Welcome to a Hosted Experience with Raymond Blanc at Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the Scottish Highlands
Join a 4-day summer dining experience in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, together with the company of your host Chef Raymond Blanc — A gastronomic icon — celebrated as one of the finest chefs in the world. Raymond Blanc is an engaging host with an unmatched dedication to creating the finest experiences for his guests. Join chef Blanc on a Hosted Gastronomy Experience in 2022, bringing you the very best seasonal and locally sourced ingredients from the Scottish Highlands, with an exclusively designed menu of wonderful dishes, together with cooking demonstrations.
Embark on a summer fine-dining experience, immersed in nature, together with the company of one of the most charismatic gastronomy legends in the world. On this 4-day trip, Raymond brings much more to the table besides the food and the eating experience. He shares his stories, passion and knowledge about food through cooking demonstrations with a small number of guests. Enjoy this experience around the wild landscapes of Scotland’s Highlands, for the ultimate escape to one of the last corners of Europe where you can discover genuine serenity and solitude.
“As a child, I gained the deepest understanding of food, without even knowing it.”
— RAYMOND BLANC —
Raymond Blanc is simply one of the finest chefs in the world, whose exquisite cooking has received tributes from countless guides to culinary excellence. He is also a highly entertaining raconteur, bursting with an encyclopaedic knowledge and a love of real food with roots. Chef Blanc is the expert in designing the ultimate gastronomic experience through his creativity and mastery. Enjoy Raymond’s warm hospitality, knowledge and food experiences on a specially designed travel experience surrounded by the magnificent natural landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.
As you get into the heart of the Highlands, set against rugged hills and the country’s most northerly ancient Caledonian pine forest, you will find Alladale Wilderness Reserve, the ultimate private getaway. Enjoy the wonderful experience in nature, surrounded by the stunning landscapes of the wilderness reserve, a 23,000-acre exclusively for the small group on the trip. Your itinerary includes many outdoors activities, such as 4×4 tour of the reserve with the rangers, guided hikes, foraging, clay-pigeon shooting and mountain biking. Back at the lodge indulge in a massage or a beauty treatment at the spa, plus the use of the fitness centre.
Raymond Blanc is always eager to share his culinary knowledge and welcomes enthusiastic amateurs and professional cooks to join him for learning opportunities and to develop their skills in a relaxed and friendly environment. With a two-part cooking demonstration in the beautiful settings around the wilderness reserve, Raymond will be showing how to take fresh local ingredients and turn them into something really special.
With the best of local produce, you will feast on fresh seafood mere hours after it was caught, or wild venison from just a few miles away, or vegetables from Alladale’s own organic garden and greenhouse. This amazing local produce is the inspiration for Raymond’s seasonal menu, specially designed for the Highlands summertime experience.
“There’s great beauty in honest food, cooked with heart, using kitchen wisdom passed down through the generations.”
— RAYMOND BLANC —
The Scottish Highlands are famed for their wild nature and majestic scenery. And right in the heart of this magical region lies Alladale Wilderness Reserve, surrounded by magnificent landscape at every turn. It is here at Alladale where you can join this wonderful 4-day travel experience in the company of your host Raymond Blanc. A unique opportunity to meet and interact with one of the most respected and amiable personalities in the hospitality business and learn from him about the importance of being true to ingredients and the beauty of natural seasonal ingredients.
Raymond Blanc believes becoming a good cook is all about mastering the basic techniques. For that he will hold a two -part cooking demonstration in the greenhouse and vegetable garden of Alladale to nurture your natural love of food and provide you with some skills you need to translate this love into beautiful and imaginative cuisine.
Your experience is an all inclusive stay at Alladale Lodge, a luxury hideaway boutique hotel in the heart of the wilderness reserve. Here is a timeless place, synonymous with luxury and tranquillity. A place to discover the many contrasts of the Highlands.
CELEBRITY CHEF, AUTHOR & RESTAURATEUR
Raymond Blanc is the Chef Patron of Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, a country-house hotel set among lavender fields in Oxfordshire since the 1980s. He is recognised as one of the finest chefs in the world. Completely self-taught, his influence on gastronomy has been so great that he is the only chef to have been honoured with both an OBE from Britain and the equivalent of a knighthood from France.
