Member Info
London-born chef and author David Everitt-Matthias has been the co-owner and head chef of two Michelin starred Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham since 1987, a joint venture he shares with his wife Helen.
David began his career in 1978 at London’s Inn on the Park (now the Four Seasons), before developing his French-style technique while working under renowned French Chef Pierre Koffman at La Tante Claire. David moved on shortly after to become Head Chef of Grand Café in 1983. After two years there, David took his second headchefposition at Steamers Fish Restaurant, and wrapping up his time inLondonat Fingals Restaurant Putney in 1987.
Married two years prior, David and his wife Helen moved to Cheltenham Spa in the Cotswolds to open their dream restaurant in 1987. Le Champignon Sauvage, meaning ‘wild mushroom,’ has become renowned for David’s creative use of local ingredients, many of which he and Helen forage themselves at the weekends. To date David has never missed a service since the restaurant opened over 25 years ago.
David is the author of three highly regarded recipe books: Essence: Recipes from Le Champignon Sauvage in 2006 and Dessert Recipes from Le Champignon Sauvage in 2009, the latter earned runner-up for Best Cookbook in the World from the Gourmand Book Awards. His third, Beyond Essence: New Recipes from Le Champignon Sauvage was launched in spring 2013.
No stranger to awards, some of the accolades David and the restaurant have received include an Acorn Award, a Michelin Star from 1995-99 and 2 Michelin Stars from 2000 to present, AA guide 4 Rosettes, Good Food Guide Country Restaurant of the Year 2000 and 2005, Restaurant of the Year Square Meal 2006, Gourmet Britain Restaurant of the Year, 2010 Chef of the Year Catey Award 2007.
This year David has appeared on Saturday Kitchen and Hairy Bikers, with MasterChef Professionals to follow later this year. Restaurant critic Jay Rayner also included Le Champignon Sauvage in the may issue of Observer Food Monthly’s Top 20 UK Restaurants.
Accolades include:
2007 – Catey Chef of the Year
2006 – BMW SquareMeal Award for BestUKRestaurant
2001 – Decanter Restaurant of the Year
2000 – Second Michelin star
1996 – National Chef of the Year
1995 – Egon Ronay Dessert Chef of the Year
1995 – First Michelin star awarded
Restaurant Critics:
Jay Rayner, Observer Food Monthly
‘….one of the best meals I had eaten in my life…’
18/20 Matthew Fort, The Guardian. 2004
On entering Le Champignon Sauvage, guests will immediately notice an intimate feeling with a refreshing lack of pretension. Helen’s graciousness, blend of informal conversation and professional discretion, creates a happy atmosphere with unobtrusive seamless service and, combined with David’s culinary confidence and imagination will give you a most pleasurable experience.
Brian St Pierre, Decanter Magazine, 2001
“Le Champignon Sauvage features some of the most expansively imaginative cooking inBritain. The sophisticated array of ingredients and flavours, beautifully resolved in each dish, none of which are quite like anything else anywhere, would set anyone right again. For us, choosing it as Decanter/Charles Heidsieck Restaurant of the Year was as easy as picking up a fork.”
