FEASTS IN THE FOREST
There’s some mouthwatering stuff lurking in the woods on the Harewood Estate, whether your tastes run to a Michelin-star dinner, a rustic roast or comforting hot chocolate and a homemade cake
If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise... Well, that’s if you choose to go down to the woods during one of Harewood Food and Drink Project’s immersive events, that is.
It’s this element of surprise that drives Eddy Lascelles, son of the current Earl of Harewood, and brains behind the Harewood Food and Drink Project. ‘I want the food experiences that people have here to be better than anywhere else they’ve been,’ he explains. ‘What I really want to do is blow people’s minds.’
Born out of a love of produce, it all started seven years ago when Eddy was sat having dinner at home with his wife, Sophie, who runs Harewood Holistics. He realised everything on their plates was either from the gardens or grounds of Harewood’s vast 4,500-acre estate.
Having just moved up from London – leaving his corporate job in the city behind – Eddy had never curated an event before, nor did he have any hospitality experience. Yet, what he did have was ‘a desire to turn Harewood into a foodie destination that showcased the estate’s amazing array of produce, but in a way that was fun and appealing to the contemporary consumer’.
So, in 2017 Harewood Food and Drink Project, or HF+DP for short, was born. Set up separately to Harewood House Trust, HF+DP run immersive events within the estate, built all around its produce and the seasonality of it.
Through exciting events, immersive experiences and celebrity chef collaborations, all using only what is found within the estate, the team have created something pretty unique. But to HF+DP it’s more than just this, as Eddy explains: ‘If we can bring people together to give them great experiences and make new friends, that to me is pretty special.’ Read on to 昀椀nd out where you can taste a slice of the magic...
Hidden Harewood
Expect an evening unlike any other you’ve had before when you embark upon a journey into the lesser-known areas of the estate during a Hidden Harewood event.
What was HF+DP’s very 昀椀rst event back in 2017 is now their most popular, with tickets selling out in mere minutes. This immersive pop-up dining experience came about through the team’s ‘idea of using lesser-known parts of the estate, moving people between locations and creating a tasting menu using the produce from the land,’ explains Eddy. Offering a fine-dining experience with a di昀昀erence, discover hidden corners of the estate not usually open to the public as you travel to various locations, making your way through a menu designed by eith
