When celebrity chef Matt Tebbutt and spirits expert Carmen O’Neal arrive at Grove of Narberth this November, they’ll bring with them the familiar warmth of Saturday Kitchen and a shared enthusiasm for good food made well. Together with Grove’s Executive Chef Douglas Balish and Food & Beverage Manager Andreas Grammatikopoulos, the pair will host a winter supper club that celebrates Welsh produce, creative pairings, and easy conversation around the table.
Fresh from being announced as the new presenter of MasterChef: The Professionals, this marks his first collaboration at the property, a setting that feels well-matched to his style of relaxed, seasonal cooking.
Dining with The Seasons at Grove of Narberth
Set among Pembrokeshire’s ancient woodlands, Grove of Narberth has become known for its food-led events that bring people together. The atmosphere feels personal like an intimate dinner amongst friends. Its dining rooms are quietly elegant, with open fires, natural textures and the hum of good conversation. Behind that simplicity sits a team with serious skill and intent.
Executive Chef Douglas Balish leads the kitchen with a focus on collaboration. Throughout the year, Grove invites chefs, mixologists and producers to join the team for special dinners that explore Welsh produce from new angles. The November supper brings Tebbutt together with Balish, while O’Neal partners with Food & Beverage Manager Andreas Grammatikopoulos to design cocktails for each course. The result promises the polish of fine dining with the ease of a dinner among friends.
From Kitchen to Countryside
The evening begins with a mulled gin cider, Carmen’s own recipe. A spiced, aromatic, and perfectly seasonal beverage. It’s accompanied by three canapés. The first course features Jerusalem artichokes from the kitchen garden, served with fillets of sole and wild mushrooms. The dish balances earthiness with lightness, giving space for each ingredient to stand out. Carmen’s cocktail pairing brings gentle herbal notes that complement the dish.
The main course moves to roasted guinea fowl with tarragon risotto and a shellfish bisque sauce. The risotto adds a fragrant lift, while the bisque ties everything together with quiet richness. Each course is paired with care, maintaining a steady rhythm between the food and the drinks.
Dessert is an apple and walnut brioche with crème fraîche and apple brandy. The brandy adds warmth, the walnuts bring texture, and the crème fraîche cuts through with gentle acidity. Carmen’s take on an Old Fashioned rounds off the evening, reworking a classic into something that feels right for a fireside finish. For those who prefer not to drink, the same attention is given to non-alcoholic pairings.
A Celebration of Welsh Culinary Talent
The supper club sits within a wider calendar of dining events that have become central to Grove’s identity. Among them is the annual Four Chefs Night, which brings together Douglas Balish with fellow Seren Collection chefs Dan Andreé of Penmaenuchaf, Hywel Griffith of Beach House, and Gerwyn Jones of Lan y Môr. Together, they create a tasting menu that traces the Welsh landscape from coast to countryside, each course offering a different perspective on the same shared commitment to place and season.
Surrounded by quiet woodlands, Grove feels naturally at ease in this role. Inside, the mix of country-house comfort and modern simplicity reflects the same balance found on the plate. These collaborations give guests a genuine sense of connection, not just to the property, but to the wider Seren Collection and the depth of talent shaping Welsh hospitality today.
