FEAST WITH A CHEF

Feast With A Chef
Welcome to Feast with a Chef, which brings great food cooked by Britain’s top chefs to the simple and friendly surroundings of a village hall. We’re lucky enough to have been cooked dinners by a star-studded lineup of chefs including Michael Wignall, Ottolenghi’s head chef Ramael Scully and Nathan Outlaw.  Most feasts have been in Long Ashton near Bristol, but we’ve also run feasts in Abergavenny (as part of the Food Festival), in Oxford (to launch Ottolenghi’s NOPI Cookbook) and even on a moving steam train! We’ve gone wild too with Soup & Starling, and Dawn Chorus, Feasts, celebrating birds and birdsong.

Great food deserves great wines so we ask a local wine expert to select wines of varying prices to match the evening’s menu and we sell them, plus local juices, at our licensed bar. Scroll down to read what both chefs and diners thought of the overall village hall feast experience.

 

Our partners

What’s been cooking

MOVABLE FEAST
Ben Gibbons
St Anne’s College Oxford
13 July 2019

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SPRING FEAST
Craig Tregonning
Temple Bude
23 March 2019

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BELAZU FEAST
Henry Russell
26 January 2019

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GOURMET WINTER FEAST
Rob Howell
Root
18 November 2018

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FIFTEEN CORNISH FEAST
Adam Banks
Fifteen Cornwall
27 January 2018

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GOURMET AUTUMN FEAST
Olly Jackson
Langford Fivehead
12 November 2017

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WELSH WINTER FEAST
Richard Davies
Epicure, Celtic Manor
29 January 2017

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What you said

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What the chef said

It was truly great to cook for you all. Bravo Clare for hosting such a fantastic feast! Richard

AUTUMNAL FORAGED FEAST
Chris Harrod
The Whitebrook
18 November 2016

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What you said

We were blown away by the flavours & use of local ingredients I hadn’t even heard of; but the dishes themselves were not lost to a whim of invention but some how just tasted like the real ingredients but more intensely. A very special event; will certainly be heading to The Whitebrook. Hilary
What the chef said

I and my team really enjoyed bringing the flavours of the Wye Valley to the village hall. It was great showing the guests what can be found in the hedgerows and forests that surround The Whitebrook. Thanks to Clare for her amazing organisation, Mary and all the team for making the night so easy and fun. Chris

HARVEST FEAST
Ryan Simpson & Liam Trotman
Orwells restaurant
1 October 2016

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What you said

The food was divine, beautifully cooked and utterly delicious. The meat was wonderful – all of it – and the pudding was triumph. So were the blackberry and custard petit fours. Everyone at our table absolutely loved it. Thank you too for seating us next to such nice people. Lucy
What the chef said

xxx Ryan Simpson & Liam Trotman

CORNISH SEAFOOD FEAST
Nathan Outlaw
2-Michelin-starred chef
Restaurant Nathan Outlaw
29 May 2016

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What you said

What a great feast! The food was delicious, especially the cod’s roe, the parsley soup and the cured salmon. And the tables looked beautiful as always. Well done. Anna
What the chef said

We spent a lovely day cooking for the feast in Long Ashton village hall. What a great idea to eat in such a wonderful location. I look forward to coming back. Thank you. Nathan

DAWN CHORUS FEAST
Laura Hart
Hart’s Bakery
17 April 2016

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What you said

Just wanted to say what a FANTASTIC event that was on Sunday morning. I loved every minute. The whole thing was perfect and so incredibly tasty and well presented too! I look forward to the next one! Mark

Yesterday was amazing. From start to finish it was a triumph, which I am sure is testament to how much work you must have put in to the whole event. The hot apple juice and the beautifully wrapped flapjacks were an extremely welcome surprise. The walk was wonderful and I don’t think you could have picked a better day this year. The breakfast was scrumptious. As well as sampling all the pastries, I had THREE black puddings. Unforgettable; so well done you, and all those who brought it all together. I never thought I’d be so pleased to have got out of bed at 4.00am. Sarah
What the chef said

Hats off to Clare for the Dawn Chorus breakfast. Superb organisation & what a feast. Proud to have our bread & pastries there! Laura

