Island Life Magazine Ltd April / May 2016 | Page 101

&DRINK
FOOD

FOOD

Two years in
a profile of Bruce Theobald,
Head Chef at The Seaview Hotel

B

ruce Theobald took the helm of
the Seaview Hotel’s kitchen two
years ago with a mission to create
a menu that was creative as well as
keenly priced. That vision was recognised
last September when The Restaurant
won a coveted a Michelin Bib Gourmand
- a first for any Island eatery.
‘Winning the Bib Gourmand is a
highlight of my career but also a
testament to the talents and effort of
my team” said Bruce. “We all know that
behind every successful head chef there
are several other hard-working great
chefs!”
The Bib Gourmand was introduced
by Michelin in 1997 to recognise
establishments providing good cooking
at reasonable prices. There are only 155
restaurants with this award in the UK, so
Bruce is among a very select group.
“We are not charging £70 or £80 per
person – it’s £28 for three courses,”
he says. “We don’t scrimp on what we
produce, so it is a challenge. I believe that
eating out well shouldn’t break the bank.
We like to think that what we serve has
set us apart from everyone else, and I’m
proud of everyone at the hotel who has
played a part.”
Bruce, who has settled in Sandown with
his wife and two young children, loves
the Island way of life. “It’s a great place to
bring up children, with so much unspoilt
countryside and lovely beaches. I think
we are very privileged to live here”.
Bruce also takes seriously his role as
mentor of tomorrow’s talent. Currently
there is a shortage of chefs throughout
the UK. He admits that it is a tough job, a
calling and that you have to care deeply

about cooking.
“Bruce really nurtures his team and has
great patience training young chefs,” says
Hotel Manager Diana Woodward. “He has
a huge amount of time for those who
really have a passion for cooking. The
results have been fantastic and in just
two years he has turned around our food
operation”.
Bruce adds: “I loved the challenge
of coming to the Seaview Hotel. I was
aware that it had lost a little of its driving
force. Marketing Director, Tracy Mikich,
stepped up the hotel’s game and working
together we have moved the business
forward. Today we are seeing good
growth in food and room sales, which

has enabled us to invest in refurbishment
and many room upgrades”.
Bruce has recently changed the
structure of The Restaurant menu,
allowing the customer to decide whether
they want a dish as a starter or main
course size.
”I wanted to give the menu a degree of
flexibility and this seems a novel way of
doing just that. It also means that there
are more choices, which has worked very
well for vegetarians”.
For the future he plans to continue
developing The Restaurant menu –
but says he intends to stay true to that
original ethos of creating delicious,
affordable food.
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