Chris Simpson joins Gidleigh Park as Executive Head Chef

The Staff Canteen

Chris Simpson, formerly of the Michelin starred Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, has joined Gidleigh Park as it's new executive head chef.

Chris, who has held the position of head chef at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw for seven years, will start in his new position on January 3, 2018, ahead of the reopening of Gidleigh Park on January 12 following its annual closure.

Chris Simpson said: “It’s a privilege to have been offered the opportunity to take up the reins at Gidleigh Park, somewhere I’ve admired since I very first started cooking. Moving with the support of Nathan, I’m excited to be heading up my own kitchen and am ready for this next challenge in my career. I’m also delighted to be staying in the south west, to be able to continue to work with all the great local produce and suppliers in our region, and I’m looking forward to working with the talented Gidleigh Park team."

Stephanie Hocking, CEO Andrew Brownsword Hotels added: “We’re absolutely delighted to announce Chris’s appointment as executive head chef at Gidleigh Park. Having long been aware of Chris’s exceptional talent, we were very lucky to secure him as apart from his talent and experience, he shares our vision of serving the ‘very best of Devon’ to our guests at Gidleigh Park."

The announcement follows the departure of Michael Wignall on January 1, 2018, after almost two years at Gidleigh Park.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 3rd January 2018

Chris Simpson joins Gidleigh Park as Executive Head Chef