Festival Dining at Garsington Opera
We’re delighted once again to be working with acclaimed chef Will Devlin, and in partnership with Payne & Gunter, who bring their passion for British seasonal produce to Garsington. With a host of pre-performance and interval dining options, there is something for everyone in this year’s offering.
Our catering partners Payne & Gunter will be looking after you and your guests once you arrive at Wormsley. To keep your experience as simple and streamlined as possible, all tents, tables and dining can be booked and managed via the Garsington Opera Box Office alongside your tickets.
Full details of the menu can be found below, including a comprehensive wine list.
Booking instructions can be found at the bottom of the page.
Introducing Will Devlin
Will Devlin is the founder of Acre, a family of restaurants and hospitality event spaces in Kent and Sussex, including The Small Holding and Birchwood. Will’s commitment to farm-to-fork dining with a sustainable and environmental ethos is matched by his culinary expertise in the kitchen, where he crafts beautiful and nuanced menus that impress guests with their creativity. The Small Holding was one of the first restaurants in the country to be awarded a Michelin Green Star for sustainable gastronomy, which it has retained for the last three years.
“I’m delighted to be working with Payne & Gunter to deliver our summer series of event dinners at Garsington Opera, bringing a taste of our farm and restaurant at The Small Holding in Kent to the spectacular setting of Wormsley.”
Will Devlin | Chef
Dietary Requirements
V Vegetarian | VG Vegan | NGCI Non Gluten Containing Ingredients | DF Dairy Free
The safety and wellbeing of our guests is at the heart of what we do and we take all reasonable steps to avoid any risk of cross-contact in our kitchens. However, we do use a variety of ingredients in our kitchens to which people may be allergic, so we would ask that you consult with our catering team should you have any specific allergies or food intolerances.
Some dishes on the menu can be adjusted to suit dietary requirements. Our catering team will endeavour to accommodate individual needs wherever possible. To discuss your options please contact the Box Office before making your booking on boxoffice@garsingtonopera.org or 01494 376037.
Pre-Performance
We are delighted to offer you a range of pre-performance dining options.
Our canapé platters are perfect to share with your guests before the opera. Canapés must be ordered in advance and can be collected from the Champagne Bar at your convenience.
Our selection of afternoon teas are served overlooking the famous Wormsley Cricket Ground and can be booked in advance or purchased on the day.
Canapés
£15.50 per person
Includes the following:
Summer vegetable flatbread V
Sourdough flatbread with barbecued broccoli and smoked goat’s curd
Tomato and basil tart V, DF
Nutbourne tomato tart with tarragon and basil
Cured trout blini with caviar
Hampshire trout with sour cream and caviar
Lamb tartare croustade DF
Lamb loin tartare with pickled onions and mint gel
Cream Tea
£12.50 per person
Includes the following:
Buttermilk scone, clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam V
English breakfast or speciality teas
Afternoon Tea
£26 per person
Includes the following:
Pork sausage roll with apple chutney
Cucumber and lemon verbena cream cheese sandwich V
Beetroot cured chalk stream trout sandwich
Buttermilk scone, clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam V
Lemon drizzle cake V
Dark chocolate tart with crème fraîche V
English breakfast or speciality teas
Upgrade to include champagne:
Afternoon Tea with a glass of Champagne Deutz
£42 per person
Afternoon Tea with a half bottle of Champagne Deutz each
£70 per person
Vegan Afternoon Tea
£26 per person
Includes the following:
Vegan sausage roll with apple chutney VG
Summer squash, courgette and feta tart with carrot top pesto VG, NGCI
Cucumber and lemon verbena cream cheese sandwich VG
Fruit scone with coconut cream and homemade strawberry jam VG
Carrot cake VG
Dark chocolate brownie VG
English breakfast or speciality teas
Upgrade to include champagne:
Vegan Afternoon Tea with a glass of Champagne Deutz
£42 per person
Vegan Afternoon Tea with a half bottle of Champagne Deutz each
£70 per person
Restaurant Menu
A three-course dinner by Will Devlin, served during the 90-minute interval, including coffee, still water and after-dinner truffles.
£99 per person
Starters
Trout | Fennel | Gooseberry NGCI
Cured and scorched Wiltshire trout with fermented gooseberries, fennel salad and buttermilk sauce
Asparagus | Duck Egg | Chervil V
Wye Valley asparagus and duck egg tart with Westcombe Cheddar and smoked rapeseed dressing
Tomato | Caper | Red Onion VG
Nutbourne tomato salad with pickled onions, basil, sourdough and capers
Ham | Pickles | Egg NGCI, DF
Pressed ham hock with piccalilli and poached quail’s egg
Crab | Lettuce | Caviar NGCI, DF
Dungeness white crab with butterhead lettuce, elderflower dressing and caviar
Peas | Elderflower | Mint V, NGCI
Chilled new season pea soup with mint and elderflower dressing
Mains
Lamb | Aubergine | Lettuce NGCI
Roasted lamb saddle with braised gem lettuce, baked English aubergine sauce and potato terrine
Monkfish | Red Pepper | Basil NGCI
Baked monkfish with roasted red peppers, Charlotte potatoes and basil sauce
Chicken | Mushroom | Tarragon NGCI
Sutton Hoo chicken with wild mushrooms, creamed potato, tenderstem broccoli and tarragon white wine sauce
Hake | Broad Bean | Parsley DF, NGCI
Steamed hake with fresh peas, broad beans, crispy potatoes and parsley dressing
Beef | Nasturtium | Tomato NGCI
Roasted sirloin with beef fat fondant potato, Nutbourne tomatoes, bone marrow and nasturtium sauce
Courgette | Barley | Parsley VG
Roasted summer courgette with braised pearl barley, crispy kale and gremolata
Pea | Broad Bean | Potato VG
Pea and broad bean pithivier with diced new potatoes and roasted red pepper puree
Optional Sides
Each main dish has been designed as a complete course. A sharing side of seasonal vegetables is available for those wishing to supplement the set meal.
