Millington Hall Farm

When you think of farm to table destinations, Manchester isn’t the first place that springs to mind. However, located just twenty minutes from the city is Millington Hall Farm. Their intimate and involved foodie experiences make excellent gifts for the more adventurous amongst us, as well as people who want to celebrate a special occasion with a hands-on feast. Part cookery school, part field to fork high end dining, Millington Hall Farm is a place to go with a select group of your favourite people to bond over delicious meals. 

As to be expected from a working farm, many of the culinary activities are centred around meat. Under the guidance of expert chefs, butchers and pit masters you can learn butchery and BBQ prep during their ‘Lamb in a Day’. Or understand the true breadth of BBQ techniques in a four hour pit session as part of ‘The Wild Grill’. Both of these experiences end in an indulgent feast, eaten amongst the cosy surrounds of a Nordic inspired tipi. For something more involved, their ‘All Night Smoke’ experience sees you learn how to slow smoke a brisket over 18 hours. With a three course feast and bar in the evening you’ll stay in one of the farm’s heated and comfortably furnished tipis before enjoying your hard earned brisket for breakfast. 

The accommodation on the farm is exclusively for experience guests, which is rather convenient considering most experiences come with a free bar. It is far from what you might imagine when you hear the term farm accommodation. You can expect real beds housed in 4kw wood fired heating and duck down duvets as well as your own decking with unspoilt valley views. Best of all, a hearty breakfast is delivered straight to your door in the morning, with vegan or carnivore options available. 

Millington Hall Farm also hosts two less animal focused experiences. For fans of the hit TV show, delve into the gingham world of heat, fat, sugar and flour in the bakeoff experience. Led by the farm’s expert baker, you’ll take part in friendly competition as you tackle bake along challenges, decorative bakes and watch as the best baker of the day gets crowned. During the day refreshments and canapes will be served from the bar and you’ll be guided through the bakes at every step of the way, meaning everyone can walk away having made something they’re truly proud of.

Finally, for the booze enthused amongst us, the farm offers a totally unique ‘Gin Experience’. Using botanicals picked by hand yourselves from the garden, you’ll distill your own bottle of bathtub gin before enjoying a shared plate meal in the Nordic tipi with live entertainment. You’ll also try your hand at creating cocktails with your new concoctions, making something to share with the group whether you’re into bitter punchy flavours or delicate florals.

For an experience where you can feel connected to the land as much as the people you’re there with, check out the experiences for yourself.