Guy Owen brings top UK chefs to St Mawes this autumn

The window tables at Reef Knot Restaurant look straight out over St Mawes harbour, and this autumn they come with company. Executive Chef Guy Owen is opening his kitchen to three of the UK’s most talked-about chefs for a run of one-night-only dinners, each one bringing a slice of a different restaurant down to the Roseland Peninsula.

Three dinners booked in for October and November

The Idle Rocks has confirmed the line-up for its new Autumn Chef Series, kicking off with Mattia Ricci of Sexy Fish in London’s Berkeley Square, cooking at Reef Knot on Saturday 17 October. Matthew Mawtus of HIDE, also in London, follows on Saturday 7 November. The year’s series closes with Adam Smith of Woven by Adam Smith at Coworth Park on Saturday 28 November.

A fourth date is already pencilled in for 2027, an Idle Rocks Alumni dinner bringing together chefs who have played a part in the hotel’s kitchen over the years.

Each evening will see the visiting chef cooking alongside Guy, with menus built around their own restaurant’s style but leaning on Cornwall’s autumn produce. Guests get the chance to meet the chefs and hear the stories behind their cooking over a meal looking out across the harbour.

A taste of London and Berkshire on Cornwall’s autumn coast

The series is designed to put Cornwall’s produce and the UK’s wider restaurant scene side by side, and to give people a reason to head to the coast once the summer season has passed. St Mawes slows down through autumn, with quieter beaches and coastal walks setting the scene for what The Idle Rocks is billing as a set of destination dining experiences rather than a straightforward night out.

For anyone wanting to make more of the occasion, the hotel has put together a two-night Chef’s Table Weekend, built around behind-the-scenes access to the series and time with Guy and each visiting chef.

The chefs

Mattia Ricci, Sexy Fish

Sexy Fish is an award-winning, internationally recognised Japanese-inspired restaurant and bar in London’s Berkeley Square. For one night only, Mattia Ricci will bring the restaurant’s signature vibrancy to St Mawes, with refined Asian-influenced dishes and bold, expressive flavours.

Matthew Mawtus, HIDE

HIDE is one of London’s best-known modern restaurants, built on ingredient-led cooking and an outstanding wine programme. Matthew Mawtus will host an evening exploring distinctive wines chosen to complement a menu created by Guy Owen, talking guests through the thinking and provenance behind each pairing.

Adam Smith, Woven by Adam Smith

Woven by Adam Smith at Coworth Park, part of the Dorchester Collection, is a Michelin-starred modern British restaurant known for its elegant, produce-led approach. Adam Smith closes out this year’s series with cooking defined by precision and seasonality, and menus built around the quality of the ingredients themselves.

The Chef’s Table Weekend

Guests booking the package settle into a sea-view room with early check-in before joining Guy and the visiting chef for a Champagne and canapés reception. The next day opens with a supplier-led tasting covering the boutique vineyards and artisan producers behind the series, before guests return to The Idle Rocks in the evening for the Autumn Chef Series dinner itself, a wine flight, and a post-dinner conversation with the chefs.

The package includes:

• Two nights’ accommodation in a sea-view room
• Daily breakfast
• An Autumn Chef Series dinner with wine flight
• A tasting menu created by Guy Owen and the guest chef
• Champagne and canapés hosted by the chefs
• A supplier-led tasting or wine experience
• Post-dinner Q&A with the chefs
• Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability

Chef’s Table Weekend rates run from £1,089 to £1,170 for two people sharing a room, and come with early access to book. Individual dinner tickets, priced at £150 per person, will be released separately once the weekend package has had its head start.

📷St Mawes Hotel and Idle Rocks Hotel St Mawes, England. June 2015. Photo: Drew Gibson

📷St Mawes Hotel and Idle Rocks Hotel St Mawes, England. June 2015. Photo: Drew Gibson