Seasonal Vegetables V, NGCI £7.50 for two
Desserts
Oat | Orange | Treacle V
Treacle tart with buckthorn and crème fraîche
Strawberry | Cream Cheese | Buckwheat V
Kent strawberries with whipped cream cheese and buckwheat biscuit
Chocolate | Cherry | Fig Leaf V
Chocolate ganache with cherries and fig leaf ice cream
Summer Berries | Garden Herbs VG, NGCI
Summer fruit salad with garden herb sorbet
Gooseberry | Cicely | Shortbread V
Gooseberry fool with sweet cicely cream and traditional shortbread
Cheese | Biscuits | Chutney V
British cheeses with oat biscuits and apple chutney
Optional Cheese Course
For those wishing to enjoy both a sweet dessert and a cheese course, additional cheeseboards can be added to your order.
British cheeses, sourdough crackers, dried fruit and tomato chutney V £15
Picnic Menu
When you book one of our delicious catered picnics, you will be allocated a space in a shared tent overlooking the Cricket Ground. If you would prefer your picnic to be served at a Deer Park tent, upper terrace table or private venue, this should be booked alongside your dining.
Explore our tents, tables and private dining venues on our dining page.
Garsington Gourmet Picnic
Presented on china at your table
£88 per person
Includes the following:
Baked breads with Netherend Farm butter V
Smoked paprika hummus with parmesan crispbread V
Ham hock and parsley terrine, apple and celeriac remoulade with sage and onion crumb NGCI
Chalk stream trout en croute, cream cheese and spinach mousse with cucumber and fennel pickle
Roast beef, sweet potato, tenderstem broccoli and rocket salad with salsa verde NGCI, DF
Beetroot, spinach, carrot and quinoa salad VG, NGCI
Summer tomato and fennel salad with lemon caper dressing VG, NGCI
Strawberry choux bun, rhubarb and strawberry salad with lemon verbena syrup V
British cheese selection, sourdough crackers, dried fruit and tomato chutney V
Filter coffee, English breakfast tea or fresh mint tea
Dark chocolate truffles
Traditional Picnics
Presented in a cool bag, with china tableware
Traditional
£57 per person
Includes the following:
Classic bread roll with Netherend Farm butter V
Chalk stream trout, asparagus, pea and mint tart with asparagus salad
Chicken ballotine with spelt, artichoke, rocket, broad bean, golden raisin and pine kernel salad with herb dressing
Beetroot, spinach, carrot and quinoa salad VG, NGCI
Summer tomato and fennel salad with lemon caper dressing VG, NGCI
Strawberry trifle V
Filter coffee, English breakfast tea or fresh mint tea
Traditional Vegetarian
£57 per person
Includes the following:
Classic bread roll with Netherend Farm butter V
Confit leek and nori terrine with sprouting broccoli and coconut yoghurt VG
Summer squash, courgette, goat’s cheese and chickpea filo parcel with sweet potato, rocket, broad bean and salsa verde V
Beetroot, spinach, carrot and quinoa salad VG, NGCI
Summer tomato and fennel salad with lemon caper dressing VG, NGCI
Strawberry trifle V
Filter coffee, English breakfast tea or fresh mint tea
Wine List
A selection of wines will be available for purchase on the evening from the Champagne Bar or at your table in the restaurant.
Pre-orders are strongly encouraged alongside your dining reservation. Pre-ordered drinks will be on your table ready for your arrival.
Champagne
Pre-ordered champagne will be served pre-performance at the Champagne Bar unless otherwise requested.
