Inside Matt Gillan’s plans to shape The Woodcote’s identity

Matt Gillan has been shaping a new chapter at The Woodcote, bringing clarity to the estate’s culinary direction while refining the menu, strengthening the brigade and drawing on the influences that have defined his career.

He also appeared on BBC's Great British Menu in 2015 where he represented the Southeast region and created dishes inspired by his Guyanese heritage.

First impressions and an unexpected opportunity

Matt said he became involved with owners Glen and Asta Manchester almost by chance. After taking on some agency work, he found himself cooking at The Woodcote without any expectations.

He added: “I ended up at The Woodcote just getting on with my work and doing what I was told, which is quite nice. It’s quite refreshing, actually.”

Glen and Asta 'saw an opportunity,' he added. “They said: we want to drive this forward and there’s someone who’s literally landed on our lap here that can help us do that.”

After sitting down to hear their plans for the estate, Matt knew it was the right fit.

He added: “I thought, do you know what? I can absolutely help out here.”

The location also struck him immediately.

He added: “It’s beautiful. The drive out into the countryside, surrounded by fields and trees – it’s just so idyllic." The setting reminded him of remote destination restaurants in Scandinavia where nature shapes the entire experience.

A menu built around Sussex and seasonality

Matt described the current menu as being in 'an evolutionary stage,' moving from its original format towards something more expressive of the area.

He added: “It’s a celebration of Sussex produce. We want to champion the producers and growers as close to The Woodcote as we possibly can.”

While the restaurant is not restricted exclusively to Sussex, locality and seasonality sit at its core. The plan is to shift from the current à la carte to a tasting-led format next year.

Matt explained: “It’s the right format to showcase the producer in a much more representative

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light as the seasons change. Some things might be on for three months, others might change weekly or even daily.”

Influence from a career in top-flight kitchens

Asked which periods of his career show up most clearly in his cooking, Matt was quick to acknowledge the impact of his time at Midsummer House.

He said: “That shaped me, I spent three years with Daniel early on, so it’s heavily influential on me as a chef.”

But the strongest parallels today sit between his work at Heritage and his direction at The Woodcote.

Matt added: “Finding those really independent suppliers and showcasing ingredients in a way that hasn’t been done before – that’s where the Midsummer House influence comes in. The refinement, the technical cooking, the point of difference.”

For Matt, the goal is simple: to offer an experience diners could never recreate at home.

He explained: “You don’t want to pay for something you can do yourself. The experience should feel worthwhile – something where you think, I have no idea how they’ve done that.”

Building a kitchen culture that looks forward, not back

Matt said the brigade has developed steadily and intentionally since his arrival.

He added: “You can’t just come in and tear it all up. We’ve taken time to give the team the skills and information to develop into that next level.”

Recent additions include chefs with three-rosette backgrounds to help elevate standards across the board. But most important to Matt is the culture.

Matt added: “They’re a great bunch of guys. Fun. And that’s part of it as well – that’s what I want kitchens to be. I don’t operate in the way kitchens operated twenty years ago.”

"You can either battle the generational shift or you can embrace it. How do we still produce the best whilst adapting to what the future looks like?”

Written by ABi Kinsella

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