
John Burton-Race takes on new role at Cheltenham restaurant

Chef John Burton-Race, a popular face on TV and with a Michelin-starred background, has taken on a new role at The Nook on Five in Cheltenham.
The Nook is a rooftop restaurant in the Cotswolds, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and Sunday roasts.
The current dinner menu includes dishes such as sirloin steak, Cornish cod, roasted scallops and orange rice pudding, while new menus are set to be launched in February, crafted by John.
John has worked in kitchens for 35 years, as well as writing cookbooks and, in 2007, competed on ITV’s hit reality show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, alongside the likes of Christopher Biggins and Janice Dickinson.
Born in Singapore, the 67-year-old worked under the legendary Raymond Blanc during his time at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, before Raymond appointed him head chef of Le Petit Blanc in Oxford. It was there John earned his first Michelin star, before moving on to L’Ortolan in Berkshire, where he won two Michelin stars.
In the 1990s, John opened John Burton-Race Restaurant at the Landmark Hotel in London, also earning two Michelin stars.
John competed on Great British Menu in 2006, losing out to Michael Caines in the South West showdown.
After his regular televised appearances, John took over The New Angel in Dartmouth, again enjoying success.
In more recent times, John has been working as a consultant chef.
A Michelin-Starred Chef Brings His Expertise to Cheltenham
An announcement from The Nook read: “We are excited and honoured to announce that John Burton-Race is joining us as our new executive chef, adding his experienced twist on a selection of renowned modern British classics, whilst also introducing some new, exciting dishes to our menus!”
In quotes reported by GloucestershireLive, John said: “I’m delighted to be joining The Nook on Five as executive head chef and am really looking forward to putting my own spin on the menu and the dining experience as a whole. The restaurant is known for its classic, modern British menu – traditional, staple dishes.
“With the new daytime and A la Carte menus, diners can expect to find those fan favourites still, but perhaps with a slight twist that we’re sure they’ll enjoy. We’re also adding some fresh dishes, pulling inspiration from my time in top restaurants around the world to offer guests something new and refreshing, as well as food they know and love.”
He added: “The Nook is a family run business with fine dining quality; I think that really shines through when you visit, but it’s also evidenced by its reputation and unique roof top setting. I will be working with the team to build on this success, putting The Nook on Five on the map as the best restaurant in Cheltenham.”

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
There are no comments yet.
You could be commenting on this if you had an account! Click here to sign up.