GAME’S UP! FEAST
Will Holland, Head chef
Coast, Saundersfoot
30 January 2016

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What you said

That was truly the best meal I have ever had! We are just full of compliments to Clare, Will Holland, the venue, the service, and our fellow diners. It was so unpretentious in every way. We didn’t get bogged down with ‘foodie talk’, yet we had the very best of company and foods, letting the genuine tastes of each ingredient burst through onto our taste buds. Nor did we feel we had eaten too much. The wine was exquisite. (Are there too many superlatives!?) Caroline
What the chef said

I absolutely loved my Feast with a Chef pop up. It really took me out of my comfort zone but the buzz I got from this challenge was amazing. The organisation of the whole event from the planning stages right through to the running of service by Clare and her fabulous team was faultless. Will

NOPI COOKBOOK FEAST
Ramael Scully, head chef
Ottolenghi’s NOPI
10 October 2015

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What you said

We both loved it. Wonderful food in a fantastic setting, and very good company. Really looking forward to coming to more. David & Mel

MICHAELMAS FEAST
Matt Gillan, Michelin-starred chef
The Pass
19 September 2015

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What you said

Just to say many thanks for such a brilliant time on Saturday – truly delicious food and drink, wonderful attention to detail – and all offered in such a convivial atmosphere. Plus sitting with Andrew Goodman (ie, one degree of separation from The Archers’ geese) really made our evening! Anna

FOREVER FISH FEAST
Silla Bjerrum, Founder & Executive Chef
Feng Sushi
19 June 2015

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What you said

I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful evening. Hearing about the food and its sourcing makes things even more interesting as well. A few of the highlights: The dashi with the hake and crab dumpling was beautifully deep and intense; The cured mackerel with wasabi rocket was exquisite; the fantastic sake with with the fascinating citrusy twist; most of all however, I now have a new favourite ice cream. I was completely entranced by that green tea flavour ice cream. Howard
What the chef said

The guys and I had the most fantastic time cooking from the heart and mind for an amazingly receptive audience – we hope to be back for another feast in the gorgeous setting of Long Ashton Village Hall. Silla

TASTE OF SPRING FEAST
John Campbell, Chef-patron
The Woodspeen
4 May 2015

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What you said

Thank you for an amazing evening. Every single bit of the menu was incredible. John Campbell was so inspiring – great guy! Can’t wait for the next one now… Sarah B.
What the chef said

Super community evening, we had a great time too. John (on Twitter)

MASTERCHEF FEAST
Steven Edwards, Winner of MasterChef: The Professionals 2013
28 March 2015

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What you said

Steven Edwards’ food was lovely, as the Masterchef judges noted, especially the duck which melted in the mouth. But the evening was more than a sublime meal; it was an amazing community event enjoyed by many different kinds of people from the area joined together by a love of fine cooking. I loved the way Clare interviewed Edwards, talking him through the dishes he cooked to win the competition and giving us a glimpse of how nerve-wracking it was. Lucy
What the chef said

Feast with a Chef is a truly memorable evening bringing diners together – social dining is definitely where it’s at. Cooking for 100 people at once is no mean feat but it couldn’t have been achieved without everyone working as a team with Clare leading the way. I loved every minute! Steven 

GOURMET VEGETARIAN FEAST
Ramael Scully, head chef
Ottolenghi’s NOPI
March 2015

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What you said

Scully produced a truly memorable meal, the highlight for me being the poached duck egg with crispy grains and dashi – wonderful texture and flavour combinations I’ve never experienced before.The amaranth petit four was pretty amazing too, as was the chocolate pudding – in fact the whole meal was stunning and all accompanied by a wonderful selection of wines. It was also thoroughly enjoyable meeting the other guests. Nikki
What the chef said

What was beautiful about this feast is that it gave me and the team the chance to showcase some of Britain’s best organic vegetables at what was a very special and rare dining occasion. Thank you. Scully

GOURMET WINTER FEAST
Matt Gillan, Michelin-starred chef
The Pass
22 November 2014

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What you said

My congratulations to Clare for making such a congenial atmosphere, to Matt who worked hard to such great effect and yet, in between courses, found the time to chat about his food, and finally to all who contributed to such a memorable occasion. Lorna
What the chef said

To do a dinner in a village hall is quite something. To do it for 100 people is pretty bonkers. But I enjoyed the experience, so a huge thank you to Clare for inviting me. It’s completely different to my usual day’s work. And getting to showcase what I do with food to a new audience is invaluable. Looking forward to the next one! Matt 

