The evenings we remember are never the expensive ones.
Question: What actually makes a memory?
Not food. Not luxury.
But attention. Conversation. Hospitality.
FLOWER AND FEAST
your seat at the table awaits.
Date: 14th August 2026
I’m lucky enough to work with incredible chefs where we can bounce around ideas, support each other and dance and laugh and be goofy and go through it together. And sometimes, I have to LOL outloud.
Listen, to someone not in hospitality, the worry that if a potato have the right about of crisp for this dish, or if squeeze of lemon will elevate all the flavours can sound so meniscus, and yet, these are the conversations we have.
These guys remind me that we can push each other into new realms of learning and curiousity, and also, its not that deep.
In my reflections notes, post event or post retreat, its often formulatic in breaking down each element to think about how it could be improved next time.
And yet.
That’s never what the guests see, or hear, or remember.
Someone I cooked for, months ago, saw me at my day job, and was a) surprised, because the internet is a highlight reel, not a reality spiral. b) stopped me to tell me,
"I still think about that evening."
Not the food.
The evening.
It's made me wonder if I’ve had my hospitality priorities all backwards.
Perfecting recipes, the right crockery for the mood, the right drinks.
The evenings and events that ARE perfection are those we tell stories around, with people we care about, or just met, but feel fond of instantly.
These ones that feel like a timeless moment.
As chefs, we are extremely adaptable in so many ways.
But it is the co-creation of all that participate that make the evening.
In fact, I think that's often the point where the evening gets good, when we realised, that it’s not about the chef, the food, the time it took to get to the location, but dropping into the moment like there’s nothing else that matters.
I think this is what actually makes a memory.
Think about it.
We are all living in our own universes and collectively sharing one. Co-exsisting together while also moving simulatenously in many timelines. Think about it for a minute, how many other timelines have you thought about today? The future - like tomorrow, that moment that happened when you were 12, the doctors appoitment next week, what retirement might look like, did i put the laundry on?, the taste of tomatoes i grew last summer etc etc.
And then, zoom out, and everyones doing that. like firing litle atoms through time.
And what if, all those little atoms align in this moment, think of the magnitude of experience.
I notice this, when the food has arrived at the table, and people take the first couple of bites, and for just a moment there’s silence. I can feel that they are there, engaged in their senses and the season and maybe, the can feel the breeze that gently blowing the napkins.
in their memory of the evening, prehaps they’ll remember how someone passed them a dish like they were a family friend, or how they arrived exhausted from the day, but left saying things like “that flew by so quickly,”. “where did those 3 hours go?!”
Moments from our last Flower and Feast, and a message from a guest.
Memory is a beautiful filter like that, where it edits for feelings, not for perfection.
I wonder if this is a modern condition.
B U S Y.
Everyone is busy, multi-tabs open in the brain, running multiple jobs, like we too are multi-value packs of options and outcomes.
But what if we’re half exisisting. Like, we’re physcially in the garden while mentally running through tomorrow’s tasks and time mapping if it’s all possible.
Or, we’re eating dinner while also sending payments on our banking apps.
Or babes. watching the sunset through the phone screen?
I think we’ve got very good accidentally (or by someone else’s design), to leave ourselves somewhere else.
A n y w a. y. . .
That's what I've been thinking about while the elderflowers have quietly taken their next stage into berries, and the summer nights sat outside with other enjoying the setting sun.
If you'd like to spend one of this summer's evenings wandering through flowers before settling around a long table with good food and good people, you'll find all the details below.
Flower & Feast: A Bloom-to-Table Experience
Date: 14TH AUGUST
Join us for an enchanting afternoon where the art of floral design meets the joy of seasonal dining.
What to Expect:
Hands-On Floral Workshop: Under the guidance of our expert flower farm owner, learn to craft your own stunning floral arrangement. Discover techniques for selecting, arranging, and preserving blooms to create a bouquet that reflects your personal style.
Three-Course Garden Feast: Relish a thoughtfully curated meal featuring locally sourced ingredients, served amidst the natural beauty of our flower garden. Each course is designed to complement the season's freshest flavors.
Why Attend?
This event is more than a workshop or a meal, it's an immersive experience that celebrates nature, creativity, and community.
Whether you're a floral enthusiast, a food lover, or someone seeking a unique outing, Flower & Feast offers a memorable escape into the world of blooms and bites.
This event offers a three-course, farm-fresh dinner served al fresco, preceded by a walking tour of the farm. The dining area is adorned with farm-fresh flowers, enhancing the connection between the meal and its source.
Each ticket includes:
A seasonal non-cocktail on arrival
A short farm tour prior to seating
Pick your own bouquet experience
Tips on flower arranging and flower heath from Charlotte of Bloom Homestead
A multi-course feast highlighting the best of the season