Born in Besançon, France in 1949, he arrived in England in 1972 to work as a waiter at the Rose Revived Restaurant near Witney. When the chef became ill, Raymond took over and two years later the restaurant gained entry into the Michelin Guide. At the age of 28, Raymond Blanc opened his first restaurant, Les Quat’ Saisons in Summertown, Oxfordshire. After just one year, the restaurant was named Egon Ronay Restaurant of the Year and a host of other accolades including Michelin Stars and Pestle & Mortar awards followed.
It was in 1984, however, that Raymond fulfilled a personal vision of creating a hotel and restaurant in harmony, by opening Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. It is the only country house hotel in the UK that has achieved two Michelin Stars for more than three decades. In 1991 Raymond established The Raymond Blanc Cookery School, welcoming both enthusiastic amateurs and professional cooks to the kitchen. The school provides the opportunity to develop their skills whilst learning some of Raymond Blanc’s kitchen secrets.
Ethics and sustainability have always been close to Raymond’s heart and for that he has been the President of the Sustainable Restaurant Association and Vice-President of Garden Organic for many year, championing in both roles the purity and nobility of ingredients.
Raymond Blanc is a best-selling author of more than ten books and presenter of many enjoyable TV shows broadcast worldwide in the last 30 years.
Join the Waiting List for pre-launch access to future dates.
Private group bookings available.
STARTING FROM
• Rates per room based on double occupancy
• Private experiences from 8 rooms / up to 16 guests
Questions? Contact us to learn more or request a private group experience.
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EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Alladale Wilderness Reserve
The Alladale Lodge is the ultimate private getaway. A stunning, wild 100 square kilometer wilderness reserve located deep in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.
Dinners by Chef Raymond Blanc
This hosted cooking experience brings the very best seasonal and locally sourced ingredients from the highlands together in a menu that is a tribute to Raymond's French roots blended with an authentic Scottish experience.
Scottish Bagpipes
Enjoy the local traditional Scottish bagpipes by one of the very few female pipers in the Highlands region.
Whisky Tasting
Enjoy tasting the differences between whiskies and understanding the journey of distillation and its impact on the flavour development for each of the individual whiskies.
4×4 Reserve Tour
The terrain in the reserve with its dramatic glens, colorful hills, glistening rivers and herds of majestic red deer will take your breath away.
Clay Pigeon Shooting
A fun outdoor activity where you will be taken to the special shooting area, guided by the rangers through the process of shooting your clays.
Guided Hikes
Explore 23,000 acres of Highland beauty with experienced local rangers, with a route that suits your fitness level as the reserve has plenty to discover.
Foraging Experience
Go exploring the reserve on a lovely walk in search for the best plants, herbs and mushrooms with an experienced local guide.
Cookery Demonstration with Raymond Blanc
In the kitchen for the evening cookery demonstration by chef Raymond Blanc, cooking one of the dishes on the menu for dinner.
Le Manoir Inspired Dinner
Finish on a high with Canapes, Appetiser, Starter, Intermediate, Main, Pre-dessert, Grand dessert, and Alladale petit fours, paired with a curated selection of wines by Raymond personally.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Special Seasonal Menu by Chef Raymond Blanc
Luxury Accommodation at Alladale
Luxury Airport Transfers (Inverness)
Full-Board Menu
2 x Masterclasses with Raymond Blanc
4×4 Reserve Tour
Hiking With Rangers
Mountain Bikes
Foraging Experience
Clay Pigeon Shooting
Whisky Tasting
Scottish Bagpipes
Celtic Band
Massage/Sauna/Gym
LIMITED AVAILABILITY
Private trips for groups can also be arranged.
Booking is now open, join the guestlist to book.
Located deep in the heart of the Scottish Highland, and set against rugged hills at the country’s most northerly ancient Caledonian pine forest, lies the Alladale Lodge. This beautiful Victorian manor, refurbished by Laura Ashley is comfortable and spacious. Its traditional design makes it a true Scottish home away from home and the ultimate private getaway. When you arrive at this stunning and wild 100 square kilometres wilderness reserve, you’re warmly welcomed and made to feel right at home!
