Chef & Owner:
Wayne Smith

He’s knocked around, got drunk and fallen over with some of the most famous chefs that France and England have ever produced. And if you ask him whether he’s done a lot in his time, or got a good CV, he’ll be sufficiently modest to say: “Nah, mate, I’m just a cook.”

Wayne creates superlative food at Mortimers, in Ludlow, and has an astounding pedigree. He did a three-month stage at La Tante Claire, Pierre Koffmann’s legendary London restaurant, before travelling to Australia then returning to the UK to cook for multiple Michelin star winner David Cavalier.

Smith has the starriest pedigree of any chef in Shropshire. He’s a class act.

From there, Wayne moved to central London and spent 18 months with the two Michelin star Tom Aitkens. And then came Ludlow, where he replaced Claude Bosi at Overton Grange, spending almost five years there.

He briefly moved away, working for the Queen of Brunei at Stapleford Park, before opening Bentleys in Dublin, for Richard Corrigan, then Mortimers.

Smith has the starriest pedigree of any chef in Shropshire. He’s a class act. And along with his wife, Tamsin, and trusted team, the Mortimers family is able to deliver to the highest standard.