About Us
Miranda and Carol both grew up in Somerset, surrounded by amazing local producers and ingredients. This pair of stylish and skilled cooks are always true to their roots. They mainly use fresh and locally sourced, seasonal ingredients that grow in abundance in Somerset, and tailor their courses to each season.
Miranda
Miranda is a life-long food fanatic and published cookbook author. She has travelled, eaten and cooked around the world for 40 years. She is the daughter of Food Writer Tamasin Day-Lewis, and equally as passionate about food as her mother. Originally a self-taught cook, Miranda has been lucky to cook with the likes of Stephen Markwick and Barney Haughton at Quartier Vert, Bristol. She has also had the pleasure of working at Highgrove for Prince Charles and, as a private chef for Sir James Dyson.
Miranda loves to develop new skills that will help her with the cooking journey. She trained as a fishmonger at Phil Bowditch’s in Taunton. In 2015 she attended the Going Professional Baking Course at Panary in Shaftesbury with the talented 'Paulo' Merry and subsequently became his artisan baker’s apprentice. Here she gained a wealth of knowledge and insight before opening the pizza oven and kitchen at The Firehouse Somerset. It was here that Miranda and Carol met.
They have forged a friendship and partnership through a love for all things locally grown and seasonal. Carol is the cheese to Miranda's chalk and the pair bring their joie de vivre to the dining tables across the South West. Private Dining is their passion and bringing the jewels of Somerset to the tables of luxury private holiday accommodation and people's homes is what they do best. Attention to detail, flavour, colour are a few of their strengths when it comes to bringing a fabulous dinner party to fruition for you and your guests. The rest you will have to see for yourselves when you book them for a brunch, lunch or dinner party, or perhaps splash out and book them for the whole weekend.
Carol
Carol spent most of her childhood in her father’s allotments. Her dad left a lasting impression on Carol in his love for vegetables, fruit and flowers. Her talent with jams, jellies and chutneys stemmed from her mother, who was handed the fruits of Carol’s father's labour, to turn into jpreserves all year round.
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Carol worked as a professional chef in Somerset’s most well-known restaurants and tea rooms. She has left a legacy wherever she has worked. She more recently baked up a storm at Hestercombe Gardens, where her beautiful cakes and jams were devoured by the masses. He true passion is foraging and cooking any vegetable, fruit or berry that makes its way into her jam pan, and turning it into a seriously good chutney or preserve.
Carol has a diverse knowledge of Gluten-Free Baking. Her repertoire of cakes and bakes is extensive and her pastry is always perfect. She makes beautiful food, and her attention to detail is always on point. She is passionate about trying new recipes. You can always find her nose inside a food magazine or cookbook scouring the pages for something to wow the guest's with. She is also fanatical about no waste.. Carol and Miranda are great believers in food from farm to fork and reducing food miles.