Stay In For Dinner: Private Chef in Cornwall with Rowes Retreats
Updated: Sep 23
There are plenty of brilliant places to eat in Cornwall. But sometimes, after a day at the beach, a swim in the sea or a long walk along the coast, the last thing you want to do is get ready, find a taxi and head back out again.
Sometimes, the best table in Cornwall is the one in your holiday home.
That’s why we’re very excited to be working with Falmouth-based private chef Alan Rosenthal, bringing relaxed, restaurant-quality private dining to Rowes guests during their stay in Cornwall.
Think locally sourced ingredients, a menu created especially for you, your favourite bottle already chilling in the fridge, and absolutely no debate over who’s doing the washing up.
Sounds like our kind of evening.
Meet Alan
Alan Rosenthal is a Leiths-trained private chef and caterer based in Falmouth, Cornwall, with a love for seasonal ingredients, bold flavours and food that brings people together.
After moving from London to Falmouth in 2023, Alan found himself closer to the land, sea and incredible produce Cornwall has on its doorstep — something that now plays a big part in the way he cooks.
His experience goes well beyond the private dining table, too. Alan has written four cookery books, developed recipes, taught thousands of people to cook, worked as Head of Cookery at Truro School and hosted popular supper clubs here in Falmouth. His approach to food is exactly what we love: beautifully cooked, generous and special without ever feeling fussy.
And, most importantly, designed to be enjoyed around a table with your favourite people.
Your Rowes Retreat, Turned Private Restaurant
One of our favourite things about staying in a holiday home is having a space that's completely your own.
You can kick your shoes off. Open another bottle. Let dinner run late. Move from the dining table to the sofa without anyone subtly placing the bill beside you. Add a private chef into the mix and you've got something pretty special. Alan creates tailor-made menus for each occasion, using seasonal and local ingredients wherever possible to create food that feels connected to Cornwall. He takes care of the details, leaving you to do the important bit:
eat, drink and enjoy being on holiday.
What Does a Private Chef in Cornwall Experience Look Like?
That's really up to you. One of the loveliest things about booking a private chef during your Cornwall holiday is that the experience can be shaped around your group, your tastes and the reason you're getting together. It could be an intimate dinner for two during a romantic weekend in Falmouth. A long dinner with friends where nobody has to volunteer to cook.
A birthday meal around the table. An anniversary. A family celebration. Or simply one night of your holiday where you decide you're doing absolutely nothing. Alan can create a bespoke menu around your occasion, taking inspiration from Cornwall's seasons and fantastic local produce. Restaurant-quality food. Your own dining room. Your own drinks. No taxi home.
We can see the appeal.
A Taste of Cornwall, Without Leaving Home
Food is such a huge part of visiting Cornwall. Fresh seafood landed around our coastline, brilliant local growers and producers, independent bakeries, cheesemakers, farms and some seriously good ingredients all make this little corner of the country an exciting place to eat.
Alan's cooking celebrates exactly that. His style combines classical technique with a relaxed approach, allowing seasonal ingredients to do the talking. The result is food that's thoughtful and beautifully presented, but still feels generous and made to be enjoyed.
In other words: special enough for an occasion, relaxed enough for holiday mode.
Perfect for Celebrating Something Special
If you're coming to Cornwall for a birthday, anniversary, family get-together or another big occasion, booking a private chef can turn an already special stay into one you'll be talking about long after you've gone home. And there's something particularly lovely about celebrating in your Rowes holiday home. There's no table time limit. The children can head off to bed. The dog can snooze under the table. Nobody needs to drive. And when dinner's finished, home is approximately three steps away. That's holiday luxury we can get behind.
Staying In Is the New Going Out
We spend a lot of time sharing our favourite restaurants, cafés, pubs and hidden corners of Cornwall with our guests — and we'll always encourage you to get out and discover them.
But we also think your holiday home should be somewhere you genuinely want to spend time.
So save one evening. Come back from the beach. Have a shower. Put some music on. Open something cold. And let Alan take care of dinner. Because sometimes, the best nights of your Cornwall holiday are the ones where you don't go anywhere at all.
Private Dining During Your Rowes Retreat
If you'd like to add a private chef experience in Cornwall to your upcoming Rowes stay, you can discover more about Alan Rosenthal and his private dining experiences on his website.
Menus are tailored to your occasion, making this a brilliant addition to romantic breaks, family holidays, group stays and special celebrations in Cornwall.
Or, if you're still searching for somewhere to stay, explore our collection of handpicked holiday homes in Cornwall and find somewhere worthy of staying in for dinner.
Good food. Good people. Your own little corner of Cornwall.
We'll leave the washing up to someone else.
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