The Glory of Garsington – Beyond Opera

Last Updated on May 30, 2025

Country House Opera at Wormsley Estate

Anyone wanting to try opera for the first time might do worse than treating themselves to one of the great country house opera events.  While Glyndebourne is the best known, there are now several stunning country house locations offering a summer opera series.  Garsington, set in Paul Getty’s Wormsley Estate, has become a firm favourite of ours, partly for the high quality of opera and partly for the setting.

The estate is a magnificent space, set in the rolling Chiltern hills and the opera house itself is a demountable pavilion, originally conceived so that it could be packed away at the end of each season.  It fits so well into the surroundings that it now remains in place year-round.

An important part of each and every one of these Opera Festivals is the experience as a whole and at Garsington, they have some very special options to make your evening really special.  Like Glyndebourne, it’s a black-tie event, although unlike Glyndebourne there are a few special occasions where you might find yourself asked to come dressed in a particular colour or style so that the audience becomes an integral part of the evening.

Look up at the sky when you first arrive at Garsington.  You’ll almost certainly spot one or more birds of prey circling above.  They are probably red kites – re-introduced to the area from Spain by the RSPB and English Nature – part of a major conservation project between 1989 and 1994.  They are now thriving – a great example of a successful project, though one which necessitates the next feature of Garsington Opera that you’ll spot before you ever get to your seat.

A tidy row of little picnic tents runs from the top of the hill down into the valley, curving gently around.  Each tent has picnic tables and seats for anything from 6 to 15 or more diners.  Some are clearly set up for catered picnics while others are filling up with picnickers setting up their own feasts.  If the weather is clement, then sitting outside is also an option – though beware of leaving food in the open once the opera starts as you may just come back to find your picnic has become a meal in the sky for a few of those fabulous red kites.

If you are looking for a catered picnic, at Garsington you’ll be in luck.  This year, picnics and meals in the main restaurant tent are from FEASTS in collaboration with Ollie Dabbous. The dishes you’ll be served are inspired by those on offer at his London Michelin-Starred restaurant HIDE and focus on natural produce and classic English flavours and ingredients. 

This year, because the weather in May was really variable and generally rather chilly, we decided to book a meal in the restaurant there rather than picnicking. It’s an option that is a good choice if you are unsure of the weather, feeling a little bit lazy and want to have your food served for you, or simply prefer to keep your posh outfit off the grass!  You book a table and order your food in advance, picking from four or five options for each course.  And, when the long interval comes, you make your way to the Pavilion to be pampered a bit.

For me, a tuna tartare with horseradish, barley and nasturtium to start was packed with flavour and (coughs discretely) seemed like a healthy option.  I’m doing my best to avoid eating red meat and to eat more fish, pulses and vegetables so this was spot on.  

My companion had the rather lovely but much naughtier burrata with basil pesto, pickled red fruit and candy beetroot, which looked lush.  Yes, I did have food envy – I love the combination of burrata with earthy beetroot – but, I’m convinced my choice was easier on the hips!  

Most of the starters seemed to be chilled (the only possible exception was asparagus with a soft-boiled egg, hazelnut crumb and hollandaise, which might or might not have been served cold. But, the logistics of getting a large room of diners fed and watered in a 90-minute interval must be hugely challenging and we were very impressed with the organisation behind the dining!

I’m not entirely sure that the rather delicious crispy fried corn-fed chicken with smoked paprika glaze, padrón peppers, sweetcorn and butterbean salad counts as healthy but it certainly ticks the delicious box.  A rather poshed-up version of KFC, with perhaps a little more sweetcorn than I personally like in a dish that is something with a deep South twist.

My companion had a beautiful plate of torched salmon served with broccoli and baked celeriac sitting in a lush pool of melted smoked butter and topped with fresh micro herbs. It’s the kind of thing I’d try to make at home and never quite manage to get so perfect.  But then I am not Ollie Dabbous!

He opted for the local cheese board which comes with a warm cheddar scone and a few rather good crackers.  

Meanwhile, I gave up on being good – an indulgent chocolate pot with malt cream, caramelised pecans, rum and raisin. A great way to finish the meal, I’d have eaten the same all over again.