My night in the wild with a Michelin-starred chef
Wilderness Reserve in Suffolk offers extraordinary culinary experiences, with chefs including Tom Aikens cooking in the middle of an ancient woodland
It is pitch black and I’m walking with a small group along a muddy path between ancient trees when I’m enveloped by smoke. For a split second it feels as if I’m about to step out for a woodland rendition of Stars in their Eyes (thankfully for my companions, the singing doesn’t start until much later into the night). When the smoke clears we’re confronted with a slightly less glamorous but more exciting sight: the world-famous chef Tom Aikens, grinning, in the glow of two huge flames as he prepares a feast over the open coal fires.
Aikens and his team are cooking for us at the Wilderness Reserve in Suffolk, an 8,000-acre private estate, for an intimate evening of the finest food, hosted by the dining events company Yoxman. As we mingle around a bonfire with welcome cocktails and champagne, I can’t help but stare at the chefs. They’re cooking in the most primitive way yet producing the most exceptional food. They gently test the ducks hanging over flames and rotate the scallops cooking in their shells while smoke blooms around them as the hispi cabbage is charred. It’s completely mesmerising.
We are called for dinner under a heated canopy filled with twinkling lights and candles. Aikens talks us through each dish, about how it was cooked and the thought that has gone into it. “Ever since I was young I have always been fascinated with this method,” he says. “It comes with a sense of drama. Cooking over fire is one of the simplest forms of cooking while adding maximum flavour.”
After being thoroughly fed and watered we are driven back from the forest in the most comfortable all-electric BMWs — the heated massage seats are heaven — and dropped off at our equally luxurious accommodation. I am staying in the beautiful Suffolk pink six-bedroom farmhouse, original to the estate and refurbished with modern luxuries. Cue the karaoke. We dance and sing the night away before venturing outside into the silent night. Armed with treats from the larder, we enjoy the hot tub on the patio and a sky full of shooting stars, the darkness around us peaceful and restorative. It feels good for the soul to be in the middle of nowhere.
The next day, after a restful night in very comfy beds, some daring souls in our group go wild swimming in the lake; I choose to observe them in the crisp morning air and drink hot chocolate instead. Breakfast is delicious — full of Suffolk produce from local butchers and bakeries.
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In addition to the food the estate offers country pursuits such as archery and axe-throwing (both great fun), as well as guided walks. Alternatively you can relax in the Bamford spa. There’s also champagne and whisky-tasting masterclasses on offer at the weekends next year (sign me up to those).
Aikens will return to the Wilderness Reserve with his fire feast in January, joined by Raymond Blanc and Alex Dilling, for a three-day immersive gastronomic Yoxman weekend. Blanc will host a gala dinner, Dilling a lunch banquet, and there will be Q&As with the chefs too. There are more weekends with different chefs to be announced next year — past names have included José Pizarro, Angela Hartnett, Sat Bains and Michel Roux.
Whatever you choose to do, you’ll be wandering through fields and woodland, among the sheep, absorbing the stunning scenery and, of course, eating the greatest food at this magical retreat.
From £4,250 for two for three nights, yoxman.com
