At a glance
- Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli, Italian private chef based in Scotland.
- Venue: Carlogie House, Carnoustie, Angus. An exclusive-use Victorian mansion that sleeps 24 across 12 en-suite bedrooms.
- Best for: golf-trip groups, family gatherings, milestone birthdays and weddings.
- What I do: cook and serve a restaurant-quality dinner in the house’s own kitchen, then clean down.
- Pricing: from £75 to £180 per person for private dinners. Group and wedding events priced per event.
- Bookings: tailored quote within 24 hours. Phone 07414 235 378 or email [email protected].
I’m Giuseppe Manzoli, an Italian private chef based in Scotland, and Carlogie House in Carnoustie is one of the Angus venues I cook at. It is an exclusive-use country house, so the whole place is yours, which makes it one of the easiest settings on the east coast for a private chef to take over the kitchen and cook for the whole party.
I bring the ingredients, the equipment and the service, and I leave the kitchen exactly as I found it. The evening belongs to your group, not the cooking.
Why Carlogie House suits a private chef
Carlogie House was built in 1854 and refurbished in a contemporary country-house style, set in two acres of garden within walking distance of Carnoustie town centre. The heart of the house is a large open-plan kitchen, dining and bar space, which is exactly what a private chef wants: I can cook while your group relaxes in the same room, then plate and serve course by course without anyone leaving the party. In good weather the space opens to the garden, with a fire pit, hot tubs and room for al fresco dining.
A private chef for a Carnoustie golf trip
Carnoustie is one of the great golf towns in Scotland. The Championship course has hosted The Open, and Carlogie House sits within easy reach of the links and around 40 minutes from St Andrews. Groups regularly take the whole house for a golfing weekend, and after a long day on the course a restaurant-quality dinner cooked in the house beats heading back out to find a table. I build the evening around your group: a relaxed sharing menu, a proper sit-down dinner, or a celebration meal on the final night.
A recent wedding at Carlogie House
One of my favourite recent events here was the wedding of Kirsten and Matt, with the whole party staying over and the celebration carrying on into the garden after dark. The dish everyone remembered was the fillet of beef. In the short video below, one of the guests gives his verdict on the meal and the evening, and recommends booking me for a wedding. It finishes with the party dancing outside the house late into the night.
What other guests say
Joe, visiting from Seattle, left a similar verdict after his event in Scotland. He said I nailed it, the service was wonderful, the team took amazing care of the group, and it was the best food he had eaten in Scotland.
What I cook
The menus are built around your group, but the theme is Italian technique with Scottish produce. Carnoustie sits in Angus, which is Aberdeen Angus country, so the beef is superb, and the east coast brings excellent seafood. Expect handmade pasta, slow-cooked ragu, fresh bread, and a signature fillet of beef, all plated to a fine-dining standard rather than served from buffet trays. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and any allergies are built into the menu from the start.
This behind-the-scenes clip from a Carnoustie booking shows some of that in action: smoking a fresh salmon, churning fresh ice cream, and setting up the full service.
How a booking at Carlogie House works
A booking starts with a call or message. We talk through your dates, the number of guests and the kind of evening you want, and within 48 hours I send a proposed menu and a per-head price. On the day I arrive ahead of service, cook in the house kitchen, plate and serve each course, and clean down before I leave. Most bookings are confirmed four to twelve weeks ahead, though shorter notice is often possible outside peak season.
What it costs
Private dinners run from £75 to £180 per person depending on the number of courses, the ingredients and the headcount. Group stays and weddings are priced per event once the menu is agreed, with a tailored quote within 24 hours of your enquiry. The price covers menu design, ingredient sourcing, cooking, plating, service and the full clean-down.
Carlogie House is one of many Scottish venues I cook at. You can also read about private dining at home or my wedding service.
Frequently asked questions
Do you cook in the house’s own kitchen?
Yes. Carlogie House has a large open-plan kitchen that is ideal for cooking and serving a full dinner, so there is no need for a mobile setup.
Can you cater for a golf group?
Yes. Evening dinners for golf groups staying at Carlogie House are one of the most natural bookings here. We plan the menus around your tee times and how relaxed or formal you want each night. For a real example, read about a corporate golf trip dinner I cooked at Carlogie House for sixteen guests.
Can you cook for a wedding at Carlogie House?
Yes. The house suits an intimate wedding with the full party staying over. I cook and serve the wedding meal and can also cover the night-before dinner and the morning after.
Can you handle dietary requirements?
Yes. Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free and allergy requirements are built into the menu from the start. Just mention them when we first speak.
How far in advance should I book?
For weekend golf trips and weddings, the earlier the better, ideally a few months ahead. Midweek private dinners can often be arranged at shorter notice.
Get in touch
If you are planning a stay, golf trip or celebration at Carlogie House, or anywhere in Carnoustie and Angus, I would love to hear about it. Phone 07414 235 378, email [email protected], or use the booking form on the Check Availability page.
I’ve been cooking professionally for 35+ years, trained in Italy, with 220+ five-star Google reviews from private dining across Scotland. Check your date.
Carlogie House is one of several wedding venues I cook at regularly — see wedding catering across Scotland for how a booking works.