Bicester Hotel & Spa are delighted to welcome their new award-winning, Head Chef, Michael Carr. He will be running the kitchen in Bicester Hotel & Spa while introducing us to some of his delicious dishes. Michael has won the Heinz Gold Award, demonstrating his passion for excellence.
Michael’s dream for Grays Restaurant is to fill it with the local community. He wants to make it the “place to eat” in Bicester. Michael shops locally, carrying out thorough research on the products. He speaks with suppliers to find the freshest ingredients and to discover what’s new in the market. On Michael’s days off, he can be found at the covered market in Oxford, chatting to suppliers and finding the best flavoursome produce.
Michael developed a love for cooking and experimenting with ingredients from a young age. He recalls helping his mother prepare meals in the kitchen, cutting up chilli and onions for the dish. Michael’s inspiration to train as a chef came from his father who had a passion for cooking and often created original dishes. His father’s friend was a trained chef, which further inspired Michael to follow his culinary vision. Michael attended catering school at Henley College in Coventry, but he truly learnt the trade in France. Here he worked in a small family restaurant in Bonn, where the menu was created daily from fresh ingredients, they had delivered that day. Michael believes in simplicity. He thinks there shouldn’t be too much on the plate and that a dish is built on flavour. Michael’s favourite restaurant is The Oxford Kitchen (now Two One Five.) He loves the food and the flavours which keep him returning for more. Since qualifying as a chef, Michael has worked at The Latymer (Two Michelin star) The Waterside (Two Michelin star) and Simpsons in Birmingham (One Michelin star.)
Michael lives and breathes cooking; it is truly his passion. An ingredient which he couldn’t live without is butter, which he uses to intensify the flavour of his food whether he is preparing vegetables or meat. Michael experiments with his dishes at home before adding them to the menu. He is grateful for his family who always give him an honest opinion of his dishes.