Great British Menu 2020: Thomas Carr, South West heat
Thomas Carr is chef owner of the one Michelin starred, Thomas Carr at The Olive Room in Devon.
Thomas opened The Olive Room in spring 2014 and it was awarded its first Michelin star in 2016. He prides himself on fresh, ingredient-led food in an intimate setting.
Thomas Carr started his culinary career in 2002 as head chef at Beachcomber Café in his home town of Woolacombe, Devon. He later moved to Watersmeet Hotel where he was chef de partie from 2004 to 2009.
He then moved to Nathan Outlaw's Seafood and Grill restaurant at The St Enodoc Hotel in Cornwall, where he started as a sous chef. When Nathan opened the new ‘Restaurant Nathan Outlaw’ in February 2010, Thomas was promoted to head chef there. During Thomas' time there, the restaurant gained two Michelin stars within the first year of opening.
Alongside working at the restaurant, Thomas took part in outside events including a pop up in London and several food festivals. When Thomas returned to North Devon in 2013, he took up the position of executive chef at The Coach House, Kentisbury Grange.
Working with renowned chef Michael Caines MBE, Thomas built up a team from scratch, and the restaurant was a success. The Coach House received 2 AA Rosettes during the first 6 months of opening and a full entry into the 2014 Trencherman’s Guide: a comprehensive list of the top restaurants in the South West of England.
In this industry, we look out for each other. That’s what being a chef is all about - shared graft, shared passion, shared success. And for the past 17 years, The Staff Canteen has been your space to connect, to learn, to be inspired - a tribe built by chefs, for chefs.
• 5,000+ recipes to sharpen your skills.
• 2,000+ videos to fuel your creativity.
• 1,000+ features sharing the real stories of this industry.
• Daily industry news as it happens.
• Hospitality’s largest social media platform - connecting over 560,000 followers worldwide.
We know times are tough, and every kitchen’s feeling it. But if we stand together, we’ll get through it - and we’ll come out stronger.
Think of it as buying the community a coffee - just £3 to keep us going.
Your support keeps this space free, independent, and dedicated entirely to you and your industry. Together, we can keep inspiring chefs everywhere.
Chip in £3, drive us forward, and keep the community strong. Thank you.
We’re in this together. And together, we move forward.
Support Us
CONTRIBUTE
Great British Menu 2020: Thomas Carr, South West heat
