Michelin Green Star Chefs: Prim Lapuz, Head Chef, Exmoor Forest Inn
Prim Lapuz is head chef at the Exmoor Forest Inn, which gained a Green Star in the Michelin Guide 2024.
Exmoor Forest Inn, Simonsbath positioned within the expansive Exmoor Forest Estate, is owned by three brothers—Edward, Freddie, and Alexander Greenall. It is deeply integrated with the estate’s operations. This estate is an organic traditional hill farm renowned for its native breed, grass-fed beef and lamb, and it also supports a thriving population of several hundred red deer, contributing to the inn’s unique dining offerings.
Culinary Experience
Head Chef Prim Lapuz leads the kitchen at the Exmoor Forest Inn with a passionate commitment to quality and seasonality. The menu vividly reflects Exmoor itself—mirroring its climate, seasons, altitude, and coastal proximity. This connection is brought to life through dishes featuring beef and lamb from the estate’s own herds, venison from the local moorland, and fresh fish sourced from the Bideford day boats just 8 miles away.
Local wild mushrooms are a speciality, celebrated for their unique flavours and gathered from the surrounding landscape. The estate’s kitchen garden enriches the menu further, supplying an array of soft fruits and vegetables, while Prim and the team also forage
locally for wild garlic, sea purslane, and other seasonal delicacies.
Sustainability and the Farm
The Exmoor Forest Estate embodies a philosophy of sustainable farming and biodiversity. Spanning over 6000 acres, it is a beacon of agricultural practice and a haven for wildlife. The farm manages two beef herds—purebred pedigree Galloway and crossbred cattle from Aberdeen Angus or Shorthorn, which are finished on the estate and processed locally, ensuring high welfare standards and minimal transport stress.
The flock of 1200 Scottish Blackface ewes, a traditional breed perfect for the estate’s environment, is carefully managed to maintain genetic diversity and optimize land use. The estate’s management of species-rich grasslands and traditional hay meadows reflects its commitment to maintaining biodiversity, with grazing and cutting schedules designed to support a variety of native flora and fauna.
Under the stewardship of the Greenall brothers and the culinary leadership of Chef Prim Lapuz, the Exmoor Forest Inn not only offers a gastronomic reflection of its rich environment but also stands as a model of sustainability and local sourcing, making it a pinnacle of rural hospitality and culinary excellence.
Other Michelin Star Chefs
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Michelin Green Star Chefs: Prim Lapuz, Head Chef, Exmoor Forest Inn
