Made in England: Sunday Lunch at Gidleigh Park

Well done to Michael Caines for achieving 2nd place in The Sunday Times top hundred Food List.

Sunday Lunch at Gidleigh Park is an amazing experience.

Gidleigh Park is just a few miles from Chagford. An historic stannary town, one of only four in Devon, miners traditionally brought their tin here to be weighed and valued. Located above the River Teign on the edge of Dartmoor, the name means "The ford where the gorse grows" and although the Tin Mines are a thing of the past the town continues to be very much a thriving community.

This is also a good location to begin a walk exploring the surrounding moorland and hillsides or take the 3 mile route to historic Castle Drogo, built in the early part of the 20th Century this is a replica of medieval castle set on a rocky crag, well worth the walk.

Gidleigh Park is notoriously difficult to find,

but certainly worth the effort.

It was a grey and rainy Sunday, and on a day like that, there's nothing better than pulling up infront of an enormous country pile and having two liveried men waiting with large umbrellas, offering to park the car whilst escorting you into a stately drawing room for champagne cocktails by the roaring fire.

Gidleigh Park has two Michelin stars, thanks to the dedication and creativity of Michael Caines one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs.

AA Chef's Chef of the Year in 2007, and awarded an MBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry, Michael returned to Britain in 1994 to take up the position of Head Chef at Gidleigh Park. Gidleigh's restaurant was already rated amongst the most prestigious in the country so the position represented a massive challenge and opportunity for a young and ambitious chef. Yet, only two months into the job, Michael suffered a terrible car accident in which he lost his right arm. Remarkably, he was back in the kitchen part time within two weeks, and full-time after just four. With the support of then owners Paul and Kay Henderson and an unwavering belief in his own ability to overcome obstacles, he returned to the kitchens of Gidleigh Park more focused and determined than ever to pursue his dream of reaching the top of his profession.