At a glance
- Venue: Beechwood House, a Victorian country house in Moffat, Dumfries & Galloway
- Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli, Italian private chef, 35+ years of experience, 220+ Google reviews
- Events cooked here: weddings, hen parties, milestone birthdays and private dinners
- Recent events: a wedding for sixteen (July 2024) and a hen party of twelve (August 2026)
- Pricing: from £75 to £180 per person, VAT and travel within Dumfries & Galloway included
- Booking: book the house first, then contact Giuseppe for the dinner; tailored quote within 24 hours
Some houses you cook in once. Beechwood House in Moffat is one I keep coming back to, year after year, and the owners send their guests my way so often that arriving there feels like coming to a friend’s kitchen. This page is for anyone who has booked Beechwood for a celebration and is wondering what dinner there can look like.
The house
Beechwood is a Victorian country house on the edge of Moffat, with a conservatory by the gate, hydrangeas flanking the front steps, and a dining room made for long dinners: a carved table for a dozen and more, leather chairs, chandeliers, and tall windows looking over the Annandale hills. For a chef, the part that matters is behind the scenes: a proper working kitchen where I can cook a full menu from scratch, plate desserts one by one, and send everything to the table hot.
A wedding for sixteen (July 2024)
In July 2024 I cooked a wedding dinner for sixteen at Beechwood. The host, Cynthia, wrote afterwards:
“Giuseppe is an absolutely incredible chef and he was a delight to have at our small wedding. He catered for 16 of us with the most delicious food and PLENTY of it as well — really generous portions that meant we had tasty leftovers to keep enjoying later. He was funny, warm, and professional, and all our guests adored him and his food. Do make sure you have the beef fillet, you won’t regret it!”
Cynthia So, wedding at Beechwood House, July 2024 (Google review, 5 stars)
If you are planning a small wedding at Beechwood, my wedding dinners page explains how I work; the short version is that the whole meal is cooked fresh in the Beechwood kitchen on the day.
A hen party of twelve (August 2026)
In August 2026 I was back at Beechwood for a hen party of twelve: canapés on arrival, butternut squash velouté, risotto alla Milanese, a choice of beef or sea bass, and tiramisù or crème brûlée to finish. Two of the guests left five-star reviews the next morning. You can read more about that evening, and how I cook hen weekends across the country, on my hen party page.
Read the fuller story of that evening on LinkedIn.
Cooking in the Beechwood kitchen
Nothing arrives at Beechwood pre-made in trays. I bring the ingredients and my own equipment, bake the bread, roll the arancini, and build each course in the house’s kitchen while the party gets going in the dining room. Knowing a kitchen well matters more than people think: I know where the light is good for plating, how the ovens behave, and how long the walk to the table takes with a hot plate in each hand. That familiarity is what the evening feels like from the guests’ side: relaxed, unhurried, and always on time.
Booking Beechwood House with a private chef
The house and the dinner are booked separately: you arrange your stay with Beechwood House directly, then tell me your date, your numbers and the occasion, and I will send a menu and a firm quote within 24 hours. Dinners cost from £75 to £180 per person depending on the menu, with VAT and travel within Dumfries & Galloway included. I also cook at other venues in and around Moffat, and you can browse every house I work in on the Scottish venues directory, or see everywhere I cook across Scotland.
Frequently asked questions
Can you cook a wedding dinner at Beechwood House?
Yes. I cooked a wedding for sixteen there in July 2024, and intimate weddings are one of my favourite things to cook at the house.
How many guests can Beechwood’s dining room seat?
The dining room comfortably seats a dozen and more at the long table; for your exact configuration, check with the house when you book your stay.
Do you handle everything on the night?
Yes. I cook, serve every course, and leave the kitchen cleaner than I found it, so everyone staying in the house is a guest at their own party.
Do you cook at other houses near Moffat?
Yes: Moffat Mansion and Telford House regularly, plus self-catering cottages and private homes across Dumfries & Galloway and the rest of Scotland.
Get in touch
Booked Beechwood and thinking about dinner? Tell me your date, numbers and occasion, and I will reply within 24 hours.
Phone: 07414 235 378
Email: [email protected]
Or use the booking form.
Staying somewhere like this yourself? Start with my guide to private chef dining in Scottish self-catering houses, lodges and holiday cottages — it covers the practical side, from kitchens to timings to price.