I’m Giuseppe Manzoli, an Italian private chef based in Fife, and Perthshire is one of the parts of Scotland I cook in most often. Lodges around Gleneagles, estate houses near Auchterarder and Crieff, shooting lodges up Glenshee and Glen Isla, self-catering houses along the Tay. I come to you, cook in your kitchen, serve each course at your table, then clean up and take my rubbish away.
At a glance
- Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli — Italian private chef from Modena, based in Fife, 35+ years’ experience.
- Service area: All of Perthshire — Auchterarder and Gleneagles, Perth, Crieff, Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy, Blairgowrie, Kinross and Glenshee.
- Events: Private dinners, weddings and elopements, golf and shooting weekends, retreats, milestone birthdays, hen parties, corporate dinners.
- Venue types: Estate houses, shooting lodges, self-catering lodges, private homes, and dry-hire venues with no in-house kitchen.
- Pricing: £75 to £180 per person for private dinners, VAT and travel included. Weddings and multi-day bookings are priced per event once the menu is agreed.
- Travel: Most of Perthshire is well under two hours from my base in Fife, so the county is a straightforward day booking.
Why Perthshire suits a private chef
Perthshire is full of big houses in beautiful places with nothing much within walking distance. That is exactly the situation a private chef is for. You have taken a lodge for a golf weekend at Gleneagles, or an estate house for a family gathering near Dunkeld, and the choice is a long drive to a restaurant and a designated driver, or somebody comes to you.
The other thing about Perthshire is that people come here for a few days rather than one night. Shooting parties, golf trips, big birthdays, small weddings. That suits me — I would far rather cook three evenings for the same group and get to know what they like than serve one meal and leave.
The kitchen is almost never the problem
Lodge and estate kitchens in Perthshire vary enormously. Some of the newer lodges have proper ranges and acres of worktop. Plenty of the older estate houses have a domestic oven, four rings that do not all work at the same speed, and a sink at the far end of the room. In 35+ years I have cooked in both, and the food was the same.
All I need is an oven, a couple of working rings, a sink and a bit of worktop. I bring my own knives, pans and equipment. If you send me a photo of the kitchen when you book, I will write the menu around what is actually there rather than turning up and improvising.
Where I cook across Perthshire
- Auchterarder and Gleneagles — lodges and estate houses around the golf courses
- Perth, Scone, Bridge of Earn and Forgandenny
- Crieff, Comrie and Muthill
- Dunkeld, Birnam and Butterstone
- Pitlochry, Killiecrankie and Blair Atholl
- Aberfeldy, Kenmore and the shores of Loch Tay
- Blairgowrie, Alyth and Glen Isla
- Glenshee, Spittal of Glenshee and the southern edge of the Cairngorms
- Kinross, Milnathort and the Loch Leven side
Some Perthshire evenings
A few of the Perthshire bookings I have written up, if you want to see how an evening actually runs: private chef service in the Gleneagles lodges, a dinner at Rossie Ochil Estate, Forgandenny, and a weekend at Brewlands Estate in Glen Isla.
What I cook
I’m from Modena, so the technique is Italian: pasta rolled by hand on the day, ragù cooked slowly, risotto finished at the last minute. The larder is Scottish — Perthshire beef and lamb, venison and game in season, Tay salmon, west coast langoustines and scallops, and whatever the vegetables are actually doing that month.
There is no fixed menu. We agree it together before the date, built around the people at the table. Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan are all normal for me, and children usually eat earlier and simpler — fresh pasta with butter and Parmesan does the job most nights.
What it costs
Private dinners run from £75 to £180 per person, depending on the number of courses, the ingredients and the size of the group. Travel and VAT are included, so the figure you agree is the figure you pay. Small dinners for two sit at the higher end, because the work is much the same for two as it is for eight.
Weddings and multi-day bookings are priced per event once we have agreed the menu. A deposit secures your date and covers the shopping, with the balance due after the event, and everything is confirmed in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Do you cook in the Gleneagles lodges?
Yes, regularly. The lodges around Gleneagles are one of my most frequent Perthshire bookings — golf groups, family weekends and milestone birthdays. I have written about how those evenings work.
What if the lodge kitchen is small?
It usually is, and it usually does not matter. An oven, two working rings, a sink and a bit of worktop is enough. Send me a photo when you book and I will plan the menu around it.
Do you cover Blairgowrie, Glenshee and the Glen Isla side?
Yes. Glen Isla and Glenshee are regular ground for me, particularly for shooting parties and lodge weekends. It is a longer drive than Perth, but it is still a day booking.
How far ahead should we book a Perthshire weekend?
For a dinner in a lodge, two to four weeks is usually enough and I can sometimes take a booking inside the week. For weddings, four to twelve months. Saturdays in summer, the shooting season and Christmas and New Year go first.
Do you clear up afterwards?
Always. I arrive two to three hours before service, cook, serve each course at your table, then clean the kitchen properly and take my rubbish away. Most evenings I leave about an hour after the last plate.
Get in touch
Tell me the date, the number of guests and where you are staying in Perthshire, and I will send a menu and a firm price. There is no charge for that. Call 07414 235 378 or email [email protected].
For hen weekends see private chef for hen parties in Scotland. You might also want the frequently asked questions, the private dining page or, if this is a wedding, wedding catering and the wedding menus.
This is the kind of evening I cook most often. My guide to private chef dining in Scottish self-catering houses, lodges and holiday cottages sets out how it works from first enquiry to the last plate cleared away.