Michael Caines

Coming Up

Exeter College provided the base, but the craft was shaped in kitchens where pace, precision, and composure had to hold under pressure. Michael Caines moved through Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London (1987–1989), then Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire (1989–1992), where he worked under Raymond Blanc. Time in various kitchens in France, under Bernard Loiseau and Joël Robuchon, added another layer of discipline and reference point. The arc from those rooms is clear enough: training, repetition, and the accumulation of standards that later supported longer leadership posts, including Head Chef at Gidleigh Park in Devon (1994–2016), Executive Chef at The Bath Priory (2009–2017), and director of food & beverage at Andrew Brownsword Hotels (2012–2014). The move to ownership followed at Lympstone Manor (since 2016), where the same priorities are set in his own house.

Where They Are Now

At Lympstone Manor, between Exeter and Exmouth, the cooking is organized around place. The coast and the countryside are not decorative references; they are the frame for a terroir cuisine that stays attentive to season and landscape. In Michael Caines’s hands, that means food built from restraint, with the surrounding ground acting as a practical guide rather than an abstract idea.

Signature

Lobster fricasee is one of Michael Caines’s signature dishes. It points to a style that values control over excess: technique is present, but so is clarity, with each element kept in balance rather than pushed to spectacle.

In Their Words “I didn’t want to let them down.” Read plainly, those lines reflect a career built on focus and obligation. The work stays in the kitchen, and the standard is measured against the people and places that shaped it.

Honors

Michael Caines's honors include Michelin star, Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), and Chef of the Year at The Catey Awards. Together they mark a career recognized for sustained technical discipline, service, and consistency over time.