We are a group of friends with a passion for food and wine who have teamed up to reopen Winchester’s historic The Chesil Rectory restaurant.

It’s a dream come true for Winchester resident and local restaurateur Mark Dodd who joined forces with friends to launch what aims to be Winchester’s best modern British eaterie.

Mark Dodd
Originally from Nottingham, Mark later settled in Brighton after graduating from Brighton Uni in the early nineties. After a spell at DJ –ing & bar ownership, he was lured to London to work for Marblehead brands, the original importers of Sapporo & Absolut Vodka.  Always keen to take his work home, he forged a career selling & marketing premium spirits for Seagram and subsequently Maxxium UK working on brand strategy for top- end bars, clubs & restaurants. A passion for food, wine & restaurants led to the formation of a small independently owned pub company in 2002. After selling up in April 2008, he purchased The Chesil Rectory & set about launching the exciting project with new business partners. Living in Winchester & married with two small children, when not at the restaurant, Mark can be found sampling the local fare with his sons at The Farmers Market, or occasionally at his allotment, but more often drinking Guinness at The Blackie, his local pub. 

Damian Brown
A  childhood obsession with all things culinary meant the only decision on leaving school  was where to train. Damian completed level 1 & 2 at Runshaw College, Lancashire & it was here he met his mentor, top Chef Billy Reid.  They went on to work with each other at Northcote Manor, Marco Pierre White’s L’Escargot & The Vineyard at Stockcross which all held & retained Michelin stars. Damian’s rapid rise through the ranks is testament to his passion, drive & natural ability. Damian relocated to Winchester following two years as head chef at St James’ restaurant at Fortnum & Mason. He has just married our Front of House manager Katie.

Katie Brown
Katie is currently on maternity leave. Her love of hospitality & restaurants began at the age of 15 when she found her true vocation whilst working at her local pub in her home town near  Oxford. She went on to gain a degree in Hospitality Management before embarking on her career & gaining experience in all sectors of the industry including clubs, bars and restaurants in London & around the south coast. Katie’s positions included a year at The Bellevedere in Holland Park & most recently a year at Richard Corrigan’s Bentleys Seafood Restaurant in Mayfair . Katie’s cheerful nature & legendary organisational skills make her a natural host & she now runs the Front of House. She has relocated to Winchester & lives with new husband Head Chef, Damian Brown.

Iain Longhorn
Iain’s passion for food stems from his childhood, watching the likes of Keith Floyd and early Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall on the telly. His mother had always been a great cook and a very adventurous one, so he began cooking when very young and it seemed natural to eventually train as a chef which Iain went on to do at Beaulieu’s Montagu Arms in the New Forest.  After five years at the stove, Iain decided to do some travelling and on his return home, realised that after so much freedom, being chained to the kitchen wasn’t for him, so changed direction to Front of House. He approached Mark Dodd at one of his former restaurants & ended up staying four years. This was when Iain also first met Damian, & also Eleanor & discovered his shared love of the industry. Iain believes “The Chesil Rectory is an outlet for all our combined ideas and passions which makes it very special indeed.”

Eleanor Dodd
Eleanor’s enthusiasm for the finer things in life developed rapidly during a six year stint working as Sales Manager for Absolut Vodka -all the clients were the top bars & restaurants of London. It was during her subsequent marketing role at the hand- crafted, quintessentially English gin, Plymouth gin, that she further developed a passion for martinis & locally sourced food. She settled in Hampshire seven years ago. Aside from her sales & marketing role at The Chesil Rectory, she can usually be found on table 7 sampling the new menu or enjoying the bakewell tart with Louis & Oscar, her two young sons.  

Milli McGregor 
Milli Mc Gregor created all the beautiful designs for The Chesil Rectory including the amazing coat of arms style logo. After graduating from the Red & Yellow school of advertising in Cape Town specializing in design & illustration, Milli travelled to Europe & settled in London working on a diverse amount of projects including painting commissions, storyboards, window displays and food styling. Now with a young family, she has laid some roots in Winchester where a chance meeting with Eleanor Dodd on boozy night out at the local pub led to her to take up the role as chief graphic designer for The Chesil Rectory.

Shaun Clarkson
Our interior designer ,  responsible for the amazing refurbishment & transformation of the interior of restaurant. An historic Grade II listed building, a one-time merchants house , antique shop, shoemakers and Bishop's residence,  now has a softer & warmer atmosphere &  features deep button banquette seating, quirky antiques, vintage chandeliers and an abundance of beautiful antique prints.