I’m Giuseppe Manzoli, an Italian private chef based in Fife, and I travel west regularly — Loch Lomond, the Trossachs, Cowal, Kilmartin Glen, Kintyre and up towards Oban. It is holiday-house country: big lodges on the loch, castles and estate houses with no restaurant for miles, and family groups who have taken somewhere for a week. I come to you, cook in your kitchen and serve at your table.
At a glance
- Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli — Italian private chef from Modena, based in Fife, 35+ years’ experience.
- Service area: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Argyll, Cowal, Kintyre, Kilmartin Glen, Oban and Appin, and the Argyll islands by arrangement.
- Events: Weddings, elopements and micro-weddings, private dinners, family weeks, retreats, hen parties, milestone birthdays.
- Venue types: Loch-side lodges, castles and country houses, self-catering cottages, dry-hire wedding venues with no in-house kitchen.
- Pricing: £75 to £180 per person for private dinners, VAT and travel included. Weddings and multi-day bookings priced per event.
- Travel: The Loch Lomond side is a comfortable day booking from Fife. For Kintyre, Oban and the far west I may add overnight accommodation to the quote — you will see it written down before you commit.
Why this part of Scotland needs a chef more than most
West of Loch Lomond the roads get slower and the restaurants get further apart. A house on the shore at Rowardennan or a castle in Kilmartin Glen is a wonderful place to spend a week, but it is not a place where eight people casually go out for dinner on a Tuesday. That is the gap I fill.
It is also elopement and micro-wedding country. Small weddings out here are often at a dry-hire venue — beautiful building, no kitchen brigade, no catering contract — and the couple has to bring the food with them. I have done a number of these, including a wedding at Kilmartin Castle in Argyll.
Kitchens out here
Self-catering kitchens on the west coast are a mixed bag. Some of the newer loch-side lodges are excellent. Older cottages and castles often have a domestic oven, a couple of rings and very little worktop, and sometimes the nearest proper shop is half an hour away. Neither is a problem, as long as I know in advance.
I bring my knives, pans and equipment, and I do the shopping before I travel rather than hoping the village shop has what the menu needs. Send me a photo of the kitchen when you book and I will write the menu around it.
Where I cook across Loch Lomond and Argyll
- Balloch, Luss, Tarbet and Arrochar on Loch Lomond
- Balmaha, Rowardennan and the east shore
- Drymen, Aberfoyle, Callander and the Trossachs
- Inveraray, Cairndow and Loch Fyne
- Kilmartin Glen, Crinan and Lochgilphead
- Dunoon and the Cowal peninsula
- Tarbert, Kintyre and Campbeltown
- Oban, Connel, Appin and Benderloch
- The Argyll islands — Bute, Mull and Islay by arrangement
What I cook
Italian technique, Scottish larder. Pasta rolled by hand on the day, ragù cooked slowly, risotto finished at the last minute — and then the west coast does the rest. Loch Fyne oysters, langoustines and scallops, Argyll lamb and beef, venison in season, and vegetables from wherever they are actually good that week.
Nothing is fixed. We agree the menu together beforehand, built around the people at the table. Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan are all normal for me, and I ask for every allergy in writing before the event so I can plan the shopping and keep things separate in the kitchen.
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. For venues a long way west — Kintyre, Oban, the islands — I may add overnight accommodation to the quote, and you will see that written down before you commit to anything.
Weddings and multi-day bookings are priced per event once the menu is agreed. A deposit secures the date and covers the shopping, with the balance due after the event, all confirmed in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Will you travel to Argyll and the west coast?
Yes. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs are a straightforward day booking. Kilmartin, Kintyre, Oban and the islands take more planning and sometimes an overnight stay, but I do them — and for weddings and multi-day bookings I travel further still.
Can you cook at a dry-hire wedding venue with no kitchen brigade?
That is a large part of what I do out here. I have cooked weddings at castles and estate houses with nothing but a domestic kitchen. See elopements and micro-weddings for how a small wedding usually runs.
We have taken a lodge for a week. Can you cook more than one night?
Gladly, and it usually works out better. Over several evenings I get to know what your group actually enjoys, and we can change the menu as the week goes. Multi-day bookings are priced per event.
What if the nearest shop is miles away?
Then I shop before I travel. I do not rely on finding ingredients near the house — everything the menu needs comes with me.
How far ahead should we book?
Two to four weeks is usually enough for a dinner in a holiday house, and I can sometimes take a booking within the week. For weddings, four to twelve months. Saturdays in summer go first.
Get in touch
Tell me the date, the number of guests and where you are staying, and I will send a menu and a firm price — no charge for that. Call 07414 235 378 or email [email protected].
You may also want the frequently asked questions, the private dining page, or wedding catering and the wedding menus if this is a wedding.
If you are planning something similar, my full guide to private chef dining in Scottish self-catering houses, lodges and holiday cottages explains how an evening works, what it costs and what I need from the kitchen.