Watch: Our Winter Chefs’ Residency with Max La Manna at Glen Dye.

FILMED BY DEPARTMENT TWO

To prove winter's wonder, we invited a number of exceptional, city-based chefs to join us at Glen Dye for a few weeks of great food and drink.

We challenged them to cook over fire, forage for seasonal ingredients and find new perspectives on their food as they cooked in new surroundings at the heart of the beautiful 15,000 acre private estate.

We hosted supper clubs and food demos in The Byre and Garden Camp.

There was be hiking, campfires, wild swimming, dog walking, stargazing, laughter, friendship and endless fresh air.

Our guests learnt in the company of true experts.

Introducing: Max La Manna

Photo: Department Two

Max La Manna is a low-waste chef, award-winning author and host for BBC Earth food shows. Max’s debut cookbook More Plants Less Waste was awarded the Most Sustainable Cookbook in 2020 by Gourmand. In 3 years, Max has captivated over 1 million passionate and engaging foodies across his social media platforms. Max's recipe content and food shows have been seen by over 1 billion people.

Max grew up as a child in his father’s fast-food restaurants, but started cooking at the age of 15. After leaving home in Connecticut, Max moved to New York City to pursue modelling and an acting career in Los Angeles.

Max modelled for top fashion designers, magazines and as an actor on NBC’s soap opera Days Of Our Lives. When not in front of the camera, Max worked late nights serving, bartending and cooking in some of New York City’s and Los Angeles’ most popular restaurants. Max now lives in the UK with his wife and their 32 houseplants, developing original and inventive recipes that utilise the whole ingredient.

Max’s Food Demo

Introducing: Glen Dye

Glen Dye is a private estate of around 15,000 acres and our cabins and cottages sit slap bang at its centre, surrounded by wilderness forest and moorland on the banks of the River Dye.

The location is fabled; watched over by the massive granite tor of Clachnaben and at the northern end of the Cairn o Mount mountain pass. This is where the Howe of the Mearns finally gives in to the Highland boundary fault; wild, beautiful and very, very quiet.

We have a handful of perfect holiday cottages, many with outdoor, wood-fired hot tubs and one with its own private cabin. We have also converted the old estate sawmill into a private outdoors paradise; here you’ll find a 1955 Airstream with a giant bed, a fully restored foresters’ kitchen and sitting room, a spectacular outdoor shower and a wood-fired hot tub.

These cabins and cottages combine jaw dropping wild locations with perfect comfort and style.

Later that day: Ixta Belfrage’s Supper Club

And then came Storm Arwen…

Photo by Department Two

Eight days with Arwen and some reflections on how to treat small businesses when things go wrong.

📆 FRIDAY 25TH NOVEMBER, 8AM
📍 HAWARDEN, NORTH WALES

“It was my idea to promote the joys of being outdoors at Hawarden and Glen Dye in winter.

So I put on a brave face when the night’s wind scatters our twenty something market stalls across the park outside our Farm Shop. Many are twisted beyond repair, their covers smeared in the molasses of clayey mud.

A few hours later, soaking wet and mud smudged, the Team have cleared the mess and the Winter Market and launch of the Winter Art Garden is postponed until next Saturday.

The Market and Winter Art Garden are part of our project to get people outdoors when they don’t feel like it; winter is good, it’s as good as summer. Or so our argument goes.

We have commissioned twelve outdoor installations on the themes of light, change, optimism and love to get people into the fresh air when Netflix and a sofa seem more inviting.

That seems to be that but, as it transpires, this is just the beginning…”

Read Charlie’s diary from that week by clicking the button below.