for City Children, The Exeter Foundation, One for the Boys, and the Devon Wildlife Trust.
Television Programs Starring Michael Caine
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Michael Caines made his first significant appearance on television as a contestant on the first two seasons of the BBC show The Great British Menu. He then returned to the show as a veteran judge for the fifth season of the show. Additionally, he has been seen on MasterChef the Professionals on a consistent basis participating in the show’s chef’s table round.
A Few Parting Thoughts
Michael Caines ensure that his restaurant menus frequently change to reflect the season and are updated on a weekly basis to guarantee that they are using the very best and freshest foods that are available to us and are sourced from within a short distance of the restaurant. Michael has a strong enthusiasm for local produce. The fact that he has received such a high level of acclaim and multiple honors over the course of the previous two decades is evidence of his exceptional creative ability. In addition, among the many honors that have been bestowed upon him, he has prepared meals at No. 10 Downing Street for the Prime Minister, been presented with an MBE in 2006 for his contributions to the hospitality industry, and been named the AA Chef’s Chef of the Year in 2007.