Alladale has been certified as Europe’s most eco-friendly hotel, awarded by the Boutique Hotels Award in Nov. 2019 for their outstanding conservation work and restoration of wildlife in the Scottish Highlands.
FACILITIES INCLUDE
Double/Twin Room Options
En-suite Bathrooms
Daily Housekeeping Service
Free Satellite WiFi
Fully Equipped Gym
In-house Sauna
Snooker Room
Drawing Room
Dining Room
DAY 1
Guests arrive & check-in at Alladale (4:00 PM)
Reception drinks & meet your host Raymond Blanc
Dinner hosted by Raymond Blanc
Entertainment: Scottish Bagpipes
Remainder of the evening to relax and connect
DAY 2
Breakfast
Morning Experience: Exploring the reserve 4×4 tour
Lunch: Outdoor, catered on the reserve
Early Evening: Masterclass with Raymond Blanc
Dinner hosted by Raymond Blanc
Whisky Tasting Experience
Entertainment: Pianist
Remainder of the evening to relax and connect
DAY 3
Breakfast
Morning Experiences: Hiking / Clay-Pigeon Shooting / Bikes / Massage
Lunch in the main house
Afternoon Experiences: Foraging / Hiking / Clay-Pigeon Shooting / Bikes / Massage / River swim
Early Evening: Masterclass with Raymond Blanc
Dinner hosted by Raymond Blanc
Entertainment: Celtic band
Remainder of the evening to relax and connect
DAY 4
Guest check-out (10:00 AM)
Breakfast
Guests relax in the lodge ready for departure to Inverness airport
VIEW FULL ITINERARY
Experience the wilderness at Alladale reserve with exciting adventures during your stay. The stay is inclusive of all the following experiences:
4×4 RANGER GUIDED TOURS Experience Alladale’s vastness & beauty. Alladale is famous for its ‘rewilding’, which involves reforestation and reintroduction of plant and animal species.
GUIDED HIKES Explore 23,000 acres of Highland beauty with experienced rangers. At Alladale, you can go on a different hike every day, as the reserve has plenty to discover.
MOUNTAIN BIKING Enjoy many miles of stunning Highland scenery on a Mantra Pro mountain bike.
FORAGING IN THE WILD Spend the day exploring and experiencing the reserve in a very special way by foraging tasty ingredients for dinner.
CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING A fun outdoor activity where you will be taken to the special shooting area, guided by the rangers through the process of shooting your clays.
WHISKY TASTING You cannot leave Scotland without tasting some of its best whisky. Sit back and enjoy a great whisky experience in front of the roaring fires and learn about this fascinating drink in its homeland.
MASSAGES A holiday at Alladale is the perfect time to relax and treat yourself to something extra. Enjoy a lovely massage, relax at the in-house sauna or experience the fully equipped gym at your disposal.
SCOTTISH ENTERTAINMENT Enjoy a variety of local entertainment during your stay with Scottish piper, Celtic band, Pianist, in addition to the games and snooker room.
Embark on a meaningful journey through the Scottish Highlands with Satopia, where your travel experience directly supports the empowerment of local communities. A portion of your trip’s cost contributes to an incredible foundation playing a vital role in restoring and enriching Europe’s natural heritage. This partnership with The European Nature Trust enhances your travel experience and also ensures that your visit has a positive impact on the destination and its people.
Spending time in nature is integral to wellbeing, mental health and physical wellness.
The European Nature Trust’s mission is to connect people to nature. The trust is dedicated to the protection of Europe’s remaining wild places, and restoring those already lost.
This experience is an opportunity to explore the wonderful conservation work done in Alladale in collaboration with the European Nature Trust, restoring the Highland ecosystem to its former glory and reintroducing original plants and wildlife species.
The conservation and rewilding initiatives at Alladale are a long term partnership with the European Nature Trust, where 7% of the estate revenue is transferred to the trust, contributing directly to a variety of conservation and restoration efforts throughout Europe.
Learn more about The European Nature Trust here
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A MEANINGFUL MISSION
Give back to local communities, supporting conservation causes or social initiatives that improve the quality of life for others.
