Burton-Race back at stove after taking French leave

Chef John Burton-Race will return to the stove next week with the opening of his latest restaurant venture, the New Angel. The restaurant opens on the site of Dartmouth landmark the Carved Angel, which he bought earlier this year from local entrepreneur and chef Peter Gorton (Caterer, 1 April, page 6).

Burton-Race has recruited former L'Ortolan sous chef Nigel Marriage to take up one of two head chef positions at the New Angel.

The last time the pair worked together was in 1995 at Burton-Race's now closed two-Michelin-starred L'Ortolan restaurant. Marriage left the restaurant after an ITV documentary, The Big Story, exposed violence in the kitchen.

Marriage, who worked at the Carved Angel earlier in his career, has recently been working at the Totnes deli with tables, Effings.

Burton-Race, who will be cooking full time in the kitchen, has also signed up the services of other former L'Ortolan chefs. Robin Zavou has been appointed the other head chef, after leaving Wiltshire hotel Lucknam Park. There will be six chefs initially, but more ex-L'Ortolan staff are expected to join the restaurant after the first month.

Burton-Race said the food served at the 65-seat restaurant will be influenced by his time spent living in France, filmed for the television series French Leave. "We will be putting French Leave into practice in Devon and using as much local produce as possible," he said.

He added that he will buy crab and line-caught sea bass from day boats that moor in front of the restaurant and that he planned to keep the cooking "simple and unfussy".