This spring sees a special collaboration between Kent’s Elmley Nature Reserve, and chef patron of the Michelin Green Star restaurant, The Small Holding, Will Devlin.
The event will take place from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 May, with Will Devlin and his team taking over the kitchen of Elmley’s Kingshill Farmhouse for the weekend and bringing a taste of The Small Holding to the Reserve. The intimate foodie experience, featuring a hyper seasonal tasting menu on the Saturday evening, will be a celebration of spring and its abundance, and inspired by the Reserve setting, where over forty years of nature restoration has made Elmley one of the UK’s most important sites for wildlife.
A small number of guests are invited to join a weekend of food and experiences in nature, in a house party setting, staying in one of Kingshill Farmhouse’s beautiful spacious en suite bedrooms, designed with a boutique hotel style feel, by interior designer (and The Traitors’ “Faithful Frankie”) Francesca Rowan Plowden. Think, big comfy beds, luxurious soft furnishings, and bathroom products by natural fragrance brand Verden.
Will Devlin x Elmley weekend, 9-11 May 2025, starts from £1376 based on two people sharing a Farmhouse room for two nights. This includes all food prepared by Will and his team:
- Friday supper
- Saturday and Sunday breakfasts
- Saturday picnic lunch
- Saturday tasting menu with drinks pairing
- And a 4x4 Land Rover wildlife tour with Elmley's lead guide
All rooms include hypnos mattresses, Roberts radios, robes, VERDEN bathroom products and morning tea and coffee drop offs.
We are delighted that Will and his team will be joining us at Elmley, and taking over the Farmhouse kitchen in May for this special weekend. A stay at Elmley is about being immersed in nature. Elmley is a pioneering, 40 year-long nature recovery project and the abundance of wildlife on the Reserve is a story of hope and inspiration. Will has an innate understanding of nature and natural processes and brings this to life through his sustainably focussed menus. We’re so excited for Will to share the Elmley story through his food, and we look forward to welcoming our guests for what is set to be a weekend of fantastic food and wildlife experiences, within the unique nature setting of Elmley.
Kingshill Farmhouse sits in the heart of the 3,300-acre private estate and National Nature Reserve, Elmley, surrounded by wildlife. Each bedroom has its own individual character and spectacular views and are designed as a retreat to make the most of time away, and the restorative power of nature.
Chef Will Devlin, and his team, will be crafting, creating and delivering the menus throughout the weekend, and the food will be inspired by the new season, its bountiful ingredients, the unique setting, and the hope and passion from this pioneering nature recovery project.
Guests will arrive, and a light supper will be served in the Farmhouse dining room on Friday evening at a preferred time for each guest. Breakfast and a picnic-style lunch will be offered on Saturday, when guests will have time to explore the Reserve, enjoy a walk or wild swim, and be taken on a Land Rover tour.
On the Saturday evening, a tasting menu with paired wines (or a non-alcoholic option for those who would prefer), featuring ingredients grown and produced on Devlin’s one acre farm, will feature, with wilderness views as a backdrop. A cooked breakfast will see guests on the road, on the Sunday morning.
Kingshill Farmhouse has five beautiful spaces on the ground floor from which to read, relax and enjoy a coffee or aperitif, but there are plenty of reasons to head out onto the Reserve too. There are miles of walking trails, hides for birdwatching, a swimming pond for outdoor swimmers, and weekend guests will be invited to join a wildlife tour with Elmley’s Lead Nature Guide. Wellness treatments can also be arranged.
Elmley has a restorative effect on those who visit, and the weekend will be an opportunity to enjoy great food from an acclaimed Kent-based chef, while taking time to slow down, relax and connect with nature.
The Small Holding is a kitchen and farm in one acre of land on a country lane in Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. The restaurant is open for dinner on Wednesday evening and Thursday to Saturday for lunch and dinner costing £85 per person, or there is the option of a shorter lunch menu at £65 per person. On Sunday there is lunch service. The 34-cover restaurant has a Michelin Green Star for Gastronomy and Sustainability and is number 25 in Harden’s Top 100 Restaurants.
www.thesmallholding.restaurant | @the_small_holding_
Ranters Lane | Kilndown | Kent | TN17 2SG
Based only 40 miles from London in an island off the Kent coast is a pioneering site of nature recovery. The entire 3,300 acre estate was restored to nature over 40 years ago and it is now an internationally renowned nature site, with huge numbers of winter wading birds, owls, hares and a hugely important site in the UK for breeding ground nesting birds such as lapwing and redshank. Privately owned and managed, Elmley welcomes guests for stays and events all year round. During a stay in the beautiful and luxurious houses and hand-crafted cabins guests can fully immerse themselves in the landscape and its wildlife, under the huge skies.
Elmley - Elmley National Nature Reserve | Kingshill Farm | Isle of Sheppey | ME12 3RW
01795 664 896; https://www.elmleynaturereserve.co.uk | @elmleynature
This is a special chance to book an individual bedroom in Kingshill Farmhouse. For those looking to host their own special event, Kingshill Farmhouse can be booked for bespoke gatherings, private and corporate events. You can even arrange for Chef Will Devlin to cater your event, creating a memorable dining experience for you and your guests in the heart of nature.
Speak to our events team events@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk.
This is a one-off small numbered event. Full payment is required on booking a ticket. The ticket fee is non-refundable and non-transferable to another date. Should you no longer be able to attend you may transfer your ticket to somebody else or please let us know at your earliest convenience and we will relist your ticket and publicise the availability. Please be aware that a resale is not guaranteed. If the ticket is purchased by another guest we will refund the ticket price in full less the payment processing fees.
The Reserve is an internationally important site for wildlife, particularly breeding birds in spring and winter, and as such guests must be aware of the need to be considerate of the site and potential impacts upon it when staying. The terms of usage can be found here. A ticket booking will be taken as acceptance of these terms and conditions. Any queries or clarifications should be referred to our team events@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk prior to booking.
The event is for over 16 years old only.
Check in from 3pm on Friday 9 May and check out by 10.30am, Sunday 11 May. Guests are welcome to enjoy the Reserve from 10am on the day of arrival, and stay until 5pm on the day of checkout.