Head chef David Knapman appointed business partner at Glebe House

David Knapman, head chef of Glebe House, has become a partner in the business after running the kitchen of the Devonshire guest house for the past 16 months.

Knapman, who joined the business in July 2024, bought with him experience from acclaimed restaurants the Fat Duck in Bray and three-Michelin-starred Maison Lameloise in Burgundy.

He has now stepped into the role of business partner of the six-bedroom Glebe House, sharing ownership with co-founders Hugo and Olive Guest.

Knapman will continue to lead the day-to-day running of the kitchen and restaurant, allowing Hugo to step back from service and focus on growth opportunities for the business.

Hugo said: “From the beginning, it was clear that David’s dream was always to run his own place. At one stage, we talked about opening a second site together, but we realised there was so much more to do here at Glebe. It felt right to create the opportunity that gave him a real sense of ownership in Glebe’s kitchen and restaurant, within the brand and community we’ve already built. Our vision for food is so aligned that it made sense to make the partnership official.”

Knapman added: “I have been part of the Glebe story for quite some time, working with Hugo and the team on and off over the last three and a half years and formally joining as head chef in June 2024. I’m very excited to be officially stepping into the role of business partner – it feels like the natural step for me and I look forward to being a key part of this next chapter for Glebe”

Glebe House is a 15-acre smallholding in East Devon, which was opened by the Guests in 2021.

The property, which is inspired by the Italian agritourism model, is planning to launch two guest cabins and a woodland sauna in December.

Former head chef and Acorn award winner Sam Lomas left the business last year to launch his own restaurant, Briar at Number One Bruton.