Kingshill Farmhouse, Elmley Nature Reserve where The Small Holding weekend on 3-5 April will take place
Will Devlin from The Small Holding, Kilndown, is collaborating with Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey, to cook a special dinner at Kingshill Farmhouse.
Taking place over the weekend of 3-5 April, it is a chance for guests to be immersed in nature, but in utter comfort, soaking up wilderness views and soaring skyscapes, whilst enjoying food cooked and served by one of Kent’s best chefs and his awarding-winning team from The Small Holding.
Named in The Good Food Guide 2020 as ‘Chef to Watch’, Will Devlin will cook a bespoke tasting menu in the beautiful kitchen diner of the newly, and lovingly, restored and renovated 18th century, grade II listed Kingshill Farmhouse. Sitting in the heart of the 3,300-acre reserve, the huge glass sliding doors have vast views out across the marshes where it is easy to spot a hare hopping past, wading birds and a barn owl hunting over the reeds. Just an hour from London and 70 minutes from The Small Holding, Elmley feels a world away from the city.
When booking this special weekend, guests will be able to choose one of the five beautiful, individually designed bedrooms by interior designer Francesca Rowan Plowden, each with sweeping views of the reserve. Special touches including roll top cast iron baths, each with views, the gorgeous reception rooms, and the huge kitchen diner make Elmley an incredible place to stay.
Arriving on Friday night, if they wish, guests will have use of the well-stocked honesty bar and charcuterie and cheese boards prepared by The Small Holding using their own house-cured meats and local Kent and Sussex cheeses. Saturday breakfast will be a simple affair prepared by the Elmley team, before cocktails, snacks and tasting menu by The Small Holding in the evening. Saturday dinner and Sunday brunch will be served communally around the farmhouse kitchen table.
During the weekend guests can pre-book in-house holistic therapies, while wildlife tours, hosted by Estate manager Gareth Fulton, who runs Elmley with his wife Georgina, can also be arranged. The charming towns of Whitstable and Faversham are nearby, while some guests may just prefer to curl up with a book in one of the many cosy reception areas and gaze out across the breathtaking views.
This special weekend costs from £400 per person, for two nights, based on two people sharing a room, and includes a tasting menu and paired wine flight on the Saturday evening by Will Devlin and The Small Holding team, and Sunday brunch including a Full English, homemade breads, pastries and jams and of course, lots of fresh coffee and tea. Friday night charcuterie boards, additional drinks, tours and / or treatments are additional extras to be booked through Elmley.
To book please visit https://www.elmleynaturereserve.co.uk/huts/kingshill-farmhouse.
About Elmley
Elmley is an independently owned and managed National Nature Reserve and is a conservation site of international importance, where farming and conservation go hand in hand. As well as being one of the most important UK sites for breeding waders, it is also renowned for raptors, owls, and hares, along with rare bees, dragonflies and flora. Elmley is the only National Nature Reserve in the UK where guests can stay overnight. The property is ideal for staycations and celebrations and can be hired as a private whole house rental, and on select dates from 2020, individual bedrooms will be available on a B&B basis. www.elmleynaturereserve.co.uk Instagram @elmleynature
About The Small Holding
Will Devlin, 31, is the chef owner of The Small Holding, a kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. The 26-cover restaurant was voted the best restaurant in Kent at the Taste of Kent Awards and is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between farm and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with daily changing menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10ft from the kitchen. www.thesmallholding.restaurant Instagram @the_small_holding_
“A group of folk growing amazing things, then pulling them out of the ground, sometimes knobbly and lumpy, then cooking and serving them. It’s perfectly imperfect and I wouldn’t change a thing.” Grace Dent, The Guardian
The menu reads like a list of all that is good in a British Larder. Self-sufficiency, careful sourcing, purity of intent and an absolute focus on flavour. It’s easy to fall in love with The Small Holding for the warmth of the staff, its good intent and deft execution.” Tony Turnbull, The Times
For more information please contact Hannah Blake or Charlotte Allen
Hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk (07730 039361)
charlotte@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk (07595 881931)