Our next Blog features renowned local chef JP Bidart. Chef Proprietor of ‘Le Guest Chef” in Devon.
His passion for cooking has taken off in a new creative direction. He is offering the perfect dining experience by coming to your home or holiday location and cooking an exquisite restaurant quality meal. A traditional French cuisine with a twist, with of course the added touch of adapting to your personal tastes.
Something we can organise for you here at Coastal Living Holidays.
coastallivingdevon.co.uk Tel: 01548 800500
Where did it all start? Where did the passion for food come from?
His passion for cooking comes from his roots, a typically large French family, where food was the centre of everything.
Growing up, he watched his parents spend hours preparing elaborate meals for regular culinary gatherings. He helped his father in the allotment and dishes would be created around what was in season and available. They smoked their own fish and cured their own meats. Weekends were spent foraging and collecting mussels and winkles.
JP had originally intended on moving to Canada to learn English, but his career brought him to England in 1997 working as chef for Buckland Tout Saints for nine and a half years. Then a further nine and a half years he was head chef with the Mill Brook, South Milton. Laughing, he never made it to Canada which is lucky for us!
Being a chef is hard work, but like most chef’s the reward is high, delivering pleasure through food and being congratulated for doing so is what he lives for.
Our very own Charlotte from Coastal Living Holidays had a first hand experience of JP’s amazing dishes cooked in a clients holiday rental in North Sands, Salcombe.
She exudes “I could eat that crab starter again please!” ” An experience of a lifetime!” On the menu were:
Canapes: Smoked salmon roulade with chive cream cheese on a slice of cucumber; tomato and basil bruschetta topped with salted anchovies on a crouton.
Starter: Layer of local crab and avocado, red chilli and ginger served with rocket salad and balsamic dressing.
Main: Seared cod fillet with kalamata olives and crushed new potatoes, samphire grass served with Noilly Prat and tomato herb sauce.
Dessert: Lemon posset topped with fresh raspberries and raspberry coulis and honeycomb.
Is your mouth watering?
Who is JP Bidart ?
Having worked as a head chef for more than 30 years, he recently took a brave step setting up a private chef company.“Le Guest Chef” which aims to provide a solution to the growing popularity of eating in with friends and family, but with restaurant quality food.
“le Guest Chef” was born mid 2018 and he has not looked back since.
For JP this is the dream job, the freedom to bring a personal service to his guests and the chance to meet incredible people and visit exciting locations in the South Hams.
What is your favourite food?
French food of course with a personal zest and twist! My classics are cassulet, snails, stew, beef bourguignon, lobster bisque, shell fish and yes a good old English favourite, sticky toffee pudding!
If our guests are interested in booking you, what can they expect?
Simply “service with a smile” “I love my job and will prepare hopefully a meal that will make your holiday”. The menu is flexible and caters to everyone’s dietary needs. There is a wide range of food to choose from and accommodating for children. He uses the crockery in the house and brings all the ingredients, including the freshest meat and sea food.
His charisma is infectious and as Charlotte experienced it is incredible to watch the master at work. Last and not least he cleans up at the end… no dishes to do at the end of the evening and just time to relax with a lovely glass of wine!
Below of a shot of the appreciative guests stay in Cable Cottage, North Sands. Thank you JP!
For information on availability and pricing to book JP please email him at
