Margaret @margaretbellnourish

Retreat food that people genuinely look forward to eating.

I’m Margaret Bell, a retreat and private chef, author and specialist in women’s gut health, hormones, and nutrition. I create generous, colourful, seasonal food that tastes fantastic while genuinely nourishing the people eating it.

My approach goes beyond simply providing “healthy retreat food”. I bring together my experience as a chef with my work in gut health, hormones, the nervous system, and food psychology. This makes me particularly suited to women’s retreats, menopause and midlife retreats, health-focused retreats, and experiences where food and nourishment are an important part of the overall programme.

My private chef work has included catering for Fearne Cotton and her guests at Happy Place Festival, providing breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea. I have also delivered live food demonstrations at The Big Retreat Festival and am the author of The Nourish Reset and True Taste.

I can take complete responsibility for the food throughout your retreat, from menu planning and shopping to preparation and cooking. leaving you free to concentrate on your guests and the experience you’re creating.

I can also bring more to the retreat itself through interactive cooking sessions, food demonstrations, and practical nutrition workshops, giving your guests something they can take home with them as well as a wonderful food experience while they’re away.

My style of cooking is seasonal, abundant, and full of flavour, with plenty of plants, fibre, quality protein, and gut-supportive ingredients. Dietary requirements can be accommodated without making anyone feel as though they’ve been given the “special” plate.

Based in the Northwest, I regularly work across North Wales, Cheshire, Wirral, Liverpool, the Lake District, Cumbria and the wider UK, and I’m happy to travel for the right retreat.

If you’re looking for a chef who can simply make beautiful food, I can do that. If you want food to become part of what makes your retreat memorable, that’s where I really come into my own.