Olivier Certain - The Masons Arms

Member Info

Olivier Certain came to England in 1998 with the intention of staying for 2 years to practise his English, but the Marseille-born chef met his wife Melenie in Somerset and has never left.

After graduating from the Marseille Catering School , and having received training from the Michelin starred La Bonne Etape , Chateau Arnoux and Les Roches in Le Lavandou, Olivier then perfected his craft under chef and mentor Andrew Dixon in 2001 (3 AA Rosettes) at Porlock Weir . He then moved on to become Head Chef at Woods in Dulverton in 2006. It was here he received 2 AA Rosettes and the award of Somerset Dining Pub of the Year 2008, 2010 and 2011.

Olivier joined Clavelshay Barn Restaurant as Head Chef in May 2015. The restaurant is based in a converted barn on a working farm and prides itself on its locally sourced food but also its friendly and attentive service.

Under Olivier’s leadership, and partnership with Sue, Clavelshay Barn received numerous awards including :

Taste of the West Gold award 2016 and 2017-
Taste of the West – Winner -Best South West Restaurant 2016
Taste of the West – Winner No 1 Place to Go
Somerset Life Food & Drink Awards – Best Somerset Sunday Roast 2016
Bristol Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards 2016 – Silver Award Best Restaurant
Bristol Bath & Somerset Tourism awards – Winner – Unsung Hero for Customer Service 2016
Sedgemoor Business Excellence Awards – Winner – Best Micro Business 2016 and 2017
Sedgemoor Business Excellence awards – Winner -Customer Service 2017
Finalist – Taste of the West – Best South West Restaurant 2017
Finalist – Somerset Life Food & Drink Awards 2017 – Best Restaurant
Finalist – Bristol Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards 2017 – Best Restaurant
Winner – Best Chef – Somerset Life Food & Drink Awards 2017
The Trencherman’s Guide 2017 – Finalist – Award for Creativity and Innovation – Olivier Certain