Whatley Manor’s Michelin two-starred chef, Martin Burge, unveils new seasonal tasting menus for The Dining Room restaurant

Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa, the luxurious Wiltshire retreat (01666 822 888, www.whatleymanor.com) has unveiled three new tasting menus for its Michelin two-starred restaurant, The Dining Room, to replace the former à la carte menu. The three different menus, including a vegetarian option, take guests on a culinary journey showcasing the very best of seasonal ingredients combined with a series of highly accomplished cooking techniques. 

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Commenting on the new menus, Martin Burge said: “During my career I have worked with some of the country’s finest chefs including Raymond Blanc, John-Burton Race and Richard Neat. These talented chefs played a key role in my development and passed many of their skills on to me. Drawing upon my classical French training while taking a modern approach with food, my aim is to produce dishes that burst with flavour and give you a dining experience that is both entertaining and creative. I hope our guests will enjoy my latest innovations.”

The new gastronomic menus will change frequently to reflect ingredients that are at their best. Those currently featured on the tasting menus include ‘Hand dived scallop, pan fried, served with lightly warm smoked salmon, pickled cockles and walnut cream’; ‘Quail breasts, pan fried, dressed with its legs boned and farced, served with Morteau sausage, deep fried quail eggs rolled in chicken crumb’(pictured); ‘Young Brillat-Savarin and truffle ravioli served with compressed apple and baby leeks’ (vegetarian); ‘White chocolate sphere, filled with a pistachio kirsch mousse and compote of cherries’ and ‘Chicory mousse layered with bitter coffee and mascarpone cream’.

The Dining Room serves dinner Wednesday – Sunday. The new tasting menus are priced at £110 per person inclusive of vat. Wine matching by Whatley Manor’s sommelier is available at £65 per person.

A one night stay at Whatley Manor costs from £315 for a standard room (and from £335 on a Saturday) including bed and breakfast, full use of the award winning spa Aquarias, inclusive of vat.

For further information and to book call Whatley Manor on 01666 822 888 or visit the website at www.whatleymanor.com. Whatley Manor is a member of Relais & Châteaux

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For further information please call Anthea Yabsley at IDeal Public Relations on 020 8578 6777 or email [email protected] or contact Eloise Gordon on 01666 827 086 or email [email protected]

Notes of Editors:

Whatley Manor opened in July 2003 following three and a half years of extensive restoration. The Landolt family independently own Whatley Manor - Mrs Alix Landolt and Mr Christian Landolt. Since March 2014, Mr Gurval Durand oversees the overall management and operations.

Recent Accolades include:

AA Inspectors Choice Hotel – Five Red Stars - Four Rosettes
Two Michelin stars retained by head chef Martin Burge
Grands Chef Status Relais & Châteaux
Good Food Guide 2013 8/10. Top 20 restaurants in the UK
The Dining Room 23/100 – The Sunday Times Food List 2011 in association with Harden’s

Biography: Martin Burge
Martin began his career at the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath with Michael Croft, who was Head Chef at the time, having graduated with distinctions from Brunel Technology College in Bristol. He followed Croft to London working at the renowned Mirabelle restaurant. His first taste of a Michelin star establishment was at Pied a Terre under the watchful eye of Richard Neat and the proprietor, David Moore.  The opportunity to work with Raymond Blanc at    ‘Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons’ beckoned and Martin worked his way up to the position of Sous Chef. Martin then met John Burton Race whilst working at ‘Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons’ and eventually he went to work with Burton-Race at L’Ortolan as Senior Sous Chef where he was soon promoted to Head Chef at the age of 27. Burton Race decided to uproot and move his restaurant to ‘The Landmark Hotel’, Marylebone, London. They successfully retained the accolades and achieved two Michelin stars in just one year.

In 2003 Martin left London to return to his west country roots where he became Head Chef for the opening of Whatley Manor in Wiltshire. Here he oversees both the fine dining restaurant – ‘The Dining Room’ and the brasserie style restaurant, ‘Le Mazot’. Since then Martin has achieved numerous accolades, attaining his first Michelin star in January 2005. In September 2008 the AA awarded ‘The Dining Room’ four AA rosettes and in January 2009 Michelin awarded Burge a second star for his acclaimed cuisine. This was swiftly followed in June 2009 with the BMW Square Meal award for ‘Best Out of Town UK Restaurant 2009’ and in November of the same year The Independent voted Burge ‘Chef of the Year’. In August 2010 The Good Food Guide listed ‘The Dining Room’ in the top 20 restaurants in the UK with a score rating of 8 out of 10.

Martin is recognised as ‘Grands Chef’ by Relais & Châteaux and awarded the ‘Grands Chef Trophy’. In April 2013 Martin took part in the prestigious Relais & Châteaux ’Dîner des Grands Chefs’ hosted in London alongside 45 Grands Chefs from around the world.  In 2015 Martin took part in the ‘British Edition’ of the St Moritz Gourmet Food festival.

TV Credits; Martin has participated in the semi-finals of ‘MasterChef; The Professionals’ 2010 and has appeared as a judge in the finals since 2008.



Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa  Easton Grey  Malmesbury  Wiltshire  SN16 0RB

Telephone + 44 (0) 1666 822 888  Email [email protected]

Web whatleymanor.com  @Whatley_Manor