Michelin Rising Star Award for Devonshire restaurant

Combe House, near Exeter, Devon (England) has been awarded a Michelin Rising Star for the second year in succession for its culinary excellence in the 2008 Michelin Red Guide, which is one of the most recognised and influential restaurant guides in Europe featuring only 122 restaurants in the UK with one or more stars.

Rising Stars were introduced in 2005 by the Michelin Guide to draw attention to restaurants that represent the gourmet dining ‘stars’ of tomorrow. Combe was one of just five establishments across the UK listed as being in line for their first Michelin Star.

Hotels and restaurants are visited anonymously on several occasions by Michelin inspectors to gauge the consistent quality of products and services offered to the customer; they settle their own bill. Readers’ comments are also a valuable source of information in the selection; inclusion in the guide is free, entries are updated annually and the criteria for the various classifications are the same in all 21 countries covered by the guide.

Combe has won numerous hotel and dining awards since coming under the ownership of Ruth and Kent Hunt ten year’s ago, but the tributes for this latest accolade go to the hotel’s two resident Master Chefs of Great Britain; head chef Hadleigh Barrett, 30, and sous chef Stuart Brown, 28. “This honour reflects the outstanding contribution to food excellence by our two Master Chefs”, said a delighted Ken Hunt. “We owe it to their relentless pursuit for culinary perfection”.

According to Hadleigh Barrett, “We couldn’t have achieved this without the people who supply us with such superb local home-grown produce. Having the West Country’s larder right on our doorstep, means we are spoilt for choice. It makes it a joy to create and prepare dishes full of taste and flavour.”

They are ardent about sourcing the freshest and best quality local ingredients for their menus; fish is bought most days from Brixham and hand-reared Ark Chicken from Morestone Barton Farm, Cullompton while the lamb, pork and beef comes from Gatcombe Farm, Seaton. Vegetables are from Bakers Farm, near Ilminster, run by Devon man John Rowswell, and all preserves are made on the premises using fresh seasonal fruit.

Hadleigh's cookery has progressed through his experience at some of the top hotels in the country including two years at the five star Pennyhill Park, Surrey and a year at the two Michelin starred L'Ortolan restaurant in Berkshire. Since joining Combe House in 2001, he has developed his own distinctive style that focuses on using the finest local produce and presenting it in new, exciting and contemporary ways.

Sous chef Stuart Brown came to Combe seven years ago as Chef de Partie from the Horn of Plenty, Tavistock, Devon.

Combe House, a wildly romantic Grade I Elizabethan manor, is hidden on a secluded wooded estate where Arabian horses and pheasants roam freely. Accommodation is in fifteen luxurious en-suite bedrooms and suites, some with four-posters and stunning views across the valley to Dartmoor beyond. Tucked away at the entrance to the mile-long drive is the beautifully restored Combe Thatch Cottage – a romantic hideaway for two with its own private walled garden.

Other recent awards include The Good Hotel Guide, UK Country Hotel of the Year 2007 and the England for Excellence, South West Small Hotel of the Year Gold Award 2007.

Prices start from £170 B&B per double room per night and a three course dinner with canapés is £42 per person.

For more information, visit thishotel.com.