WHEN Country Life magazine voted Devon the best county in which to live, no one was more pleased than the celebrity chef Michael Caines. He adores the county.
His PA, Sonia Lowe, says: “Michael was brought up in Devon and, although he could undoubtedly spread his wings, his heart is here. He has helped local farmers to market their produce and he really supports the South West community. Because he is so well-known locally he gets a lot of valuable press coverage.”
Caines’s restaurant at Gidleigh Park in Devon has just been voted nineteenth in the world’s Top 50, testament not just to his skill but, he insists, to the fine local produce.
Caines, who is half-Jamaican and half-British, might appear an unlikely protagonist for the West Country, but he is seen as the local boy made good and he backs a programme whereby high-profile residents act as ambassadors.
He was born and brought up in Exeter and, at only 34, has carved out a remarkable career despite what could have been huge setbacks. As a baby, he was put up for adoption. Just as his career was taking off, he lost his right arm in a car accident. Yet since then he has become a high-profile charity worker, Chef of the Year and is the youngest of just twelve chefs in Britain to have two or more Michelin stars.
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Now head chef and codirector at Gidleigh Park, he has his own restaurant at the Royal Clarence, Exeter, while his latest venture is at the Marriott in Bristol. He is also patron of an adoption charity, Families for Children, and works with disabled people.
Lowe says: “Michael has an incredibly busy life. I met him when he came to the Royal Clarence in 2000. I was working there and I moved across to work for him. At first it was taking care of reservations and functions but as Michael’s workload has evolved I have performed more of a PA role — although I do still organise our dining club, wine dinners and ladies-do-lunch club.
“Michael has such huge ideas and he passes them to me and then trusts me to get them up and running. When he lost his right arm it was a real blow, especially as he had been right-handed. But he is such a strong person, and he just strives to succeed. He is a brilliant boss not because he delegates but he encourages and trusts. He finds time for the causes he believes in. He is regularly asked by hospitals to talk to people who are facing or have just had amputation. We get lots of letters asking for him and he has time for everybody. He is kind, caring and funny. He has very high expectations but gives a lot in return.”
Caines starts work at Gid-leigh Park at 9am, oversees lunch, then drives to Exeter. After an afternoon’s work he is back in his car to arrive at Gidleigh Park in time for dinner.
His working day ends at about midnight. How he fits in his media and charity commitments is anyone’s guess, but he says: “You only get one chance in a lifetime.”
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He is passionate about his causes. “Having been adopted, I know how important it is for children to be brought up in a loving family environment. I was adopted by a white family and perhaps that would not be done now. Of course, people shouldn’t deny a child their cultural background, but it can work and I am proof of that.”
Once a month, Caines — who has recently become a father himself — sits on an adoption selection panel.
When he was 25, he fell asleep at the wheel of his car and it crashed. He says he decided he would not be a trauma victim and adds: “I lost about 10 per cent of my ability, which is nothing really.”
Physical tasks such as peeling carrots are beyond him, but it is nothing that kitchen teamwork cannot resolve. At Exeter Mobility Centre he speaks to new amputees and gives cookery demonstrations to disabled youngsters to show what can be done.
Caines says of Lowe: “Taking her on was the best decision I ever made. She is absolutely brilliant at organisation and highly meticulous. I am a demanding boss, but I am more compassionate, thank God, than before my accident.
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“The person I am is due to my upbringing but when you have had an accident and experienced the lowest point, you realise that life is too short to be arrogant and obnoxious. I would rather go through my life helping others.”