RESTAURANT
During his next role at Talland Bay Hotel , in Looe , Gavin recalls learning the importance of consistency and focusing on minute detail . To begin with , he would spend six hours cutting two litres of Provencal vegetables into small squares - and doing it again and again until the skill was perfected .
Following another two-year spell at Fowey Hall , Gavin landed a job as a Chef de Partie for Gordon Ramsay ’ s restaurant at top London hotel Claridge ’ s .
Gavin ’ s star continued to rise when he was part of the team which took the Olde Bell Inn , in Hurley , from being unlisted to holding five gold stars within 12 months . There he honed his butchery skills and learnt how to manage complex operations . He worked under Warren Geraghty , who would later introduce him to his future mentors at Galvin restaurants and Cliveden House .
He helped brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin to relaunch two restaurants in the five-star Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Edinburgh and he also spent time in their London restaurants , overseeing the opening of Pompadour by Galvin which was awarded AA best new restaurant in 2013 .
In 2014 , he became Head Chef at Cliveden House in Berkshire . Working closely with Executive Chef Andre Garrett , he was responsible for food development and food operations . This included the newly launched Restaurant Andre Garrett , which earnt numerous accolades and was voted best new restaurant by the Good Food Guide . It was also listed in The Times ’ top 20 UK restaurants in its first year .
Most recently before joining The Headland , he spent almost six years as Group Executive Chef for Castlebridge Hospitality , initially working with Mike Robinson , developing and opening The Elder in Bath , The Woodsman in Stratford Upon Avon and The Forge , in Chester .
He took on the entire portfolio and developed and opened Hotel Indigo ’ s three restaurants and bars , one of which is in Exeter .
The 37-year-old added : “ Producing great food is about respecting the past but cooking in the current . I enjoy building dynamic teams with lots of different personalities in the kitchen . Everyone has something to offer and I hope to be an inspiration and support to them all . We love to encourage young people into the industry and we have many fantastic apprentices here .”
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