Martin Burge, the former head chef of two-Michelin-starred John Burton-Race at the Landmark, in London, has taken over the kitchens of converted Wiltshire country house hotel Whatley Manor.
The 31-year-old chef, who first joined Burton-Race at L'Ortolan in Shinfield, Berkshire, in 1996, will be opening the hotel's two restaurants, the Dining Room at Whatley Manor and Le Mazot, in May.
The 23-bedroom hotel, in 12 acres of gardens in Easton Grey, Malmesbury, will open two months later.
Whatley Manor's general manager, Stephen Parry, said his aim was to recruit a chef with a Michelin-starred background. "We wanted someone who could develop the restaurants with their own distinctive style without any of the preconceptions associated with the big-name celebrity chefs."
Burge, who before L'Ortolan worked at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, and London's Pied à Terre, said he was thrilled to be returning to his local roots and joining a hotel, even though most of his recent career has been in restaurants.
"To be honest, I'm bored of running single restaurants and because the Dining Room will be open for dinner only, it will allow me to focus on other areas of the food operation while maintaining high standards," Burge said. "I'm 99% sure that I can achieve really high accolades at Whatley Manor."
Burge described Whatley Manor - owned by international event rider Christian Landolt - as the perfect launch-pad to showcase his work. "I'm looking forward to returning to my West Country roots with my young family, having grown up in the area and trained at Brunel College in Bristol."
Burge will be in charge of a brigade of 15 and is hoping to recruit some of his former team at the Landmark as well as making use of his links with Brunel to find local talent. He has appointed Tim Allen, who has worked with him for the past three years, as sous chef.
The two restaurants will be pitched differently. The 60-seat Dining Room will feature a modern interpretation of classical French cuisine, while the 70-seat brasserie-styled Le Mazot will be simpler.
One central kitchen, designed by Stirling Foodservice Design, will service the two restaurants with two separate brigades. Burge is working on the menus, but said he would be broadening his style.
www.whatleymanor.com
Landmark raided
Seven members of staff were exposed as illegal workers and removed from the Landmark hotel, in London, on Tuesday during a Home Office raid.
The Home Office admitted the staff in question had documents that were so cleverly forged it would take a trained expert to identify them as false.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 13-19 March 2003