Millington Hall Farm

When you think of farm to table destinations, Manchester isn’t the first place that springs to mind. However, located just 20 minutes from the city is Millington Hall Farm in Altrincham. Their intimate and involved foodie experiences are hosted just a handful of times a year, make excellent Christmas gifts, as well as immersive experiences to book with your friends, family or even for a work away day. Guided by expert tutors, Millington Hall Farm offers a truly unique and interactive field-to-fork experience to enjoy alongside your favourite people.

Under the guidance of expert chefs, butchers and pit masters you can learn butchery and BBQ prep during Millington Hall Farm’s ‘Lamb in a Day’ experience. 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 among the cosy surroundings 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. As a rural retreat, they are sustainably focused using not only the highest quality ingredients, but everything they can’t grow from the allotment is sourced within a 40-mile radius.

For something sweeter, fans of the hit TV show will be thrilled to delve into the gingham world of heat, fat, sugar and flour in ‘The Bake Off Experience’. Led by the farm’s master baker, you’ll take part in friendly competition as you tackle bake along challenges, design your own 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 mixologists 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.

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, 4kw wood-fired heating and duck-down duvets as well as your own decking with unspoiled valley views. Best of all, a hearty breakfast is delivered straight to your door in the morning, with a vegan option available.

For an experience where you can feel connected to the land as much as the people you’re there with, click the ‘book now’ button below to find out more.