We kicked off the new year with the perfect antidote to a quiet, grey January, a relaxed and very special home dining experience. If you’re looking for a Private Chef in Marlow experience that feels personal and indulgent, Pinar’s Culinary Studio offers exactly that, bringing restaurant-quality dining (and cookery lessons) into your own kitchen.
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After a busy few weeks and returning from our family ski trip, it was such a treat to slow life down and enjoy time together at home. With no cooking, no washing up and no rushing out to a restaurant, we were able to relax properly.  We chatted about our New Year in the Alps and we started making plans for the year ahead. With my 60th birthday in December, I’m very much in planning mode, a private chef experience felt like the perfect way to start the year.  And how lucky am I to be able to share it with my husband, our children and their partners.

One of the things I loved most about this experience was how easy it felt from start to finish. From planning the menu to the final course being served, Pinar and her very able assistant Can took care of every detail, allowing us to enjoy the evening exactly as we wanted to - it was relaxed, unrushed and focused on good food and great conversation as well as lots of laughter.  And the best bit, I didn't have to keep leaving the table to look after everyone, Pinar was quietly in the background looking after me too.

​Here are a few more details about our evening, and why I’d wholeheartedly recommend a private chef experience at home especially if you have a special occasion coming up.

This is a gifted collaboration.

We’ve just returned from a brilliant family New Year ski trip to Morzine and Les Gets, celebrating the start of the year in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. This time, we weren’t just skiing with our grown-up children, their partners joined us too, making it a really special trip.  I felt very emotional and extremely blessed.

A New Year ski holiday is something I can wholeheartedly recommend. Getting away during the quieter days between Christmas and New Year felt like the perfect escape, with my favourite blue-sky days, stunning Alpine views and beautifully groomed pistes. While we didn’t have fresh snowfall, conditions were still excellent, although the temperatures were very cold at times!

We’ve been skiing in Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz for twenty years and this trip marked our first stay in Les Gets itself. It was an ideal base for exploring the Portes du Soleil and a reminder that staying warm and comfortable on the slopes is just as important as good snow.  My last ski trip was in April 2024 and that was the other extreme - very hot!  You can read my spring skiing tips here!
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In this post, I’m sharing highlights from our family ski trip, along with how I stayed warm and cosy on the mountain, including the winter essentials that made such a difference on those freezing New Year days and evenings.

This blog post contains gifted items and affiliate links.