Hallowe’en is just around the corner, our seasonal spooky wreath is already up and we’re getting our carving skills ready for those pumpkins baby! ;)
Another thing we’ll be getting up to is making the trip to Minehead and waiting for a mystery vehicle to whisk us away to a secret location for 'A Totally Gruesome Hallowe'en Dinner'. It's being organised by the guys at Secret Location Dining (SLD) and like everyone with tickets to the experience, we’ve no idea where we’re going or what to expect. We only know there'll be some cracking food (the menu looks awesome and we can't wait for the cheese fondue starter served out of a pumpkin! :)) and there'll be some surprises in store, somewhere in Exmoor when the sun goes down.
We love a bit of ghoulish mystery on Hallowe'en, but we thought we’d try and get some clues out of organiser Elke Koessling-Winzer anyway - and ask her for her Four Thoughts on all things SLD! Here’s what she had to tell us…
1. What inspired you to start up Secret Location Dining?
Secret Location Dining turns ‘going out for a meal’ in to a social and culinary adventure. Exmoor has become really well known for excellent restaurants and SLD adds a touch of mystery to dining, taking it to a diferent level.
I was inspired to start it because I understand people are becoming more and more interested in dining ‘experiences’. I read articles and reports that backed that up, so by combining my love of food and my appreciation of what Exmoor has to offer (along with the idea of making eating out a bit of a fun mystery), the concept was created. So much these days is the ‘same old’ and predictable. The only thing our guests know in advance is the menu! ;)
We love the idea that food brings people together too, so SLD encourages guests to meet new people - and unless a specific request is made to sit apart, everyone dines together.
2. Which SLD event has been your favourite so far and why?
Every event we’ve created has been a lot of fun – and every one has been completely different. I really enjoyed our recent ‘Oktoberfest’. Guests embraced the idea of having a fun evening together and got completely in to the spirit. The photo booth we had there was brilliant and I think a few people might've woken up with sore heads the next day!
3. Can you give us any hints about what to expect at the Totally Gruesome Hallowe'en Dinner?
Well, that’s a tricky one! Our Hallowe’en Dinner is taking us to an established venue in a beautiful part of Exmoor. Our hosts love all things theatrical, so what I can say is that we can certainly expect some surprises during our dinner! The venue will play a huge part in the feel of the evening - the setting is just perfect.
4. Tell us a secret about Secret Location Dining that no-one else knows!
Next year’s locations are so secret that not even we know where we’ll be going yet! ;)
In all honesty, Secret Location Dining events push boundaries and perceptions - even our own. Every single event is testing our organisational skills in a different way. A couple of things we can reveal is that a South African night is being planned and we’re also looking in to Secret Location Lunches - starting very soon.
Well, although we tried pretty hard to get some secrets out of Elke, the mystery is very much alive and if you fancy joining us for a Hallowe’en dinner with a difference, it’s on October 28th. We've no idea where in Exmoor (obviously ;)), but tickets are available here. We’ll be posting a few updates on the night too, so look out for some spooky surprises on our Twitter and Instagram feeds.
Happy Hallowe’en!
Bwahhh haa haa (that’s our silly, evil movie character laugh in case you didn't recognise it. Think of one of the cartoony bad guys from Scooby Doo and you’ll be imagining what it sounds like perfectly!! ;)).