GAME FEAST
Emily Watkins, chef-owner
Kingham Plough
8 November 2014

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What you said

Great food and good company in a relaxed, informal setting. I love that you don’t know what the menu will be, but I can assure you it’ll be delicious! Edie
What the chef said

The vibe from the customers was brilliant, a great group of people who clearly all loved good food and wine. It was an absolute pleasure to cook for them. Clare and the gang organised the whole event like clock work. Emily

ENDANGERED FOODS FEAST
Richard Davies, Michelin-starred chef
The Manor House
9 May 2014

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What you said

We all had a really, really enjoyable evening.  It exceeded my expectations as I not only loved the food which surprised and delighted but also learned such a lot from the producers’ talks, delivered with such passion. Well done! Emily
Absolutely cracking evening, thank you Clare and Richard. Charlie (on Twitter)
What the chef said

What a great night. Hats off to Clare and her team on running a very smooth ship! Richard

FORAGED FEAST
David Everitt-Matthias, 2-Michelin-starred chef-patron
Le Champignon Sauvage
4 May 2014

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What you said

Thank you for a truly memorable evening. It was a rare, if not unique, opportunity for us to experience food of this calibre. I never thought I’d get my first taste of two-Michelin-star food in a village hall! David Everitt-Matthias’ exquisite creations were a feast both for the tastebuds and for the eyes. Katherine
What the chef said

We had a wonderful evening cooking in the village hall. It was great fun with the most perfect customers. Well done Clare and your team for the organization. David
TASTE OF THE EAST FEAST
Ramael Scully, head chef
Ottolenghi’s NOPI
22 March 2014
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What you said

What an amazing evening you put together! Simon and I both commented how professional and yet cosy it all was which is a fantastic achievement, and all credit to you. We loved the food, and really enjoyed the whole do. Well done, you should be proud. Dom
The food was sensational – really zingy, different, inspiring and delicious. It was lovely to be able to thank the chef at the end too. PLEASE keep the feasts coming – it’s such a great atmosphere – like a fun dinner party but without the hassle!! Miranda
What the chef said

This really was fantastic fun, and getting a standing ovation from everyone at the end was amazing – that’s a rare thing in a chef’s life. Scully
michael wignall

GOURMET HALLOWEEN FEAST
Michael Wignall, 2-Michelin-starred chef
Pennyhill
1 November 2013

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What you said

What a brilliant idea to be able to enjoy delicious food in an affordable way and at a relaxed, community village hall shared with our friends. The food was a delight for the senses, and to have a top chef brought to our neighbourhood was a real treat. We can’t wait for the next Feast with a Chef. Sarah
What the chef said

I’d definitely do the event again. It was fun and very different from the normal working day. Michael

ABOUT FEAST WITH A CHEF

The idea of Feast with a Chef is to provide top-notch food in a setting that’s friendly, relaxed and affordable – so where better than a village hall? We call it ‘Fine dining without the starch.’ How did it all start? As a food writer I interview a lot of top chefs. Keen to make first-class food available to a wider audience, I asked some I knew if they’d be willing to cook pop-up Feasts in village halls. Happily they agreed, and at Halloween 2013 2-Michelin-starred chef Michael Wignall got the ball rolling by cooking a feast for 150 in the village hall in Long Ashton, near Bristol. Since then many more have cooked amazing feasts. If there are chefs you think we should invite – or if you’re a top-drawer chef and fancy cooking for us – do get in touch.

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Feast with a Chef, 36 Royal Albert Road, Bristol BS6 7NY
Illustrations by Ann Edwards www.annedwardsart.co.uk
Adam Banks Cornish Fifteen Feast by Clare Hargreaves and Francesca Didymus; Richard Davies Welsh Winter Feast by Issy Stafford; Orwells by @StephenPerez70; Nathan Outlaw by Tania Richards; Dawn Chorus Feast by Ingrid Kvale & Tania Richards; Rob Howell, Will Holland, Chris Harrod & Olly Jackson by Phil Chisnall; Scully (NOPI cookbook Feast) by Stuart Ovenden; Matt Gillan (Michaelmas Feast) by Roger Menaldino; John Campbell and Steven Edwards by Chris Speller; Scully and Richard Davies by Ingrid Kvale; Matt Gillan and Silla Bjerrum by Stephanie Chadwick; Emily Watkins by Jeff Hargreaves; Michael Wignall and David Everitt-Matthias by Charlotte Scott