Ideal Collection Meet the Producer
Join us for an exclusive intimate dinner using some of the very finest of locally-sourced ingredients prepared by our Executive Chef Matt Whitfield.
Our series of Meet The Producer dinners will see Matt shining a spotlight on one of our local producers and turning that into a gastronomic three-course treat for all foodies.
These special dinners move around the venues in the Ideal Collection, each one focusing on a different supplier Whether you are a foodie or simply looking for a gastronomic experience served up by Matt, then this is for you.
Matt Whitfield
Matt Whitfield has a staggeringly impressive CV. He is a Hampshire local who studied catering at Eastleigh college, before working in local pubs.
He quickly developed his skills, initially working as a pastry chef at The Montagu Arms, Beaulieu, before going to work for Marco Pierre White at The Yew Tree Inn, Highclere.
After a couple of years, he returned to The Montagu Arms as a junior Sous Chef, at a time when the hotel held a Michelin Star.
Gambledown Farm
Join us for an exclusive intimate dinner using some of the very finest of locally-sourced ingredients prepared by our Executive Chef Matt Whitfield. Gambledown Farm is a mixed family farm growing cereal crops alongside a herd of pedigree Beef Shorthorn cattle. The herd was established in 2001 to supply fully traceable beef, and though no longer registered organic it runs on the same high welfare, low input principles, mob grazed on permanent grassland that gets no artificial fertiliser.
Premier Fish
Premier Fish was created in 1995, firstly as a local retailer and now for over 25 years we have been supplying a wide range of fish and seafood to the hospitality sector across the south.
Join us for an exclusive intimate dinner using some of the very finest of locally-sourced ingredients prepared by our Executive Chef Matt Whitfield.
Test Valley Venison
We’re proud to have Test Valley Venison on the menu across our Hampshire & West Sussex venues. Every stage of production, from field to fork, is overseen by owner Paul Mason. What really sets Test Valley apart is its respect for the whole animal, offering everything from the loin to the shoulders. Even the trimmings are crafted into rich, artisan sausages.
Join us for an exclusive intimate dinner using some of the very finest of locally-sourced ingredients prepared by our Executive Chef Matt Whitfield.
From Venison to
ChalkStream Trout
Our first Meet The Producer dinner took place November 2025 in Boathouse Swanwick, where Matt shone a spotlight on one of our local producers focusing on Venison. Hampshire Cheese Fondue was the focus in December 2025, served in The Bugle, Hamble. Matt shone a spotlight on Two & One Olive Oil and turned the evening into a gastronomic three-course treat for all foodies. The meal in March, took place in Kimbridge Barn and the focus was delicious ChalkStream Trout.