One of South Africa’s most highly rated young chefs, Hylton Espey, is the new Chef Patron at Falmouth’s Merchants Manor.

Owner Nick Rudlin said: “From the first moment I spoke to Hylton I knew he was the man for the job we wanted done. Like me, he’s passionate about the finest local ingredients. Like me he believes that what grows together goes together. Like me he wants a personal relationship with our producers. Unlike me he’s a great surfer.”

Hylton said: "I’ve been wanting to travel, but I also want a great place for my kids to grow up and the UK has always appealed as my grandparents were Irish. I grew up in Cape Town surfing, diving, fishing and exploring the mountains of False Bay. My family are all exceptional cooks, except for my dad, he is an exceptional eater.

"My mother, Juliana, was always an adventurous cook at home. We had influences from a variety of cultures, from British to Malay to Asian, made with fantastic local produce and – when we wanted to eat out - great local restaurants.

"University didn’t really work out for me and I had to choose between becoming a wine-maker or a chef. I went to the US and worked in restaurants for two years to learn my trade. Now I’m wanting to find a restaurant where I can develop my own individual style and I think Merchants Manor is the place.

"I love the fact that Nick knows all his suppliers and I look forward to meeting the farmers and the fishermen I’m going to be working with. With 60 covers, the restaurant is the ideal size for my style of cooking. I’m constantly experimenting with new flavours and techniques to provide unique flavour combinations with a few surprises on the plate.”

Hylton accepts that lots of customers “just want a rib-eye and chips” but is keen to introduce an element of nature inspired cuisine. His mantra is that “what grows together goes together” and he loves Merchants Manor’s devotion to using Cornish produce wherever possible.

Following in the path of his Irish ancestry, Hylton was keen on moving to the UK, but didn’t want to go to London. “Personally and professionally I wanted to live by the sea," he said. "I looked at the best coastal places and found Falmouth. So, when Nick called I was already sold. What’s not to like about surfing and diving? I want my kids to grow up near the sea, living a healthy lifestyle - not in a big city inhaling traffic fumes.”

Hylton is married to Petronella and has two children aged five and three years old. “I’m looking forward to being able to explore the UK with my family and of course tracing back my grandparents’ roots in Ireland and picking up some Celtic cooking ideas,” he said.