THERE is a real family feel to Restaurant 43.

Not only is the popular Great Bentley Restaurant owned and run by the Moorcroft family - its chefs are thought to be the only set of twins in the country currently working together.

Head chef Simon Humm has been in the role since a year after Mark and Dawn Moorcroft opened the renovated former post office and general stores, which looks out over the famous Great Bentley Green, almost five years ago.

A year ago he was joined by his identical twin Marc and both bring with them an impressive culinary background which between them includes working for the Roux family, Heston Blumenthal and Masterchef: The Professionals judge Marcus Wareing.

And the family connections do not stop there, Simon fell in love with Mark and Dawn's daughter Scarlett, herself the popular manager of the restaurant, and the couple are about to become parents for the first time.

Simon says he and Marc work extremely well together and have exciting plans for the future which include launching a Youtube channel for cooking demonstrations, boosting their existing Facebook page and writing a recipe book they hope will raise funds for charity.

They both admit they struggled to concentrate at school and were prone to get into trouble.

But it was at this point the seeds were sewn for their future career.

Simon explains: "No-one cooked in the family, there is no family history of it as a career of any kind.

"But our parents divorced when we were about eleven or twelve and we lived with dad at the time who was a bit of a terrible cook and so we started having a go ourselves.

"Jamie Oliver had just come on the scene as the Naked Chef and we thought that seemed like a great thing to do.

"Then we were sent to the Wilson Marriage Centre, in Colchester, to do a course once a week because we were getting into a bit of trouble at school.

"It was quite a difficult time, we both were getting quite angry and the school wanted to help push us into something that might be a career or give us a skill.

"The choice of course was civil engineering or catering and so we both decided to do catering and left with an NVQ level qualification."

Simon continued with his studies, completing the full diploma at Colchester Institute and immediately, aged just 19, heading out to America for a year's placement working in a top restaurant.

"I was 19 and it was literally the second time I had been out of the country.

"It was a huge learning curve, very, very tough. I had just left college, and we all thought we were the bees knees by then, and then I was back at the bottom of a much larger team working my way up again.

"But it made me realise how much I wanted it," he admits.

On his return Simon got a job with Roux Fine Dining as a commis chef.

"Albert was still running it and I worked my way up to head chef, mostly concentrating on all the corporate events so I cooked for MPs, Royals and directors of large companies.

"One of the events I did was the Wimbledon Champions ball, I think that was one of the years Rafael Nadal won it."

Having lived and worked in London for a decade Simon began looking for opportunities closer to home after their mum was diagnosed with lung cancer.

"I wanted to be closer to her and I came for a meal at Restaurant 43 with friends and met Mark.

"We were talking all night and within two weeks he had offered me a job here.

"We both felt like we had know each other for ever, we got on so well and had a very similar work ethic."

Happily their mum has since made a full recovery and even lives in the flat above the restaurant, keeping close to both her sons, now 34.

Marc joined the team a year ago but his path into catering did not continue straight after school.

"I did the first year at Colchester Institute but I still had a bit of a temper problem.

"I dropped out and ended up homeless for two years, staying at a hostel in Braintree.

"I was suffering from mental health problems but I got excellent help from Mind in Colchester and also from Genesis Housing and we both really wanted to give something back to them which is why we wanted to try and do this book," he says.

With this help and support, Marc began to re-build his life and revisit the idea of continuing his training as a chef.

"I worked in a few kitchens and then re-focused and completed my level 2 and 3 and also did a course in patisserie and confectionary."

Having written a letter explaining all about himself and asking for an opportunity, Heston Blumenthal offered him a position at the Fat Duck in Bray.

"He wasn't there all the time but he was very nice and very fair, treated everyone the same.

"I was there for three months and then I went and worked with Marcus Wareing for another three months. The experience was invaluable," adds Marc who is now married and dad to five-month-old Dexter with another baby on the way in the new year.

Simon put together the extensive lunch and dinner menu at Restaurant 43, describing it as "contemporary" with a twist.

Owner Mark, who named the business after the number of acres at Gt Bentley Green, says they wanted to make sure everybody was catered for.

"We wanted everyone to feel they could come here whether they were bringing friends for a celebration or popping in on their way home from work."

He carried out the entire renovation of the premises himself while continuing with his construction company during the day, and continues to work most evenings.

"I think one of my favourite dishes on the menu is the saltmarsh lamb. We get all our meat from Humphreys in Black Notley, it is all his own cattle, and as much as possible of our produce is locally sourced."

Simon adds : "I have been lucky enough to eat in some of the world's best restaurants so I took inspiration from those chefs.

"I use recipe books to inspire me as well but I always do my own version and add a contemporary edge to it.

"So you can still come in and have fish and chips or a beef burger, it will just be the best you have ever had."

By next year the restaurant will also have its own cocktail area as Mark has secured planning permission to convert the next door cottage.

* Visit the twins Facebook page Twin Chefs The Humm Brothers which is currently offering people the chance to win a meal cooked personally by them at their home.