Mark Taylor talks to Michelin-starred Michael Caines about his passion for food and his new position as executive head chef at The Bath Priory

T his is set to be a significant year for The Bath Priory as one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs takes over at the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant next month.

Michael Caines has held two Michelin stars at The Bath Priory's sister hotel, Gidleigh Park in Devon, since 1999, and has built up a formidable reputation for his innovative, modern European cuisine.

At The Bath Priory, he will take on the role of executive head chef, with James Sheridan (former sous chef at Gidleigh Park) stepping up to head chef.

He's a busy man. As well as Gidleigh Park and The Bath Priory, Michael also runs the food side of Andrew Brownsword's Abode Hotels, a small group of boutique hotels that started at The Royal Clarence in Exeter and which is expanding rapidly.

Michael had a meteoric rise to the top of his profession and despite a horrific car crash in which he lost an arm, he has risen through the ranks to become one of Britain's top chefs.

Born in Exeter, Michael was adopted into a large family and he says he gained his passion for food from his mother, who he used to enjoy helping in the kitchen.

"My love of food and cooking came from the big family meals we always shared together, prepared by my mother, who was a wonderful cook.

"My father loved to grow vegetables and fruit in our garden, and so I grew up appreciating the flavours of the freshest foods, picked that day and simply prepared."

Michael knew from an early age that he wanted to be a chef. He attended the city's catering college where his precocious talent was already evident, earning him the accolade Student of the Year in 1987.

He subsequently spent a year and a half at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, before embarking on three influential years under his mentor Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire.

He then moved to France to work for such superstar chefs as the late Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu and Joël Robuchon in Paris.

Michael returned to Britain in 1994 to take up the position of head chef at Gidleigh Park. Gidleigh's restaurant was already rated among the most prestigious in the country, so the position represented a huge challenge and opportunity for a young and ambitious chef.

With his classical French training and use of the best and freshest local and regional produce and products from the West Country, Michael has created a style that is unique to him, at once classic yet also highly innovative, a fact recognised with the award of a second Michelin star in 1999, which he has retained for the past 10 years.

His signature dishes include Brixham scallop with celeriac puree and a soy and truffle vinaigrette; lobster fricassee with baby vegetables and herbs; partridge with quince puree, braised chicory, marinated raisins and Gewurztraminer wine sauce; and chocolate orange confit mousse, orange sorbet and dark chocolate ice cream.

In Bath, Michael says he is trying to create a synergy between the experience at The Bath Priory and Gidleigh Park but at the same time keeping the individuality of each house, which is expressed through the style of the cooking.

"Gidleigh Park is a country house hotel and The Bath Priory is a town house hotel so they are both very different. But, at the same time, they should be able to deliver the same quality and aspirations for the guests," says Michael.

"We'll bring an element of my signature dishes to Bath but I have a big enough repertoire and depth after 15 years at Gidleigh Park to make them different.

"There will be two tasting menus – a classic one of my signature dishes and one that evolves each week – plus an à la carte of five starters, five main courses and five desserts. We'll also have weekly changing lunch and pre-theatre menus.

"Sixty per cent of them will be my dishes and the rest will be dishes from the new head chef, James Sheridan and his team, because creativity in the kitchen is important."

The Bath Priory has long been regarded as one of the South West's premier venues for fine dining. In the mid-Nineties, head chef Robert Clayton gained the restaurant its Michelin star and this was retained by Chris Horridge, who worked there for the past three years and left last month. Another former graduate of the Raymond Blanc school, Chris certainly put his own individual stamp on the menu, but there was a general feeling among locals that his obsessive interest in the nutritional side of ingredients and his scientific, Heston Blumenthal-style approach was starting to alienate those diners simply looking for a more traditional gastronomic experience.

While being careful not to criticise Chris (Michael was on the original panel that chose him), he says he is fully aware of the problems. "I understand the local concerns and I'm fully aware of what happened. At the end of the day, you have to cook for the customer and you can't be too niche in your appeal.

"It might work in London and the Home Counties, but it doesn't necessarily work in the South West.

"My food is quite contemporary but it has a stronger base of classical French technique because of who I worked for – Robuchon, Loiseau and Blanc – but the classical approach isn't about being dated, it's about taking the principles of what makes great food – the best regional and local ingredients cooked with great skill and flair, and served in a way that is outstanding on the plate.

"The modern take on food is how it's presented but rather than talk about the current fads and telling people we want them to come here and heal themselves, I want people to come here and celebrate life, and enjoy great food and service in a great hotel.

"I'm not going to push my opinions of food on them. People have got enough stress in their life at the moment so I don't want them to feel they have to come here and worry about stuff, I just want them to enjoy it for what it is.

"I'm aware that we have to cook a lighter style and pay attention to people's allergies but I'm not going to make any headlines out of it, and I don't sensationalise my approach to food. I want the food to do the talking."

There will be those who say that fine dining restaurants are not the obvious place for people to dine in a recession. Michael is well aware of this but thinks people are simply more cautious about where they spend their money.

"In a recession, people decide to spend their money more wisely so they may go out once a month and have a great experience rather than have several mediocre meals.

"I think what we find in a recession is that mediocre businesses go to the wall but businesses offering good value do well.

"Fine dining doesn't have to be expensive and we have to realise that eating well is not an elite sport; it's for people who enjoy food and doesn't necessarily come at a massive unapproachable price.

"When you have a choice between eating somewhere mediocre and somewhere like The Bath Priory, with the quality of the food and the service, that's where it will be seen as good value. But, of course, we recognise that in the current economic climate we have to open up our business and make it accessible to everyone."

Also in the kitchen at the revamped Bath Priory will be former Masterchef winner James Nathan, who has been working at Bentley's restaurant in London for the past few months.

Nathan, who comes from Bristol, had his wedding at The Bath Priory and has always named Michael as one of his influences and inspirations.

Michael says: "James rang me up out of the blue and I sort of knew what he wanted before I'd even spoken to him. He's been down to Gidleigh Park and he really enjoys the style of cooking that I do, so he knows that he'll learn from us, and I'm very pleased to have him as part of the team."

For Michael, his arrival at The Bath Priory marks a return to the Bristol and Bath area three years after his restaurant at the Bristol Marriott Royal hotel closed. It was a short tenure at the College Green restaurant, and he has mixed feelings about the experience.

"We tried really hard to create a fantastic restaurant in Bristol and we were promised a lot of things by Marriott that never really materialised.

"The energy we had when we first opened soon went away as the problems we had with the building weren't addressed.

"Although it was disappointing in many ways, we had a good time in Bristol but it was nothing to do with the people of Bristol and the clientele.

"We struggled to get the message out about the restaurant and we simply couldn't improve things because of our relationship with Marriott, which was such a shame.

"It's lovely to be back in the area. We feel that Bath and Bristol is a very important market and perhaps in the future we may still put an Abode Hotel in Bristol if we can find the right property. It's a fantastic area."

Although clearly happy to be starting at The Bath Priory with the Michelin star inherited from his predecessor, Michael can't hide his long-term ambitions for the place.

"Two Michelin stars would be a wonderful ambition for us to have but you have to be realistic. We need to focus on what we're doing first of all, but in the long-term two stars has to be an ambition.

"Ultimately, we just want people to fall back in love with The Bath Priory and have a wonderful experience. I want the local people to come here and celebrate life. That's what the table is all about."

The Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, Weston Road, Bath. Tel: 01225 331922. Website: www.thebathpriory.co.uk