Haven sent

Stepping into the shoes of culinary legend Sonia Stevenson must have been a daunting prospect. From 1967 to 1990 Stevenson ran the Horn of Plenty in Gulworthy, Devon - one of the greatest restaurants of our time. But it fell to Peter Gorton to do just that when, at 25, he took over as head chef after the property was bought from Stevenson in 1990 by current owners Elaine and Ian Gatehouse.

Gorton exudes confidence. In an accent sitting neatly between the Mumbles, where he was born, and the West Country, now his home, he runs through the career route that prepared him for his appointment six years ago.

One of his first breaks was in 1980 as assistant chef with Franco Taruschio of the Walnut Tree in Abergavenny, Gwent, where he worked for two years. "Franco changed my outlook on food. He made me appreciate it for what it is."

Gorton admits to being something of a sponge when it comes to information about different world cuisines. After gleaning as much as possible from Taruschio, Gorton moved to the Priory Hotel in Bath. When he finished work early enough, Gorton would help out at nearby Chikako's Japanese restaurant, enabling him to learn more about a great love, Oriental cuisine.

"I'm a strong believer in learning things thoroughly. If I want to cook Thai, Japanese or vegetarian, I want to know how to cook it properly by working with the experts," explains Gorton.

At Chikako's he perfected the technique for cooking tempura - a skill Gorton is noted for in restaurant guides and one that stood him in good stead for the Kikkomann Masters competition, in which Gorton was a finalist last year. He has just learnt he is a finalist in this year's competition, which takes place later this month, and will be eligible for the top prize - a study trip to Japan.

From 1987 to joining the Horn of Plenty, Gorton worked as sous chef to Karl Löderer at Manleys, in Storrington, West Sussex. He describes Löderer as "the single biggest influence" in his cooking career.

Gorton has continued on his learning curve since joining the Horn of Plenty by setting up stages during the restaurant's quieter periods. Placements have included one month at three-Michelin starred Paris restaurant Jamin (now closed) with Joâl Robuchon and, earlier this year, a week at La Tante Claire, London, working with Pierre Koffmann.

"Jamin was the nearest you could get to perfection in terms of cooking and presenting food," he says.

Gorton says he realised from working at both three-Michelin starred kitchens how the challenges a small country restaurant faces are in some ways greater. For one, expensive ingredients are a luxury. "You want to emulate what you've seen but you're having to use cheaper ingredients."

He works in an enviable environment, though. His kitchen is more than 25sq ft and four chefs are employed to run it. It looks out on to acres of beautifully kept gardens and orchards, while the 50-seat restaurant overlooks the spectacular Tamar Valley, taking in the Tamar River where some of the restaurant's wild salmon is caught.

The 200-year-old building is also home to proprietors the Gatehouses. A separate former coach house accommodates six bedrooms. Most guests staying overnight at the Horn of Plenty are tourists, yet 70% of visitors to the restaurant are locals.

Gorton operates a set-price lunch (£17.50 for three courses, £14.50 for two) and dinner menus (£28.50) which he changes about five times a year. Both menus offer a fish of the day, which changes between lunch and dinner. He also offers a weekly changing "pot luck" menu (£19.50) on Monday nights, enabling Gorton to clear the fridges.

"We used to operate an à la carte menu," explains Gorton, "but people seemed frightened by the pricing structure."

Thai guy

Gorton's recipe for tempura-fried lemon sole with prawns and scallops illustrates his love of Thai food. Having worked in Thailand in 1986 at a series of small Bangkok restaurants frequented by locals only, it is a cuisine Gorton is particularly accomplished at cooking. But he is quick to point out his cooking is "international".

"We are good at Thai, but it is not our only speciality," he says.

The sole tempura has been westernised by Gorton using fewer chillies and a smaller amount of fish sauce - he believes customers would find authentic Thai too hot. Sole fillets are dipped into a mixture of finely chopped prawns and scallops before being wrapped in caul membrane. He then rolls the fillets in batter and deep-fries them for about five minutes.

The sole is served with a Thai sauce made from fresh chillies, sugar, lemon, coriander and Cas Sasc - fish sauce - an ingredient used in Thai cooking in a similar way to soy sauce in Chinese.

The second recipe featured, pan-fried medallions of venison on apple compote with potato and apple gratin, brings Gorton sharply back to his native cooking. He makes this dish with medallions, fillets or saddle of locally reared venison. It is served with a black pepper and cider sauce made from West Country cider, while the apple compote is made with a touch of Calvados.

Gorton runs a series of cookery courses for non-professional cooks. Taking a maximum of 10 people, courses range from dessert and petits fours to vegetarian and Oriental cuisine. The cheapest course, which is aimed at teenagers, costs £20 and includes a three-course meal.

"Although we run 30 courses a year, we get people phoning up with parties of eight asking if I will run an extra class. I could run courses all-year round, but it would impact on the restaurant," says Gorton.

He has just finished his first book, Peter Gorton's Horn of Plenty Cookery Book (£14.95), which is based on the cookery courses and will be available in October. Published by Halfgroves Production of nearby Tiverton, the book is complemented by a series of videos on seafood, vegetarian, meat and game dishes and desserts. The first video has just been released (£12.95).

When the dust settles after his adventures into the world of publishing, Gorton says he would like to start working towards his goal of running his own restaurant. "I have no immediate plans to leave the Horn. But I guess it would be a natural progression for me to have my own place one day."

Next week Take Five visits the Isles of Scilly to meet a chef with stars in his eyes