WORDS
Lucy Teasdale
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Guy Ritchie’s Ashcombe Estate was another one of his film sets. From the Georgian manor house to the landscaped lakes and chic lodges, via the brewery complete with its own pub, it would come as no surprise if Hugh Grant and Jason Statham wandered by filming a scene. It’s here that, with his forensic eye for detail, Ritchie has developed the WildKitchen, creating an elevated alfresco eating experience that blurs the boundaries between luxury and nature: ‘The first thing that came was the WildTable (a charcoal-powered firebox that sits within a copper-covered table), which started out as a way to keep warm, then over 6 years, we incorporated a number of ways to cook on it. We’ve come a long way since the WildTable cameo in The Gentlemen. Now you can cook in a range of ways from slow and low, fast searing heat, teppanyaki-style cooking, steaming and now a charcoal oven.’
The WildKitchen concept includes a fully retractable military-style canvas WildTent that houses a 12-person WildTable and accompanying fire-cooking hardware, complete with a “halo” utility rack above that puts every cooking and entertaining implement you should need in arms reach. The space is also filled with elegantly designed hardwood teak furniture, a log store, and even a charcoal store that went through seven design iterations. It allows for a communal central hub where everyone is involved in the cooking process, and once the cooking is finished, logs are added to create a smoke-free, controllable fire pit. WildKitchens are off-grid-ready, and lighting can be connected to a battery.
As well as counting David Beckham and Henry Cavill as customers, Ritchie entertains friends and family at Ashcombe all year round, whatever the weather: ‘The only thing that was holding the WildTable back was the English weather. You wanted the benefit of the indoors and the outdoors, so we made the WildKitchen completely retractable. If you want to furl everything up you are completely outdoors within minutes, if the wind or rain starts to hit, you just drop the roof and you are protected from the elements. And when the evenings get cooler the table keeps you warm. The problem with most outdoor kitchens is they are either covered or uncovered, the WildKitchen gives you complete control of your environment.’
Unsurprisingly, cooking on coals and the type of charcoal you use attracts a certain level of snobbery. At Ashcombe, all coals are made in the on-site charcoal retort from deceased trees that have suffered from ash dieback. The resulting charcoal is a favourite of Paul Gallagher, Ashcombe’s head chef.
‘The WildKitchen charcoal produced on Ashcombe Estate is pure lump wood charcoal and free from any additives, giving off a clean-burning, even heat. This in turn adds an element of depth and intensity to flavours; reminiscent of “native” cooking in the wild. The Wild Kitchen creates an element of theatre that allows the guests to be involved in the process, which is very hard to replicate in a commercial kitchen.’
Whether you’re cooking in the Wild Kitchen yourself or are lucky enough to have an expert on hand to do it for you, this rarefied fire-cooking experience is not to be missed.
ccwildkitchens.com; Follow them on Instagram: @ccwildkitchens