I am Giuseppe Manzoli, an Italian private chef working across Scotland — 35+ years in professional kitchens and 220+ five-star Google reviews. This is two nights of dinners at Kilmartin Castle, a 16th-century castle in Argyll that you can rent for a stay, cooked in the castle’s own kitchen for a party of eight.
This post covers what I cooked over the two nights, how a private chef works inside a self-catering castle, what is included when I cook for a group staying a few days, and how to check a date. It is not the first time I have cooked at Kilmartin Castle — the first was a wedding, with beef Wellington as the main course. Steph and Simon, the owners of Kilmartin Castle, have had me back since, and they recommend me to the guests who stay there.
At a glance
Venue: Kilmartin Castle, Argyll — 16th-century castle, available to rent for stays
Service: Private chef, dinner service
Guests: 8
Nights cooked: 2
Kitchen: The castle’s own kitchen
Starter: Bruschetta board — puff pastry, roasted cherry tomatoes, wild mushrooms, soft cheese, prosciutto
Main: Fresh ravioli, made and crimped by hand that afternoon
Repeat booking: Yes — previously cooked a wedding here, beef Wellington main
Venue referral: Recommended to guests by Steph and Simon, owners of Kilmartin Castle
Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli — 35+ years, 220+ five-star Google reviews, cooking across Scotland
What did I cook for eight guests at Kilmartin Castle?
We started with bruschetta — a large board of crisp puff pastry topped with roasted cherry tomatoes, wild mushrooms and soft cheese, finished with slices of prosciutto laid over the top while it was still warm. It went out on the castle’s own kitchen table before anyone had sat down properly.
The main was fresh ravioli, made from scratch that afternoon in the castle kitchen — pasta rolled thin, a herbed filling piped down the centre, then folded, sealed and crimped by hand with a fluted wheel before it went into the pot. No dried pasta, no shortcuts.
The menu card on the empty table
By the end of the night the dining room — a vaulted stone room, low light, a fire going — had emptied out. Everyone had eaten, the wine was finished, and the menu card was still sitting on the table where I had left it. That is usually how I know a night has gone well.
Can you have a private chef at a self-catering castle in Scotland?
Yes — self-catering houses, lodges and castles are where most of my work happens. The kitchens in these places are domestic, not commercial, and that is not a problem: I cook everything from scratch and I bring what the kitchen does not have. I carry spare equipment as standard and run two vans, so a breakdown never costs anyone their evening. Where a venue has no usable kitchen at all, I have still cooked a full wedding — and I can provide plates and cutlery myself.
What is included when a private chef cooks during your stay?
The shopping, the prep, the cooking in your kitchen, the service, and the kitchen left clean afterwards. I eat before service and I do not join the table — the evening belongs to you and your guests, not to me.
Children are served however the parents want it: their own dishes, smaller plates, or an early tea before the adults sit down. They are charged only enough to cover the cost of their food, never as adults.
Because everything is made from scratch, allergies and dietary requirements are straightforward — I can work with notice given the day before, or even on the day, though it is easier for everyone if I know at booking. Tips are warmly received but never expected. A Google review means just as much.
Why book a private chef instead of going out for dinner?
Kilmartin is remote. Eating out means someone driving, everyone watching the clock, and the group split across two cars at the end of the night. The reason people rent a castle for a few days is to be in it — not to keep leaving it.
A private chef removes the part of a group holiday that usually falls on one person. Nobody is shopping, nobody is cooking, nobody is standing at the sink while everyone else is by the fire. The host gets to be a guest at their own table. That is what people are actually buying, and it is why groups book me for two or three nights of a stay rather than one.
Frequently asked questions
Can you book a private chef at Kilmartin Castle in Argyll?
Yes. Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli has cooked at Kilmartin Castle more than once — a wedding, and two nights of dinners for eight guests staying at the castle — and is recommended to guests by Steph and Simon, the owners of Kilmartin Castle. Kilmartin Castle is a self-catering property, so guests arrange their own catering, and a private chef can be booked directly for one evening or for several nights of the stay.
Does the chef cook in the castle’s own kitchen?
Yes. Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli cooks in the property’s own kitchen — at Kilmartin Castle, the pasta for the ravioli was rolled, filled and crimped by hand in the castle kitchen on the afternoon of service. Domestic kitchens are the normal working environment, and any equipment the kitchen does not have is brought along.
How many nights can a private chef cook during a self-catering stay?
As many as you want. At Kilmartin Castle the booking was two nights of dinners for a group of eight. Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli regularly cooks single evenings, whole weekends, and multi-day stays where dinner is provided every night — the booking is shaped around the group’s itinerary rather than a fixed package.
What does a private chef cost in Scotland?
Cost depends on the number of guests, the number of courses, how many nights are booked and where the property is. Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli quotes one all-inclusive figure per booking rather than a per-item price list. A full breakdown of what drives the price is on the private chef cost page, and any date can be quoted directly.
Can you cook for children and for allergies?
Yes. Children are served however their parents prefer — separate dishes, smaller plates, or an earlier tea — and charged only at the cost of their food. Because Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli cooks everything from scratch, allergies and dietary requirements can be accommodated with short notice, including the day before or the day of service.
Do you only cook Italian food?
No. Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli was born in Modena and trained in Italy, and it shows in the food — fresh pasta made by hand, Italian ingredients, Italian technique. But every menu is built for the group. The previous booking at Kilmartin Castle was a wedding with beef Wellington as the main course. The menu follows what you want to eat.
If you are staying at Kilmartin Castle or a similar self-catering house in Scotland and want a private chef for one evening or the whole stay, see how it usually works or get in touch to check a date.
About Private Chef Giuseppe Manzoli
- Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli, born in Modena, Italy
- Experience: 35+ years cooking professionally
- Service: Private chef and bespoke catering — dinners, celebrations, weddings, multi-day stays
- Service area: Across Scotland — Argyll, Highlands, Perthshire, Fife, Dumfries & Galloway and beyond
- Venue types: Self-catering castles, lodges, holiday houses and private homes
- Featured in this article: Kilmartin Castle, Argyll
- Notable: Cooked for the First Minister of Scotland, 2024
- Reviews: 220+ five-star Google reviews
- Website: giuseppemanzoli-chef.com
- Last updated: September 2026