our Journal

Giuseppe Manzoli and his team with the Scottish Prime Minister in 2023 #primeminister #scotland

A September Dinner at Brewlands Estate, Glenisla

Seared beef fillet sliced and served with olive oil and parsley at a private dinner at Brewlands Estate, Glenisla

A private dinner cooked in the house at Brewlands Estate, Glenisla: puff pastry canapés, a spinach and goat's cheese tart and seared beef fillet.

Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Made in Your Kitchen

Apple tarte tatin and sticky toffee pudding with homemade ice cream and mint, 60th birthday dinner in Edinburgh

I bring my own ice cream machine and churn the ice cream in your kitchen on the day, served with a tart or pudding made there too — tarte tatin...

Canapés for a Dinner Party at Home: What I Serve While Guests Arrive

King prawn and Parma ham canapé skewers on a board at a 60th birthday dinner in Edinburgh

Three or four canapés per guest in the first half hour, made in your kitchen that afternoon — king prawns in Parma ham, tempura haddock, pumpkin and sage arancini —...

Vegetarian Options at a Private Dinner Party: One Table, Same Effort

Handmade ricotta ravioli with Parmesan and sage butter, vegetarian option at a private dinner in Edinburgh

A private chef can cook for vegetarians, fish eaters and meat eaters at the same dinner party. How I plan one menu for 12: handmade ricotta ravioli, salt-baked sea bass,...

How Much Work Goes Into a Private Chef Dinner? One Saturday, Two 60th Birthdays

Giuseppe Manzoli grating Parmesan over arancini canapés just before serving

A private chef dinner is a full day of work, not three hours. One real Saturday, hour by hour: two 60th birthdays, bread at 8.43am, a whole salmon on the...

Whole Plaice on the Charcoal Grill: How I Cook a Flat Fish Over Fire

Whole grilled plaice topped with a salsa of cherry tomatoes, spring onions and thyme and grilled onion rings, by private chef Giuseppe Manzoli

How I grill a whole plaice over charcoal: garlic, rosemary and olive oil, a bed of potato and onion slices so the skin never sticks, and a salsa of garlic,...

Private Chef at Carsaig, Loch Venachar: A 60th Birthday in the Trossachs

Private chef Giuseppe Manzoli at the front door of Carsaig lodge, Loch Venachar, before Liz's 60th birthday dinner

A 60th birthday dinner cooked at Carsaig, a lodge on the shore of Loch Venachar near Callander. Bread, pasta, gnocchi and ice cream all made by hand. From £75 per...

Private Chef for a 60th Birthday Dinner in Edinburgh

Private chef Giuseppe Manzoli laying prosciutto for a beef Wellington in a house kitchen in Ravelston, Edinburgh, for a 60th birthday dinner

A 60th birthday dinner for 12 in a house in Ravelston, Edinburgh: beef Wellington built and baked on the spot, salt-baked sea bass, handmade king prawn ravioli and homemade ice...

Private Chef at Carlogie House, Angus: An Intimate Wedding, Served Family-Style

Private chef Giuseppe Manzoli carrying a whole salt-baked salmon sharing platter at a wedding in Scotland

An intimate wedding at Carlogie House in Angus — arancini rolled by hand, a whole salt-baked salmon cracked open at the table, and why family-style service suits a small wedding...

A Corporate Golf Trip Dinner at Carlogie House, Angus

Giuseppe Manzoli, private chef, arriving at Carlogie House, Carnoustie, for a corporate golf-trip dinner

One dinner for sixteen American sales managers on a golf incentive trip at Carlogie House, Angus — aubergine parmigiana, osso buco, a whole barbecued leg of lamb and homemade tiramisu.

Private Chef at Straloch House, Highland Perthshire

Private chef Giuseppe Manzoli in the kitchen at Straloch House, Highland Perthshire, holding the estate's guest folder

I cooked a private dinner for ten guests at Straloch House, a self-catering estate in Highland Perthshire near Pitlochry, on Saturday 5 September 2026 — a family weekend celebrating a...

Private Chef in Dunfermline — A Birthday Dinner Cooked From Scratch

Dining table set with white linen, candles, crystal glasses and fresh roses for a private birthday dinner in Dunfermline

A private chef birthday dinner for four in Dunfermline: handmade ravioli with king prawns, sous vide rack of lamb, crêpes Suzette — and a tarte Tatin from the client's own...