A rural sanctuary for real food, regenerative farming, and mindful living. Tanglewood Retreat is located in West Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. It will become the future home of the Holistic Chef Academy, a one-of-a-kind cookery school, permaculture farm, and eco-retreat. Our mission is simple: to reconnect people with food and nature.
Our Core Values
Tanglewood Retreat is rooted in three guiding principles:
- Nature’s Intelligence
- Human Connection
- Holistic Education
These values shape everything we do - from the way we farm and cook, to how we gather, teach, and live on the land.
Launch Timeline
- Permaculture Farm Development: 3-Year development in progress (2025–2028)
- Farm Tours Begin: Autumn 2026 - Forest bathing walks and traditional donkey cart experiences
- Soft Opening: Spring 2028
- Full Opening: Autumn 2028
Tanglewood Cookery School
Founded by Jamie Raftery, a chef with 25 years of experience cooking around the world. He spent a decade in Michelin-starred kitchens, followed by ten years focused on holistic, plant-based cuisine. Jamie is the third generation in the family to steward this land. He’s joined by Thara Thanmanithara, a classic Thai cook with deep roots in holistic Thai food culture. Together, they bring a world of culinary wisdom back to the land.
With a lineup of guest chef tutors, we will offer hands-on, immersive courses for home cooks and professional chefs. Every class is centered on sustainability, seasonality, and cooking with heart.
What we teach:
- Wholefood, plant-based cuisine
- Fermentation and raw food techniques
- Zero waste cooking
- Grow-Your-Own Series: Learn how to grow, nurture, harvest, and cook your own food
- Foraging walks paired with cooking classes
- Seasonal fire pit cooking over sustainably sourced charcoal and wood from our forest
- Asian, Ayurvedic, and Macrobiotic-inspired dishes
- Healthy desserts and natural baking classes
- Dietary-specific cooking: gluten-free, dairy-free, low-FODMAP, and more
- Sports performance and recovery-focused meals
- Household meal planning for families and individuals
- Kids’ cookery classes and food education
- Specialist training for private chefs, chalet chefs, hospital, and nursing home chefs
Read more about our Phuket Cookery Courses, which we will relocate to Tanglewood, Ireland.
Permaculture Farm
At Tanglewood, the land is our teacher. Spread across 20 acres, our farm is a living classroom for organic and regenerative farming. We’re cultivating a diverse, resilient system that nourishes people, soil, and the wider ecosystem.
Guided by the principles of organic farming and regenerative agriculture, every element is designed to restore balance and support life, above and below the soil.
Here’s what we’re growing and building:
- Biodynamic and Korean Natural Farming methods; working with nature’s rhythms to restore soil vitality
- No-dig gardens, compost systems, and CSA produce boxes for the local community
- Native Irish orchards and aronia berry plantations
- A bee apiary, producing rare wild bog heather honey and supporting pollinator diversity
- Wildlife ponds designed to attract frogs, dragonflies, birds, and beneficial insects
- A growing network of native hedgerows - vital corridors for biodiversity, shelter, and natural boundaries
We’re also partnering with nature’s finest four-legged farmers! Rare Irish breeds of sheep, goats, pigs, and cows that help regenerate soil and build living ecosystems with us. Guests can explore the land the slow way, by traditional donkey and cart, honouring the rhythms and heritage of rural Irish life.
Every part of the farm is a hands-on learning environment, where students, guests, and volunteers can reconnect with nature through food, animals, and the changing seasons.
Agroforestry, Woodland & Wild Spaces
Tanglewood Retreat is nestled within one of Europe’s most ecologically protected zones - a designated Natura 2000 biodiversity hotspot. Here, we’re not just building in nature - we’re building with it.
We’ve dedicated over 10 acres to agroforestry, planting 1,600 native trees to create:
- Edible food forests
- Fungi-agroforestry systems
- Truffle orchard
- Native cider orchard
Just beyond the orchards lies our 2-acre native woodland, where we’ve shaped 2 km of forest bathing walkways using only deadwood gathered from the forest floor. These gentle, winding trails invite stillness, reflection, and reconnection with the wild.
At the heart of the trees, we’re building an open-air forest classroom, with tables and chairs crafted from storm-fallen timber. It's a tranquil space for storytelling, seasonal workshops, and nature-based education beneath the tree canopy.
Every path, planting, and structure in these wild spaces is guided by permaculture principles, supporting biodiversity, deep ecology, and a reciprocal relationship with the land.
Mindfulness Sanctuary
A space for stillness, presence, and inner nourishment. At the heart of Tanglewood Retreat is our multi-use yurt sanctuary - a peaceful, screen-free space designed for movement, reflection, and personal growth.
More than just a venue, this yurt represents one of our core values: mindfulness. At Tanglewood, mindfulness and meditation shape everything we do - from the way we cook and grow food, to how we walk the land, host gatherings, and welcome guests.
Inside the yurt, you’ll find:
- Meditation and mindfulness sessions
- Yoga, breathwork, and somatic movement classes
- Sound healing, storytelling, and poetry sessions
- Group circles, seasonal ceremonies, and private retreats
Beyond the yurt, we also offer forest meditation walks, inspired by Jamie and Thara’s years of Vipassana practice in Thailand and the ancient Buddhist tradition of walking meditation. These sessions invite you to move slowly through woodland trails, syncing with the rhythm of nature and cultivating inner awareness: one breath, one step at a time.
Whether you’re joining a retreat or simply spending quiet time on the land, this sanctuary offers space for deep reconnection with yourself, with others, and with the living world around you.
Eco-Glamping Farmstead
Private, off-grid comfort; deep in nature and nourished by the land. Our future eco-glamping cabins are designed to give guests the rare luxury of total disconnection and a deep reconnection with nature, food, and life. Each cabin will be nestled in its own private space within a 5-acre field, offering complete seclusion and a fully immersive off-grid experience.
Features include:
- Solar-powered energy and sustainable design
- Rainwater-fed open-air hot showers
- Private sauna cabins for relaxation and renewal
- No WiFi - just birdsong, trees, and peace!
- Dog kennels are available, so your four-legged friends can retreat too
- Organic meal kits with pre-prepped ingredients and recipe cards, using fresh produce from our farm
- Bespoke menus available on request, prepared with seasonal ingredients
- A curated guide to the best local hiking, cycling, boating, fishing, surfing, and nature activities in the region
- Electric bike rental service with route maps and insider tips for exploring Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands at your own pace
- Minimum stay: 2 nights. Discount incentives are available for longer stays, seasonal packages, and extended retreat bookings.
Tucked into the landscape with minimal impact, our eco-glamping farmstead is designed for true freedom, rest, nourishment, and adventure.
Connect with Tanglewood Retreat
Join the Tanglewood Retreat mailing list to stay in the loop as our vision comes to life. Get early access to courses, retreats, and eco-glamping bookings - plus behind-the-scenes updates.
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