Long, laid-back evenings surrounded by your favourite people, the fizz of good conversation, and tables built to host the glug of wine and the tearing of sourdough; the holiday cottages within our Showcase Collection: Dining In will make everyone want to pull up a chair and join in.
One of the biggest joys of a self-catering holiday is immersing yourself in a new place and making the most of fresh, local ingredients.
These relaxing retreats not only boast some of the finest kitchens for whipping up culinary masterpieces, but they also show an appreciation for shared meals, with exceptional dining and entertaining spaces.
Ludlow Barn, Shropshire
Cooking is a pleasure at Ludlow Barn in Shropshire, with a kitchen fully equipped to rustle up almost anything that tickles your group’s tastebuds. In fact, it is so stunning that Nigella Lawson chose to film one of her Christmas specials here! Stew, stir and savour fresh local fare, including free-range eggs from the chickens and ducks on the farm. Or if you’d rather someone else did the job while you get acquainted with a nicely chilled aperitif, just say the word as there are caterers available. End your evening in the entertainment barn, decked out like a traditional pub, and delight in a post-dinner tipple or a game of darts in the warm glow of the wood burner.
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Thorphinsty Barn, Lake District
Walk the hills, breathe the pure air, then feed the wood burners with logs before filling this characterful barn conversion with excited family chatter. Lying in the shadow of Cartmel Fell in the Lake District, Thorphinsty Barn is the perfect place to reconnect with loved ones in wholesome comfort. Stock up on Lakeland lamb, Cumberland sausage and Cartmel’s famous sticky toffee pudding, and gather everyone together to dine in splendour beneath the cavernous oak-beamed ceiling of the vast open-plan living space. With delicious cooking aromas still hanging in the air, pile the pots in the dishwasher and sink into one of the cosy armchairs for a much-deserved nightcap.
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The White Manor House, Cornwall
In this elegant country manor, dining in is a five-star experience – it’s like spending the night in the finest Michelin-starred restaurant with only your family and friends as guests. Tucked away among the ebb and flow of the Cornish countryside, The White Manor House has everything for the ultimate foodie getaway. Enjoy drawn-out breakfasts in the chic dining area that spill into lunches and then suppers, broken up by the occasional film showing in the cinema room or dip in the bubbling hot tub. Aiding your culinary prowess, the kitchen comes complete with a piping hot AGA and two simmering ovens that’ll make every cut melt-in-the-mouth tender.
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Alvington Manor, Forest of Dean
Pick apples, pears, and plums from the orchard, raid the basket of firewood to get the flames crackling in the open fire, and slip out a sauvignon from the wine chiller. The lavish spaces of Alvington Manor in the Forest of Dean are made for relaxing with friends and family. As the mouth-watering scent of duck fat-roasted potatoes drifts through this idyllic Georgian retreat, make yourselves comfortable in the oak-panelled dining room and begin a memorable night of laughter, drinks and sophisticated banqueting. Then, when the sun begins to set over the glorious views of the River Severn, pour some fizz and take a front-row seat under the stars in the blissful hot tub.
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Priestacott Tithe Barn, Devon
Beneath the impressive, vaulted ceiling with exposed oak beams, this big and beautiful space in rural North Devon invites you to wine, dine and luxuriate in sumptuous style. If you feel at home on the range, there’s a fine one waiting for you here at Priestacott Tithe Barn. And there are several stools around the polished marble-topped island, so the rest of your party can keep you company as you peel, chop and sauté. Next door, the lofty dining room awaits a tempting smorgasbord of melting brie, warm crusty bread, and a bottle of red on its hunky slab of a wooden table. Fling open the French doors to the garden and let in the fresh country breeze, birdsong, and the gentle bleating of sheep as you clink glasses and tuck in.
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Harbour Lodge, Suffolk
Hear the call of the gulls and taste the salt in the air: you have arrived at Harbour Lodge on the Suffolk coastline. A perfect big family base, you can open up the bi-fold doors and allow children and dogs to potter in and out while supper is prepped in the big, beautiful kitchen with a central island for nibbles and gossip. Settle down at the man dining table where bench-style seating creates an informal atmosphere where tapas can be passed up and down, and prosecco poured at the head of the table. There are plenty of high-tech appliances available in the kitchen for you chef it up, à la Jamie Oliver. After the dishes are cleared away, a hot tub awaits all who fancy a bubble.
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Featuring homes which are as perfect for celebratory dinner parties that extend long into the night as slow, blissful mornings under the covers, the properties in our Showcase Collection: Dining In are made with togetherness in mind.
