Executive Chef Tom Williams-Hawkes
Tom was appointed Executive Chef at Michael Caines at ABode Exeter in April 2008. It is a fitting appointment for a young Exeter born chef who was inspired to go into cooking professionally when as a 15 year old he had the opportunity to do a few weeks work experience in the kitchens of Gidleigh Park, working alongside Michael.
“I was amazed at the food and the buzz and energy of the kitchen,” recalls Tom. “The experience made me want to become a chef.”
After three years study at Exeter Catering College, Tom did a trial with Gordon Ramsay and went on to work at Petrus for Marcus Wareing where he gained valuable experience cooking at the highest level. This experience prepared him to return to the West Country to work and learn from Michael in the 2-Michelin star kitchens of Gidleigh Park. While Gidleigh Park was closed for its year-long refurbishment, Tom worked as a chef in a private chalet in Megève owned by the Rothschild family. On his return to Gidleigh Park, Tom took over as Sous Chef.
“My time at Gidleigh Park has been so valuable, learning not just about cooking but about how to run a kitchen. Every item of food at Gidleigh is made from best the local ingredients – it is fantastic to have the gardeners come in each morning to see what we need that day. Michael has inspired me to extract the best from ingredients and to make full use of the wonderful produce that we have here in the West Country. Being Executive Chef at Michael Caines at ABode Exeter is a huge challenge for me. We have a large team of chefs and need to produce the best food not just for the Restaurant but also for the busy Café Bar and Well House Tavern. I’m looking forward to working with Michael to develop some exciting new seasonal recipes.”