A Night at the Opera: Luxury Dining Meets Live Performance at Bath's Church Farm
An evening at Church Farm, near Bath, has been hailed as a 'delightful' luxury experience by a reviewer from Somerset Live, who attended a performance by If Opera in its second season at the venue. The event, which transforms the working farm into an open-air dining destination, pairs a multi-course meal with a live opera performance.
The Cowshed by Homewood, a boutique hotel on the outskirts of Bath, is the force behind the evening's dining, and this year marked the second collaboration with If Opera at Church Farm. The event sold out its debut season last year, and this year's revival was met with considerable enthusiasm from the reviewer, who admitted to being excited about the press invitation.
The evening began with a glass of Taittinger champagne, described as the perfect start to a few hours of relaxation. The food, which has been a highlight of the event's format, showcased a variety of starters, including the 'staple' sourdough with butter, oils, and hummus, along with no-dig garden tomatoes and burrata, which were singled out for praise. Other starters included ham hock terrine, maple-glazed Loch Duirn salmon, and a halloumi and chorizo parrilla.
For mains, the reviewer shared rump of Cypriot lamb, served with feta, beans, oregano, rosemary, and onion gravy, and a provençal beef blade with sun-blushed tomato and garden peas. The food was described as 'superb' and even better than the fare at the hotel's restaurant.
The opera itself was 'The Chocolate Soldier', a 1908 operetta composed by Oscar Straus and based on George Bernard Shaw's play 'Arms and the Man'. Neither member of the reviewer's party had previously seen an opera, but the performance was part of what made the evening memorable.
Dessert was a selection of Eton mess with honeycomb, passion fruit, and mango, alongside a classic trifle with custard and cream, and a raspberry sponge. A second glass of champagne was ordered to be enjoyed during the second half of the performance.
The reviewer reflected that the evening provided essential 'self-care, joy and happiness' during a stressful period, and ended by expressing eagerness to see what the team at Homewood comes up with next.