Nathan Cornwell joins the Woodcote as chef director

Chef Nathan Cornwell has joined the Woodcote in West Sussex as chef director.

His appointment comes nearly six months after the closure of the Michelin Guide-listed Silver Birch restaurant in London’s Chiswick, where he was previously head chef.

Cornwell takes over the farm-to-table restaurant with rooms in the South Downs National Park from Matt Gillan.

In February, the Woodcote secured planning permission to add a bistro, fine dining restaurant and 16-bedroom lodge.

Under Cornwell’s direction, the revamped Woodcote will serve a new à la carte menu celebrating seasonal West Sussex produce. Dishes include Duncton Mill trout with lovage taramasalata and kohlrabi, South Coast lobster with garden cucumber and lobster hollandaise, and meadowsweet-infused ice-cream.

Cornwell will also work closely with the restaurant’s own beekeeper, gardener and deer stalker.

The restaurant with rooms is further supported by Cynthia Coomb, who has joined as operations director.

The Woodcote was founded by Glen and Asta Manchester in 2023 and has been led by long-standing general manager Will Morley and restaurant manager Gosia Orłowska.

Cornwell started his career in hospitality aged 16 at Lucknam Park in Wiltshire, where he trained under Hywel Jones before moving to the Michelin-starred Le Champignon Sauvage.

He also worked at Kitchen W8 in London before moving to Scandinavia and later the Barn at Moor Hall in Lancashire, where he was head chef.