Chef Matt Mason joins Winslade Manor Restaurant and Bar

Chef Matt Mason has left the Jack in the Green gastropub in Devon after 28 years to oversee a new restaurant opening near Exeter.

Mason will be head chef at the Winslade Manor Restaurant and Bar, which is opening as part of a redevelopment of the Grade II-listed Winslade Manor and surrounding parkland.

It is due to launch in time for Valentine's Day, coronavirus restrictions permitting.

The development will include a health club, workspaces and homes, and there are plans to host festivals, outdoor concerts and weddings at the 85-acre site.

Mason worked his apprenticeship under chef Shaun Hill at Gidleigh Park and joined Jack in the Green in 1995, winning two AA rosettes just a year later.

He joins Winslade Manor alongside his wife, Jo, who will be restaurant manager.

"Starting with a complete blank canvas is every chef's dream," said Matt. "From the design of the kitchen to the creation of the menus and hand-selecting everything from the crockery, linens, and staff, we've had complete carte blanche throughout the entire process."

The Winslade Park development is being overseen by operations company Vida Spaces, which is run by Joe Hammond, former general manager at Woodbury Park Hotel, Golf and Country Club, and ex-England rugby player Tom Johnson.

It is backed by Mark Edworthy and Paul Scantlebury of Burrington Estates.