ABode & Gidleigh Park
I had the privilege to spend some time with Michael Caines at ABode and Gidleigh Park.
ABode - Manchester
The six month Acorn meeting took place in Manchester where I stayed for one night.
Angel suite:
ABode – Exeter
Great people:
Executive Chef Tom Williams-Hawkes
Tom worked with Michael for eight years at Gidleigh Park, latterly as Sous Chef, before taking up the challenging new post as Executive Chef.
Above: Restaurant Manager Matt and Sommelier James
South Africa wine tasting @ ABode Exeter:
I have attended to the Meinert wine tasting organized by Great Western Wine. Meinert Wines is based in Devon Valley, Stellenbosch, established in 1987 with the purchase of 11,5ha.
Above: Steve Edwards, winemaker Martin Meinert and Patrick Pigny from Great Western Wine.
We have tasted the Meinert La Barry Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Meinert Pinotage2006, Meinert Merlot 2006, Meinert Devon Crest 2004 (blend of Cab. & Merlot) and Meinert Synchronicity 2006 (blend of Cab, Merlot and Pinotage, outstanding!!)
Gidleigh Park
I have spent four nights working at Gidleigh Park.
Gidleigh Park has good food, excellent service and beautiful interiors. It is one of the UK’s finest small country house hotels.
It is a surprise arriving there as you wind your way along a private lane through wild countryside, you emerge in a clearing and suddenly there it is!!!
Michael Caines MBE has held two Michelin stars since 1999 for his modern European cuisine and has been cooking at Gidleigh Park since 1994.
Michael also gave the opportunity to have a tasting menu accompanying with wines in the last day. It is outstanding cuisine and finest wine list in the United Kingdom, the wine cellar houses more than 950 bins (about 8000 bottles) stored optimum conditions. The dream became reality, I have tasted wines that I thought I would never have had one day.....still have all the flavours kept in my mind 
!!!
I had a big picture of a good business and a excellent business men.
The Restaurant team:
Edouard Oger, head Sommelier
If someone ask me one day… who is the person that inspire me for the future, the answer would be Micheal Caines!!!