| 1 | Deutz Brut Classic | £91.00 per bottle £17.00 125ml |
| 2 | Deutz Rosé | £95.00 |
| 3 | Deutz Blanc De Blancs | £117.00 |
| 4 | Cuvée William Deutz 2013 | £200.00 |
| 5 | Deutz Brut Classic (half bottle) | £45.50 |
White Wine
| 6 | Estate Chardonnay, De Martino, Casablanca Valley, Chile, 2024 |
£29.00 per bottle £8.50 175ml |
| 7 | Blanco Sobre Lias Care, Carinena, Spain, 2024 |
£29.00 per bottle £8.50 175ml |
| 8 | Palooza Blanc Aubert and Mathieu, Languedoc, France, 2024 |
£35.00 |
| 9 | Remole Bianco, Frescobaldi, Tuscany, Italy, 2024 |
£39.00 |
| 10 | Classic Sauvignon Blanc Rapaura Springs, Marlborough, NZ, 2024 |
£43.00 |
| 11 | Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine de Belle Mare, Picpoul de Pinet, France, 2024 |
£46.00 per bottle £10.50 175ml |
| 12 | Babylonstoren, Candide White Blend, South Africa, 2024 |
£46.00 |
| 13 | Gavi di Gavi, La Minaia, Nicola Bergaglio, Piedmonte, Italy, 2024 |
£51.00 |
| 14 | Sancerre Blanc Domaine Bonnard, Loire, France, 2024 |
£56.00 |
| 15 | Hattingley Valley Chardonnay, England, 2022 |
£66.00 |
| 16 | Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Domaine Gerard Thomas, Burgundy, France, 2021 |
£71.00 |
| 17 | Chablis 1er Cru, Montée de Tonnerre, Domaine Louis Michel, Chablis, France, 2022 |
£77.00 |
| 18 | Chassagne-Montrachet Blanc, Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Côte de Beaune, France, 2023 |
£89.00 |
White Wine Half Bottles
| 19 | Chablis Drouhin, Burgundy, France, 2023 |
£24.00 |
| 20 | Château Favray Pouilly-Fumé, Loire, France, 2024 |
£29.00 |
| 21 | Mâcon-Villages Les Préludes, Vignerons des Terres Secrètes, France, 2023 |
£32.00 |
| 22 | Riesling Trimbach, Alsace, France, 2022 |
£33.00 |
Red Wine
| 23 | La Lande Carignan Grenache, France, 2024 |
£29.00 per bottle £8.50 175ml |
| 24 | Rioja Crianza Heredad de Tejada, Vintae, Rioja, Spain, 2022 |
£33.00 per bottle £9.50 175ml |
| 25 | Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, De Martino, Casablanca Valley, Chile, 2024 |
£37.00 |
| 26 | Côtes du Rhône Rouge Cuvée Laurent B, Domaine Brusset, Côtes du Rhône, France, 2024 |
£42.00 per bottle £10.00175ml |
| 27 | Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, Louis Martini, USA, 2021 |
£49.00 |
| 28 | Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune La Couleuvraire, Nuiton-Beaunoy, Burgundy, France, 2019 |
£53.00 |
| 29 | Haut Medoc Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Château Arnold, France, 2015 |
£64.00 |
| 30 | Cote de Nuits-Villages, Domaine de Bellene, Burgundy, France, 2020 |
£67.00 |
| 31 | Saint Émilion Grand Cru, Dame Gaffelière, Bordeaux, France, 2014 |
£82.00 |
| 32 | Beaune 1er Cru Les Sizies, Domaine de Montille, France, 2022 |
£92.00 |
Red Wine Half Bottles
| 33 | Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva, Frescobaldi, Italy, 2017 |
£24.00 |
| 34 | Corney & Barrow Claret, Bordeaux, France |
£24.00 |
| 35 | Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Château Tour de Capet, France, 2020 |
£36.00 |
Rosé Wine
| 36 | The Pale Rosé Chateau D’Esclans, Provence, France, 2024 |
£34.00 |
| 37 | Château Léoube Rosé, Organic, Provence, France, 2023 |
£59.00 |
Sweet Wine
| 38 | Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, Domaine de Barroubio, France, 2023 |
£30.00 37.5cl |
| 39 | Lucien Lurton Garonelles Sauternes, Bordeaux, France, 2023 |
£30.00 37.5cl |
| 40 | Tokaji Late Harvest Cuvée, Sauska, Hungary, 2023 |
£12.50 125ml |
Port
| 41 | Fonseca Vintage Port, Portugal, 1983 |
£15.00 50ml |
In the event that stock of a particular wine becomes exhausted, a wine of a similar quality, price or vintage will be substituted.
Drinks
| Sparkling Water | £4.50 750ml |
| Gin and Tonic | £15.00 |
| Bottled lager | £6.50 330ml |
| Bottled IPA | £6.50 330ml |
| Alcohol-free Beer | £5.00 330ml |
| Elderflower Pressé | £3.50 |
| Pimm’s | £30.00 per jug £6.00 per glass |
Corkage & Extras
Boundary Room Restaurant
Corkage will be charged at £25 per bottle when dining in the Boundary Room Restaurant.
Catered Picnics
All crockery and glassware is included if you are ordering a catered picnic from Payne & Gunter.
If you are bringing your own drinks to enjoy with a catered picnic, ice buckets with ice can be pre-ordered at a cost of £10 each.
Self-catered Picnics
If you are bringing your own picnic but require glassware or chilling, this can be pre-ordered. Glasses are charged at £4 per glass and ice buckets with ice are charged at £10 each.
How to Book
For instructions of how to book catering, choose from the options below:
If you have any questions about catering or require assistance with your booking, please contact the Box Office on boxoffice@garsingtonopera.org or 01494 376037.