Biography Gavin Oakley was born in 1970 to a chef and a teacher in Dartford, Kent. He spent his early years being brought up in a barn. Chris and Lea his parents were not shy of a challenge and whilst bringing up two young boys (Gavin has an older brother Craig and a youger sister Justine) they lived and worked in an old granary in North kent whilst converting it into a family home.
Gavin's father Chris was then working for the famous Roux brothers Albert and Michel and was their first British head chef to attain a Michelin star - a forerunner to the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Marco Piere White who came from the same 'stables'.
In 1976 the family moved to the Kent Coast near Dover where they discovered and bought a derelict manor house just outside the village of St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe. Over the course of the years this transformed from a decaying wreck surrounded by tin sheds and old barns on a working farm into what is known today as Wallett's Court Country House Hotel - one of the regions most respected 4 star hotels with a restaurant holding international accolades and a luxury spa set in acres of landscaped gardens.
At the helm of Wallett's Court was Gavin's father, Chris Oakley whose reputation as a great chef followed him from his work in the city out into the 'sticks' . Wallett's Court, at first a simple b&b run by Gavin's mother Lea, slowly evolved into a restaurant with rooms when Chris offered the occasional dinner to 'lucky' guests. Then with Gavin at his side, the restaurant's reputation began to grow and diners traveled from near and far to experience Wallett's Court.
Gavin gained invaluable knowledge in those early years working alongside the 'old master' in the engine room and in the late 1980's did his 'tour of duty' in the London kitchens of Albert Roux. It was here that Gavin made his decision to take a step forward and return to the limelight of centre stage in the restaurant at Wallett's Court.
From the early 90's Gavin developed and built the hotel and restaurant business at Wallett's Court before taking a break to indulge his passion for the great outdoors and travelled to the Alps to train as a Mountain Leader and Ski Instructor. During this time he discovered that the Europeans really knew how to relax after a 'hard day on the hill' and on his return to Wallett's Court hatched a plan to build a Spa complete with indoor relaxation pools, hydrotherapy spa, sauna and steam room and treatment rooms similar to those he'd seen in the ski resorts of Austria and France.
This development at Wallett's Court led to a quantum leap in business. Gavin had identified a growth business and pre-empted the boom in the Spa business in the UK. Over the course of the next few years Gavin built on the strong Spa trade and now has a well established operation offering Spa Breaks which encompass the excellent restaurant the original core of the successful Wallett's Court.
In May 2008, Gavin was instrumental in the opening of The White Cliffs Hotel and The Bay Restaurant in St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe, formerly The Garden House Hotel - a failing business with an annual turnover around £200,000. In the first few months of opening The White Cliffs Hotel gained international recognition and was featured in The Good Hotel Guide, Which Good Food Guide gained a rosette with The AA Best Restaurants Guide and was highlighted by National newspapers with articles in The Guardian, Daily Mail and Times Online. Two years in a very challenging market the hotel now has an annual turnover around £1m and is showing excellent profits.
Gavin Oakley - The Adventurer
Ex-pro Mountain Leader, Ski, Windsurf and Sailing Instructor. Experienced Life Coach and Personal Fitness Trainer. Marathon runner and Open Water Swimmer, currently in training for a 2011 Solo English Channel Swim Attempt.
Past adventures include a team ascents of Kilimanjaro raising over £100,000 for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and Alpine Glaciers ascents including Kitschsteinhorn, (Klein) Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Mont Fort.
He has travelled through Europe Extensively (At 17 years old by train through 12 countries including The Balkans in a war zone!).
His work has taken him to the USA, escorting numerous coach groups on tours of West Coast America through Los Angeles, San Fransico, Yosemite, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon
Gavin brings his extensive experience in the great outdoors to his consultancy work.
"After having stared death in the face at 6 kilometres above sea-level in hurricane force winds in temperatures of -20 degrees centigrade with acute mountain sickness carrying a 13 stone fellow mountaineer off the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in pitch black darkness, any other challenges in life seem pretty insignificant..."
Gavin Oakley - Adventurer and Entrepreneur, Travel and Hospitality Consultant.