At The View, high above Sandy Park, chef Matt Mason combines serious West Country cooking with the excitement of Premiership rugby, discovers Jo Rees
Matt Mason has a job many chefs would give their best knife for. For the past 18 months, he’s run his own restaurant in association with Exeter Chiefs’ Sandy Park stadium. He feeds some of the UK’s best rugby teams, is part of the buzz of match days and serves food with flair.
The chef was headhunted by Exeter Chiefs CEO Tony Rowe – the man who turned the club into one of English rugby’s success stories and developed the Courtyard by Marriott Exeter Sandy Park hotel.
Matt’s solid credentials made him an obvious choice. Most recently, he was chef director at Winslade Manor, after 28 years at well-regarded dining pub the Jack in the Green.
A born-and-bred Devonian, Matt left the county for London to train but realised that West Country life suited him best. He landed an early job under chef Shaun Hill at Gidleigh Park and has lived and worked in Devon ever since. The result is a network of producer relationships stretching back three decades.
Matt’s move to The View (read our review of the restaurant) has been satisfying for him for reasons beyond the culinary opportunities. He says: ‘I love rugby and I’ve always been an advocate for shining a light on the West Country. This brought those together.’
At the 140-seat restaurant, named for its position overlooking the stadium, supporters gather on match days for flame-grilled steaks. Yet Matt also serves the kind of creative dishes that have defined his career.
Changing ends
Tony brought Matt in to create something beyond the usual hotel eatery: a restaurant free to choose its own suppliers and cook food closer in spirit to that of a high-quality dining pub. It was a unique challenge.
‘I’m hugely grateful to have a business on the back of Exeter’s biggest hotel,’ he says. ‘It’s very different from anything I’ve done before: on a match day, we do breakfast for 300 people. We like to joke that pressure makes diamonds.’
Scrum-ptious food
Matt already had some relationships with the players through sponsorship at the Jack in the Green. Some he knew personally; others he’d watched from the stands. However, feeding them according to strict dietary requirements was entirely new. The visiting teams often stay at the hotel before a game, and Matt receives detailed instructions on their culinary requirements. So, if you’ve ever wondered what elite rugby players eat, Matt is the man to ask.
‘Chicken breast. Lots and lots of chicken breast. All the Premiership clubs bring their own dietitians, and we work very closely with them, as the players have to hit their calorie targets. It’s very scientific.’
Happily, though, non-players get to kick calorie goals into touch and dine from an indulgent menu of seasonal dishes. A steak might arrive with roscoff onion, celeriac purée and a rich glaze, made from beef fat and juices, brushed over the meat as it cooks. Large tomahawk steaks are matured in the restaurant’s dry-ageing cabinet before being cooked on a Mibrasa charcoal grill and served for sharing. Accompaniments include chimichurri, béarnaise and, of course, chunky chips.
More refined dishes include the likes of lemon sole with brown shrimp, peas, English sparkling wine beurre blanc and sea herbs. That this dining spot takes its gourmet creds seriously is clear from the wine pairing for each dish.
Beyond the menu, the involvement of the Mason family also makes The View feel different. Matt’s wife, Joanne, runs front of house and their 21-year-old son, Charlie, manages the bar. Their youngest son, Max, – who hopes to join the Michael Caines Academy this year – helps on the breakfast shift. Matt admits: ‘It’s a really unusual set of circumstances.’
Fresh legs
The club has also entered a new era. In June 2026, Black Knight Rugby, a new subsidiary of US investment company Cannae Holdings, bought Exeter Rugby Group, which owns Exeter Chiefs and Sandy Park. Tony Rowe has remained in charge.
The group has form: it bought AFC Bournemouth in 2022 and its investment in that organisation resulted in a club-record finish in the Premier League. So expectations are high. ‘There are plans for exciting match-day experiences in the works,’ reveals Matt.
Rugby fans, professional players, hotel guests and food lovers are all welcome at The View. ‘My job is to give them a reason to come,’ says the chef. ‘That means delivering an exceptional dining experience that’s nothing like a bland hotel offering. I want people to feel they are getting something unique.’
