There's something rather wonderful about a big dining table.

Not just any dining table, but one long enough to accommodate your favourite people, several bottles of something delicious, a generous spread of food and conversations that continue long after the plates have been cleared.

It's the kind of evening that rarely happens at home.

Everyone's busy. Families are scattered across the country. Friends promise to arrange dinner, but somehow six months disappear before anybody manages to agree on a date.

A group holiday in the Wye Valley offers the perfect opportunity to change all that.

And for people who love good food and good company, the region has some delicious possibilities.

A Taste of the Wye Valley

The Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire have a rich food heritage, with independent producers, traditional farm shops, artisan bakeries and wonderful seasonal ingredients.

Local cheeses, freshly baked bread, orchard fruits, chutneys, vegetables and traditional ciders are among the regional specialities highlighted by the local tourism organisation.

Visit the Forest of Dean & Wye Valley

For a group of friends who enjoy discovering local flavours, simply shopping for supper can become part of the holiday.

Imagine setting off to explore a farm shop or local deli, choosing ingredients for a shared evening meal and returning to your holiday house with bags full of tempting discoveries.

Somebody will inevitably buy far too much cheese.

Nobody will complain.

Make the Shopping Part of the Adventure

Instead of arriving with enough supermarket shopping to feed a small army, why not leave room for a little local discovery?

Depending on where you're staying, explore the independent food shops around Ross-on-Wye, Monmouth, Abergavenny or the surrounding countryside.

You might find freshly baked bread for breakfast, local vegetables for a hearty supper or a delicious pudding that nobody has to make themselves.

The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley local produce guide is a useful starting point for discovering regional producers.

For a larger group, divide the shopping between a few willing volunteers. One team can look after fresh produce, another can choose cheeses and accompaniments, while somebody else takes responsibility for dessert.

And if you're the person who dislikes shopping?

There's always the extremely important job of making the tea when everyone gets back.

One Big Table, Everyone Together

The real pleasure of a foodie group holiday isn't necessarily creating an elaborate meal.

It's being able to enjoy it together.

At home, dinner parties often involve squeezing extra chairs into the dining room, borrowing crockery from neighbours and discovering that half the guests have to eat in the kitchen.

A large holiday house changes the experience.

Big House Holiday Lets has properties with generous dining spaces designed for group gatherings.

For example, Symonds Yat Lodge has a huge dining room for groups of up to 50, while Wye Rapids House offers a large dining room and commercial kitchen facilities.

Group Cooking Together at Symonds Yat Lodge

Other properties have their own layouts and facilities, so it's worth choosing a house that suits your particular group.

Because there's something special about everyone sitting around the same table.

No separate sittings, no rushing anyone through their meal and no need to finish the conversation because the restaurant needs the table back.

Just a long, leisurely evening in excellent company.

Family and Friends Celebrating at Holly Tree House

Give Your Weekend a Delicious Theme

A shared supper can be as simple or imaginative as your group likes.

Perhaps everyone brings a favourite family recipe, creating a meal that reflects different generations and traditions.

You could plan a Mediterranean evening, with colourful sharing dishes, salads, roasted vegetables and platters of food passed around the table.

Or celebrate the region itself with a supper featuring local ingredients.

For groups who enjoy a little friendly competition, a mystery-ingredient challenge could be enormous fun.

Divide into teams, give everyone a selection of ingredients and see what appears on the table.

Although it's probably wise to establish that nobody is taking the competition too seriously.

We don't want arguments about the correct consistency of a sauce continuing into breakfast.

Not Everyone Needs to Cook

Of course, the idea of a relaxing holiday means different things to different people.

For some, spending an afternoon cooking with friends is heaven.

For others, the very thought of peeling twenty potatoes is enough to send them searching for the nearest restaurant.

And that's absolutely fine.

You could keep one evening simple with a buffet or takeaway, or independently arrange a local caterer or private chef where suitable for your chosen property.

BHHL provides the self-catering accommodation; any catering or additional experiences would need to be arranged separately.

The important thing is that everyone gets to enjoy the occasion.

A memorable meal doesn't have to be complicated, and nobody should spend the entire holiday washing up.

Breakfast Deserves Its Own Celebration

There's a particular pleasure in a country-house breakfast.

No alarms, no commuting and no need to hurry anybody out of the door.

Someone puts the coffee on. Somebody else makes toast. Gradually, the rest of the house appears, often in various stages of readiness for the day.

Perhaps there's a generous cooked breakfast on the menu, or fresh pastries, fruit and yoghurt laid out for everyone to help themselves.

The early risers can enjoy a peaceful start, while those who stayed up talking until the small hours can wander down whenever they feel like it.

And before long, the breakfast table becomes the place where the day's plans begin.

Some might head off to explore the countryside, others might visit a nearby market town, and a few may decide that a comfortable chair and a good book sound considerably more appealing.

Nobody has to choose the same thing.

Bring a Little Tradition to the Table

Food has a remarkable way of bringing back memories.

A favourite pudding might remind somebody of childhood holidays. An old family recipe can start stories that younger generations have never heard.

For a reunion, why not ask everyone to bring a dish that means something to them?

Perhaps it's Granny's famous apple crumble, a curry perfected over twenty years or the chocolate cake that always appeared at family birthdays.

You could even create a little collection of the recipes afterwards, complete with photographs and the stories behind them.

It's a lovely way of taking something home from the holiday that lasts much longer than the weekend.

And it's certainly more meaningful than another fridge magnet.

The Evenings Everyone Remembers

After supper, there's no need to rush anywhere.

Somebody might suggest a board game. Someone else opens another bottle of wine. Perhaps the younger members disappear into the games room while the adults settle down for another hour of conversation.

Eventually, the table is cleared, the lights are lowered and everyone agrees that they really must do this more often.

These are the moments that make a group holiday special.

Not necessarily the grand excursions or elaborate arrangements, but the simple pleasure of having time together.

Time to talk, laugh, reminisce and enjoy each other's company without watching the clock.

Find Your Perfect Gathering Place

Whether you're planning a family reunion, a food-loving friends' weekend or a long-overdue get-together, the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean offer a wonderful combination of local flavours, beautiful countryside and welcoming places to stay.

At Big House Holiday Lets, our spacious self-catering properties provide the setting for memorable gatherings, with different houses offering their own dining areas, kitchens and communal spaces.

Bring your favourite recipes, discover some local specialities and gather everyone around the table.

Because sometimes the best part of a holiday isn't where you go.

It's who you're sharing supper with.

Explore our large holiday houses in the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean and start planning your next delicious get-together.