Leonardslee Family Vineyards is celebrating the recent success of Chef Jean Delport, who reached the final of the BBC’s Great British Menu. Jean is executive chef at Restaurant Interlude, located within Leonardslee House, with a Michelin star and Michelin Green Star.
Chef Jean’s performance was nothing short of spectacular, achieving the rare distinction of having two dishes chosen for the Banquet Special at Blenheim Palace. This is a true testament to his exceptional culinary talent and only two chefs in the show’s history have accomplished this feat.
Chef Jean Delport, represented London and the South East in the prestigious BBC Two competition. Now in its 20th anniversary year, the show invites the UK’s top chefs to create dishes inspired by this year’s theme: historical figures from the past of their region.
To mark this incredible achievement, dates have been released where Jean will be cooking his Great British Menu dishes at Interlude, and guests can also enjoy the wines from Leonardslee.
The initial two dining dates sold out instantly with more to be released soon. In addition, one of Chef Jean’s Great British Menu courses will always feature on the menu at Restaurant Interlude alongside his regular signature dishes as a celebration of his culinary journey.
At the official launch of Leonardslee’s English Sparkling wines last summer, Executive Chef Jean created a special three course menu to celebrate, with each dish carefully crafted to pair with one of the three wines.
Chef Jean Delport commented: “It has been an incredible honour to take part in Great British Menu, my dream was to get one of my dishes through to the final, but to have two was mindblowing.
The show’s brief allowed me to draw on the rich history of London and the South East, while staying true to my style of cooking – elevating ingredients from the land around us and telling a story through my dishes. I think our Leonardslee Blanc de Blancs is a fantastic match for my fish course, and I really look forward to sharing my dishes with guests to restaurant Interlude at Leonardslee House.”
