A New Chapter at Glebe House
New cabins, a wood-fired sauna and chef partner David Knapman
The much-loved Glebe House is stepping into an exciting new chapter, welcoming a new business partner – head chef, David Knapman, and launching two new handcrafted guest cabins and a wood-fired sauna.
IN THE KITCHEN
After 16 months leading the kitchen, David Knapman has now formally joined as business partner of Glebe House alongside Hugo and Olive Guest. Before joining Glebe in June 2024, David honed his craft in some of the world’s most respected restaurants, including roles as Senior Sous Chef at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and Chef Pâtissier at the three-Michelin-star Maison Lameloise in Burgundy.
He now oversees the day-to-day running of the kitchen and restaurant, while Hugo focuses on growing the wider business. Together, the trio are taking the next steps in their story, combining warm hospitality with delicious field-to-fork menus.
At Glebe, the ethos of the food is centred around craft cooking – the art of creating base foods that we may take for granted in our daily lives. The majority of what you eat is made onsite using ingredients either grown or raised on the 15-acre smallholding or sourced from neighbouring farms and trusted local producers.
David’s 15 years in fine dining bring technical precision and discipline, but his cooking at Glebe is refreshingly pared back - honest, flavour-driven and guided by the seasons, taking inspiration from the regional cuisines of the UK, France and Italy.
Daily menus are led by the organic kitchen garden – when produce is plentiful, it’s preserved through pickling, fermenting or drying, allowing each season to leave its mark year-round. Yoghurt, cheese, preserves & ferments, bacon and charcuterie are all made in-house, with a growing number of products available in the on-site larder to take home – branding, of course, polished with Olive’s artistic hand. Bread, made with True South West flour, is baked daily and is also the topic for one of Glebe’s many experiences (which also include cider making, salami making, kombucha workshops and mackerel fishing).
AUTUMN MENU HIGHLIGHTS
Croustade with smoked trout & watercress
Yellow pea panisse, pickled walnut & smoked Westcombe
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Glebe salumi & pickles
House vacchino with sourdough crackers
Porridge bread & cultured buttered bass crudo with cucumber & Dorset wasabi
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Mushroom agnolotti, porcini & autumn truffle, mushroom brodo
Herdwick hogget from Buckhouse Farm
Grilled pepper & preserved tomato
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Salted caramel tart, yoghurt sorbet & poached pear
Brown butter cake, damson jam
THE CROW’S NEST CABINS: HAND-BUILT HIDEAWAYS FOR TWO
Launching in December, The Crow’s Nest cabins are the latest addition to Glebe House. They have transformed what was one a beloved family hideaway – first built as a granny annexe for Hugo’s grandmother, who named it after the crows that gathered in the nearby trees, and later serving as Olive’s artist studio – now re-imagined as two cedar-clad guest rooms, designed in collaboration with Akin Studio and Out of the Valley.
Olive's passion for art and design details runs through the interiors: from her own handmade mosaic to carefully curated pieces from local artists and ceramicists; including hand-printed vintage tiles, wallpaper by Georgie Hopton, headboards by Chloe Jonason, curtains by Victora Smee with Jessie de Salis fabric hand printed in Somerset and adorable handcrafted Portuguese vintage tiles decorating the kitchen.
Each one-bedroom hideaway will feature a super-king bed, kitchen and cosy dining space with a wood burner, and an outdoor deck with a sunken bath made for stargazing. For guests wanting an evening in, a delicious seasonal feast can be delivered from the Glebe kitchen.
A NEW WOOD-FIRED SAUNA
Set to open later this year is a new six-person, wood-fired sauna tucked into an idyllic spot in the garden, overlooking the Coly Valley – a short stroll from the main house, but designed to feel a world away. The traditional Scandinavian sauna is sustainably made from Douglas fir, hand-built by Kernow Springs in Cornwall.
The space will include a circular window framing the scenic rolling hills, as well as a dedicated changing room, an outdoor shower, and a cold plunge pool – designed for a rejuvenating contrast therapy experience.
Big things are coming for our favourite spot in East Devon – Glebe just keeps going from strength to strength under Hugo & Olive’s brilliant eye.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Bedrooms from £159 in the main house B&B. The Crow’s Nest Cabins priced from £325 B&B.
Sauna prices start from £75 per hour for two guests.
To book, visit www.glebehousedevon.com
About Glebe House and Olive & Hugo Guest
Glebe House is the brainchild of Hugo and Olive Guest who, after a stint in Italy, returned to the UK and bought the former Georgian vicarage from Hugo's parents. Hugo couldn't bear to see his childhood home sold and decided that this slice of Devon was the perfect place to bring his Italian-inspired vision to life. His wife, Olive, is a talented painter whose colourful paintings adorn Glebe's walls. Together they've created a way of life that everyone craves, but few are brave enough to make a reality.
Launched in 2021, Glebe House is a 15-acre smallholding and farm-to-table restaurant situated on a picturesque hilltop spot, three miles inland from the East Devon coastline.
There are six bedrooms inside the main house, with a garden cabin already in situ, and two more on the way. There is a communal living spaces and a dining room-style restaurant which is open to staying guests, locals and passers-by.
There's a swimming pool, cutting gardens and vegetable patch, and a temperature-controlled salumi aging room that Hugo uses for his Salumi production.
For more information, please contact glebehouse@jessyharrisonpr.com.