Devon chef Matt Mason has left Jack in the Green after 28 years to oversee a new restaurant opening Exeter.

Mason will become the head chef at Winslade Manor Restaurant Bar, which is scheduled to open as part of a wider redevelopment of the Grade-II listen stately home and its parkland.

The launch is due for Valentine’s Day, restrictions permitting. We think that might be a tad ambitious but welcome the optimism.

When the site does open, the restaurant will be joined by a health club, work spaces, and homes, with plans to host festivals, concerts and weddings in the future.

Mason’s background stretches back to Gidleigh Park under chef Shaun Hill before he went onto Jack in the Green in 1995, where he won two AA rosettes in a year.

He joins Winslade Manor alongside his wife, Jo, who will be restaurant manager.

“Starting with a complete blank canvas is every chef’s dream,” said Mason.

“From the design of the kitchen to the creation of the menus and hand-selecting everything from the crockery, linens, and staff, we’ve had complete carte blanche throughout the entire process.”