Restaurant Interlude: Dinner Collaboration with Chef Jean Delport & Chef Kate Austen
Restaurant Interlude invites guests to an extraordinary one-night-only dining experience on 2 April 2026, bringing together two of the UK’s most exciting culinary talents: Chef Jean Delport and Chef Kate Austen.
This exclusive collaboration dinner celebrates the shared achievements, distinctive styles and remarkable journeys of two chefs who have both claimed victory in the Main Course at the Great British Menu Banquet. Together, they will create a unique tasting menu that showcases their individual voices while harmonising around a shared passion for seasonality, storytelling and flavour.
Chef Jean Delport
Chef Jean Delport, Executive Chef of Restaurant Interlude, has held a Michelin Star since 2019 and four AA Rosettes since 2020, establishing the restaurant as one of the UK’s most celebrated dining destinations.
A Great British Menu Banquet Finalist, Jean’s culinary journey began in the Cape Winelands of South Africa, followed by training in Ireland, before culminating in the creation of Restaurant Interlude, a long-held dream brought to life within the woodland gardens of Leonardslee.
Jean’s cooking blends British and French techniques with his South African heritage, placing a strong emphasis on local, seasonal and foraged ingredients. Each tasting menu is designed to guide diners through the surrounding landscape, transforming the rhythms of the gardens into an immersive dining experience.
Chef Kate Austen
In 2024, Chef Kate Austen made history on BBC Two’s Great British Menu, becoming the first woman in the programme’s 19-year history to win the Main Course. Her achievement marked a defining moment not only in her career, but also in the wider culinary landscape.
Kate’s career spans some of Europe’s most celebrated kitchens. She previously worked as a Senior Development Chef for Gordon Ramsay, a role that allowed her to explore creativity at the highest level while establishing a healthier balance after years in restaurant kitchens.
Her formative years were spent in Scandinavia, including time as Sous Chef at the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm. Before that, she began her Nordic journey in Copenhagen at Restaurant AOC, where she became the youngest female head chef of a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the world, an achievement she remains deeply proud of.
Having cooked across countries, cultures and challenges, Kate’s cooking is shaped by precision, clarity and a deep-rooted love for food that continues to guide her work today.
An Unmissable One-Night Dinging Experience
This collaboration dinner is more than a meeting of two acclaimed chefs; it is a celebration of shared values, exceptional craft and the stories that shape modern British dining.
Taking place within the intimate setting of Restaurant Interlude, the evening promises a memorable exploration of flavour, technique and creativity, available for one night only on 2 April 2026.
Spaces are limited, and early booking is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.