Michael Andrew Caines (born 3 January 1969) is an English

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

born in

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

, Devon. He was head chef of Gidleigh Park in Devon until January 2016. He is currently the executive chef of the Lympstone Manor hotel between Exeter and

Exmouth Exmouth is a harbor, port town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and seaside resort, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe and southeast of Exeter. In 2011 it had a population of 34,432, making Exmouth the List of town ...

, which holds one Michelin star.

Biography

Caines was born in

in 1969 and was adopted by Patricia and Peter Caines, one of six offspring. He studied catering at Exeter College. From 1987 to 1989 he worked at the Grosvenor House Hotel,

Park Lane Park Lane is a dual carriageway road in the City of Westminster in Central London. It is part of the London Inner Ring Road and runs from Hyde Park Corner in the south to Marble Arch in the north. It separates Hyde Park to the west from May ...

in London, followed by three years working under his mentor Raymond Blanc at

Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons ("Four Seasons Manor", a.k.a. Le Manoir) is a luxury hotel-restaurant in the village of Great Milton near Oxford, in Oxfordshire, England. It is in a historic 15th-century manor house, near a church that was v ...

in Oxfordshire. He then moved to France to study under

Bernard Loiseau Bernard Daniel Jacques Loiseau (, 13 January 1951 – 24 February 2003) was a French chef at Le Relais Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu. He obtained his three stars in the Michelin Guide, and had a peak rating of 19.5/20 in the Gault Millau restaura ...

in Saulieu and

Joël Robuchon Joël Robuchon (, 7 April 1945 – 6 August 2018) was a French chef and restaurateur. He was named "Chef of the Century" by the guide Gault Millau in 1989, and awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (France's best worker) in cuisine in 1976. ...

in Paris. He became the Head Chef at the one Michelin starred Gidleigh Park in 1994 but lost his right arm in a car accident soon afterwards. In 1999, Gidleigh Park was awarded a second

Michelin Star The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...

, and in 2001 Caines won ''Chef of the Year'' at

The Catey Awards The Cateys are a UK award ceremony for the hospitality industry, first held in 1984. They have been described as the hospitality industry's equivalent of the Oscars. Recipients are nominated, selected and awarded by the industry through ''The Cate ...

. Caines departed Gidleigh Park in January 2016 and was replaced by Michelin-starred chef, Michael Wignall. Michael Caines Restaurants Ltd was founded in 1999 and the Michael Caines Restaurant opened at the Bristol Marriott Royal in July 2003. However, a meeting with Andrew Brownsword in early 2000 resulted in a partnership and the purchase of the

Royal Clarence Hotel The Royal Clarence Hotel is a former hotel in Cathedral Yard, Exeter, Devon, England. It is often described as the first property in England to be called a hotel; however, The German Hotel, London, was described in this way in 1710, so it is p ...

in October 2000. In 2016 the hotel closed as the result of a devastating fire. Together they developed the ABode Hotels concept. There are 5 hotels in ABode Hotels: Exeter, Canterbury, Glasgow, Manchester, and Chester. Caines was also executive chef for The Bath Priory from 2009 until 2017, a position now held by Michael Nizzero. He was appointed Director of Food & Beverage for Andrew Brownsword Hotels in 2012, a role he held until July 2014. Caines became involved in catering for the Williams

Formula 1 Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

team in 2013 and, as of the 2017 Grand Prix season, is seen regularly in Williams attire in the paddock. Caines and John Burton Race represented the Southwest of England in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

television series Great British Menu in 2006. Caines beat the

Dartmouth Dartmouth may refer to: Places * Dartmouth, Devon, England ** Dartmouth Harbour * Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States * Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada * Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia Institutions * Dartmouth College, Ivy League university i ...

based chef to go on to the final round. Caines was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) on 17 June 2006. Caines launched The Michael Caines Academy in 2011 at Exeter College. In 2015, Caines resigned from Gidleigh Park and ABode Hotels to pursue other business interests. In 2016, Caines opened Lympstone Manor, a luxury boutique hotel and restaurant near Exmouth, Devon, which he describes as "the realisation of a dream, my vision of country house hospitality for the 21st Century". He also plans to establish a vineyard in the estate to produce a house champagne-method sparkling wine. In January 2020 it was announced that Caines will relaunch The Cove Restaurant, situated in

Maenporth Maenporth ( kw, Meyn Borth, meaning ''stones cove'') is a cove and beach in west Cornwall, England. It is situated approximately two miles (3 km) south-southwest of Falmouth on the estuary of the River Fal. Maenporth cove faces east across ...

near Falmouth in Cornwall, which had been owned and operated by Arty Williams and Annette Rickard for 17 years. The relaunch began on 10 March 2020 and was billed to offer a "relaxed and informal approach to dining that is designed to attract families, locals and holidaymakers alike". However, after less than 2 weeks, on 23 March 2020, the Cove had to temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown announcement, although has re-opened since. In addition to his Michelin-starred Lympstone Manor Hotel and Restaurant, Caines owns and operates The Cove Restaurant, the Harbourside Refuge in Porthleven, Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant in Exmouth, and Cafe Patisserie Glacerie.

Personal life

Caines lives near Exeter in mid-Devon. He has two daughters and a son. As an adopted child and amputee, he supports a number of local agencies and amputee initiatives and charities. He is a patron of Families for Children Trust, a voluntary adoption agency covering Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.

References

External links

Personal & Business website

Gidleigh Park Website

Michael Caines interviewed by Hot Dinners

Michael Caines: A Life Through Food, BBC Radio Food Programme

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caines, Michael 1969 births Living people Businesspeople from Exeter English adoptees English chefs Members of the Order of the British Empire Head chefs of Michelin starred restaurants Deputy Lieutenants of Devon English amputees