“Just try to breathe deeply – bury your feet under the mud and put your hands under your armpits.” These are the words of wisdom from Richard Brown, head ranger at the Wilderness Reserve and our swimming guide for the morning, as we prepare to enter the glass-calm water of the on-site lake. It is one of those perfect autumn days that you dream about when faced with the more-oft rain-drenched, permanently overcast version: the sky an expanse of purest sapphire, the sun so bright I wish I’d brought shades. And beneath it, in this unspoilt spot of the Suffolk countryside, miles of gently undulating green peppered with centuries-old trees.
It’s pin-drop quiet, too, save for our nervous chatter and giggling as we make our way to the lakeside, gussied up in swimwear and soft, blush-pink robes. We’re slightly wrong-footed – literally – on the approach, when what appeared to be grass turns out to be foot-submerging marshland. Good practice, perhaps, for what lies ahead.
Guests are invited to go for a morning lake dip— (Helen Coffey)
The sun may be shining, but that doesn’t change the fact that our breath is leaving steam clouds in the air: it’s pretty damn cold. Hence Richard’s aforementioned tips on enduring the sub-10C water on this brisk November day. I notice a distinct reticence descend on the group when the time comes to strip off and put his advice to the test. As a seasoned cold-water sea swimmer, I decide to lead the charge, stepping in over the side and filling my lungs as the sharp chill hits my skin. Even by my standards it is shiver-inducing, but I shimmy my feet under the mud and shove my hands under my armpits as instructed.
A minute later, my brain has relaxed enough to properly appreciate the double-take beauty of the surroundings; the corners of my mouth creep up into a smile and I begin to take lazy strokes through the water. I can hear the splash and gasp of the others behind me as they take the plunge for varying lengths of time. It is a dizzying moment of euphoria.
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Once out, we flock around the fire Richard has built to warm us up as coffees and hot toddies are distributed and bacon is fried up in a giant skillet in front of us, before being tucked into crusty rolls and passed into eager hands. I hold back on the latter, for two reasons. Firstly, we’re about to be served an extravagant breakfast back at the house: a gut-busting spread of buttery croissants, berries and yoghurt with fresh granola, and eggs Royale made with freshly whipped-up hollandaise and the best smoke-infused, flaky salmon fillet I’ve ever eaten. Secondly, I’m not sure I’ll even find room for that after last night’s hedonistic feast.
It is, quite possibly, the most indulgent experience on offer for foodies in the UK: each day of the three-night stay, guests are fed by a different Michelin-starred chef
I’m at Wilderness, a unique proposition comprised of 8,000 acres of woodland, lakes and pastures spread across two adjoining estates, and garnished with an eclectic collection of historic properties, ranging from one-bedroom cottages to eight-bed expanses. All are given the full Country Living-style treatment when it comes to interiors: think original wood beams, farmhouse kitchens with flagstone floors, roll-top baths and rooms decked out in cosy-luxe textures. It all feels high-end yet lived-in and comfy – the kind of place where you immediately feel at home enough to pad around in your slippers.
Wilderness Retreat bedrooms combine luxury with cosiness— (Wilderness Retreat)
I’m here not just to sample a weekend away in this idyllic slice of Suffolk, but to try their Yoxman package. It is, quite possibly, the most indulgent experience on offer for foodies in the UK: each day of the three-night stay, guests are fed by a different Michelin-starred chef. The previous night, we’d had the privilege of being catered for by Tom Aikens, with an exquisite five-course dinner of dishes cooked over an open fire.
Stepping into the clearing where dinner was being prepared had an otherworldly feel for a brief moment – through the smoky night air, you could just make out the shadowy figures of the chefs, backlit by crackling bonfire flames as they tended to the evening’s concoctions. A yurt-style marquee was decked with fairy lights glittering through the dark, with long, wooden benches and tables evoking a timeless rustic charm.
One night of Yoxman is all about cooking with fire— (Wilderness Retreat)
A lip-smackingly piquant spicy margarita (that became progressively hotter as sliced chillies infused the tequila) greeted us, before we sat down to a menu that took in charred celeriac carpaccio with black truffle, miso-brined monkfish with roasted pointed cabbage in duck fat, and grilled spiced pears with smoked pear puree. The hero course, though, was a shell-cooked scallop. A hush fell upon the table for a moment as the melt-in-the-mouth morsel, puddled in a raisin and caper vinaigrette whose sharp tang was countered by the sweetness of grilled leeks, was collectively savoured. A beat passed; then the silence was splintered by a cacophony of appreciative noises, like a dam bursting.
Hero dish: The shell-cooked scallop was a culinary highlight— (Helen Coffey)
Afterwards, it was back to one of Wilderness’s larger houses for a nightcap – though it turned out to be several, fuelling an energetic kitchen disco to burn off at least some of the incalculable number of calories consumed throughout the day.
For those who book onto the full Yoxman package, there are three star-chef supplied meals in total during the stay. In the January package, Tom Aikens is joined by Raymond Blanc and Alex Dilling; the May iteration sees Claude Bosi, James Knappett and Nieves Mohacho form a pinch-me Michelin-starred line-up of decadent dining.
A beat passed; then the silence was splintered by a cacophony of appreciative noises, like a dam bursting
But as much as the one-of-a-kind mini-break revolves around food, there are some hours of the day when you’re not eating. And, during these, Wilderness has a range of countryside pursuits to get stuck into. Wild swimming is one; another sees me standing in an impeccable kitchen garden, trembling slightly as I heft an axe in my hand. I’m not sure why, but holding what is essentially a weapon – with a blade sharp enough to stick fast in the wooden target when our instructor demonstrates the technique – makes me feel uneasy. Perhaps it’s this nervous energy that results in my poor performance; each of my attempts sees the axe thwack into the target handle-first, other than the one I manage to fling straight into the ground barely a metre from my own feet.
“I think that might be the shortest distance ever thrown,” the instructor tells me. Not quite the accolade I was after, but I’ll take it. I’m slightly better over at the archery station as I attempt to channel my inner Katniss Everdeen (although I still miss the target completely on several occasions, leaving the facilitator to go hunting amid the plants for my arrows).
Axe throwing is on the itinerary for adventurous guests— (Helen Coffey)
I decide to down tools and play to my strengths, retreating inside instead: to eat more, and drink more, and make more merry. It’s what Yoxman’s all about, after all.
Travel essentials
There are two upcoming Yoxman events: one running Friday 26-Monday 29 January, and the other running Friday 17-Monday 20 May. The price for two people starts from £4,250, based on two people sharing one room at Wilderness Reserve. Price includes three nights’ accommodation; all food, including a star chef-cooked fire feast dining experience, gala dinner, and lunch; drinks receptions with entertainment; chef Q&As and tastings; a range of activities; and chauffeured transport across the Reserve via electric BMWs.
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