Chef Spotlight | Ian Webber of Gidleigh Park
A little about Gidleigh Park
Tucked away on the edge of Dartmoor, Gidleigh Park is a luxurious country house hotel renowned for its elegance, stunning setting and exceptional dining. Surrounded by 100 acres of woodland and gardens, the Tudor-style manor offers a peaceful escape.
Its restaurant, led by Head Chef Ian Webber, celebrates refined modern British cuisine using the finest seasonal and local produce.
Food Drink Devon Board member and wine writer, Susy Atkins, went to meet Ian and explore Gidleigh Park under his stewardship. Here's what Ian had to say...
Hello Ian! Tell us about yourself
I was born in Honiton. After working abroad in France, Switzerland and Ireland, as well as in Devon and Dorset, it’s great to be back at this beautiful property in a lovely location where I worked before from 2006 - 2013.
Choose three words to best sum up your cooking style.
Flavour, ingredients, environment.
What does sustainability mean to you?
When I worked at The Woolsery in North Devon, we put a focus on sustainability, with a good work/life balance for staff and our own orchards and butchery etc. It took six years to achieve – I feel I’ve left a bit of a legacy there. Now I want to do similar things here.
What are your most treasured and earliest food memories?
I went travelling around Europe in my late teens and have never forgotten a cheap meal of rotisserie chicken with potatoes cooked below and baguettes in Calais!
And I loved the use of simple, top-quality ingredients in Italy. As chefs, we tend to become over-complicated – these memories remind me to take a step backwards sometimes and focus on flavour.
What are your favourite seasonal ingredients?
In the early autumn we’ll be featuring our local venison of course, and I’m looking forward to cooking with rose hips too – I use a lot of wild berries in desserts and infusions. And mushrooms like girolles and ceps will feature.
What’s your favourite dish on the menu right now?
It has to be the line-caught sea bass steamed with butter and served with lobster, courgettes, tomatoes and oregano.
What’s your favourite drink?
Cider - I’m from Devon! There are great ciders being made in Devon now. My favourite style is bright and fresh, crisp and not too sweet, quite strong.
Which restaurants are on your bucket list to visit?
I must get to The Ledbury in London and I’m very keen to go to Nathan Outlaw’s in Cornwall too. I love Florence and want to get back there to experience its restaurants again.
Which Devon producers do you admire the most?
The perennial vegetables grown at Incredible Vegetables near Ashburton. And I love the free-dived, hand-picked scallops from Greenstraight Scallops in Dartmouth.
Thanks Ian. We look forward to seeing your plans come to fruition.
Dining at Gidleigh Park
Menus at the Michelin-starred restaurant reflect the bounty of the Kitchen Garden and the best seasonal ingredients. The restaurant offers an intimate, luxurious setting for spectacular dining, with vast windows overlooking the beautiful grounds. Ian's thoughtfully crafted menus are complemented by an internationally renowned wine list.
To find out more about Gidleigh Park visit their website below, and check out our post about their festive dining options HERE.