A dinner in the forest over an open fire is a different way to bring your team, your clients or your friends together. No function room and no name cards, but a private chef who cooks a full game menu over the fire, at a spot in the forest you only learn about shortly beforehand. At Element X we call it Wild Dining.
In this article you read how such an evening runs, what is on the menu, what is arranged behind the scenes and who it suits.
Why a dinner in the forest feels different from a restaurant
In a restaurant you sit at a table that is already set, and the kitchen stays behind a door. In the forest you see everything happen. The chef stands at the fire, the meat has been over it for hours, and you smell the smoke before you sit down.
That changes how people are with each other. There is no programme rushing you through the evening. You stand around the fire, you watch the chef at work and you talk to the people next to you. For a team or a group of clients that is often worth more than another dinner in a nice venue.
What is on the menu
Wild Dining is built around a full game menu: wild boar, roe deer or red deer, cooked over an open fire. Vegetables and side dishes go into the embers or onto the grill. The menu follows the season, and the drinks that go with it are included.
Does someone in your group have an allergy, or not eat game? Let us know with your request. The chef adapts the courses, so everyone at the table eats equally well.
How an evening of Wild Dining runs
You do not have to plan anything yourself. An evening around the fire runs like this:
- Arrival. You find the spot, the fire is already burning and the chef is at work.
- Time outdoors. Time in the forest and around the fire, to really get to know the people next to you.
- At the table. The game menu, course after course, all cooked over the fire, with the drinks that go with it.
- Around the campfire. The evening winds down around the fire, with stories and plans.
Where the dinner takes place
Wild Dining takes place in the forest, at a private spot we choose based on your group and the season. That can be in Belgium, just across the border or further away. We only share the exact location shortly beforehand. That is part of the experience.
The size of the group decides the spot and the set up: from a small table to a long row around the fire.
What is arranged behind the scenes
An evening around the fire looks simple. A lot of preparation goes into it, so that you notice none of it.
- The spot. A private spot in the forest that suits your group, with permission to make a fire there.
- The kitchen. A private chef, game of the season and a menu cooked entirely over the fire.
- Fire and safety. Fire bowls, enough distance, extinguishers and someone who keeps an eye on the fire all evening.
- Comfort. A shelter against rain and wind, light for when it gets dark and warmth around the table.
Behind Wild Dining is the team that took more than 300 entrepreneurs on expedition and ran the adventure side of the TV series De Expeditie on Play. On expedition we cook and live outdoors for days on end.
Who is a dinner in the forest for?
For companies that want to offer their team or their best clients something other than a restaurant, for private groups and for groups of friends. An evening of Wild Dining can stand on its own, or close a team day, a kick off or a client event.
Frequently asked questions
What if it rains?
We put a shelter over the table and the fire, so you stay dry. An evening in the forest with rain on the canvas has its own charm, by the way.
What should I wear?
Outdoor clothing and shoes that can handle forest and fire. You receive a short overview of what to bring beforehand.
What does a dinner in the forest cost?
The price depends on the location, the size of the group, the period and what you want to add. You receive a clear price together with your proposal, with no surprises afterwards.
Find out more
How it runs and how to request it is on the page Wild Dining. Besides Wild Dining we also organise other experiences, from a table on a glacier to a rappel down a building.
