Matt Mason - Devon Chef of the Year

A Brief History... So Far.

Born and brought up in Devon during the 1970's, Matt Mason's desire for culinary training began with the self sufficiency of his parents allotment. This provided a valuable lesson which is still evident today in his philosophy of cooking - Making full use of Devon's fine larder and the best seasonal produce.

Matthew has worked as a chef for the past 16 years and was particularly fortunate to serve his apprenticeship under the tutorage of Shaun Hill at Gidleigh Park, who remains to this day "the most knowledgeable chef I have ever met."

A year after Matt Mason took over the kitchens in 1995, The Jack in the Green became one of the first pubs to achieve 2 AA rosettes; an accolade they are very proud to still hold today. More recently the restaurant has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand as well as inclusion in the Which? Good Food Guide, Alastair Sawday's Recommended Pubs and the Harden's Restaurant Guide.

Matthew is also the proud father of Charlie, who although only three, can now tell his courgettes from muddy leeks and is in pre-school at nearby West Hill Primary School. Rain or shine he is perpetually fascinated by what is growing in the family garden and can now boast his own small vegetable patch next to dads.

Matthew's driving ambition is that his passion for good food comes through in the dishes the kitchen prepares and serves every day. "We aim to respect the ingredients and present them as they are - at their freshest and best. I draw my inspiration from dining out all over the world and of course my time at Gidleigh remains a strong presence in my quest for quality even today."

In March last year Matthew Mason won the Professional Class in the the region’s largest cookery competition, the South West Chef of the Year 2007. Organised by Taste of the West this annual search for the West Country’s very best chefs is open to people working in the catering industry as well as enthusiastic amateurs.

For his winning dishes Matthew Mason cooked a grilled fillet of red mullet with garlic chips and parsley coulis as a starter followed by a rack of Fishleigh Estate organic lamb, sautéed sweetbreads, cos lettuce, chicken jus and hazelnuts for his main course.

The readers of Devon Life then voted Matthew their 'Devon Chef of the Year' in the magazine's annual food and drink awards. At the same time, an exciting partnership was starting to get underway between the Jack and nearby West Hill Primary School. To date Matthew has been involved with trips to Darts Farm and Quickes Cheeses helping the children to not just learn about where food comes but more importantly how good our local ingredients taste.

In April 2008 as the winner of last year's South West Chef of the Year, Matthew was invited to help launch the Exeter Food and Drink Festival with Michael Caines. His next activity with West Hill Primary School will be to show the children of Class 5 how to make bread at Darts Farm on the 15th July.