On a windswept day last November, Imogen Snell and her partner Riccardo Castano, gathered together an eclectic group – the actor James Norton, fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, chef Missy Robbins and record label owner Caius Pawson among them – for the first in a series of lunches that would soon evolve into one of the most coveted invites of 2024. The location? Lypiatt Park, where Snell and Castano run their creative design enterprise , crafting the visual identities – be it a music video or fashion campaign – for the likes of Madonna, Dua Lipa and Jamie XX. The sprawling, turreted medieval manor set on 100 hectares of parkland in Gloucestershire, is owned by noted artist, and friend of the couple, Daniel Chadwick.
Over the last year, Snell and Castano have facilitated intensive three-day workshops at Lypiatt for artists such as Griff, Sampha and Jorja Smith. Yet after the success of their luncheon last November, the concept of having artists host a meal there felt like a natural progression. “We found the group element to be essential to relationship-building,” says Snell.
“Sitting down to a meal created an environment where artists could express themselves in new, more domestic and tangible ways.” In the imposing dining room, guests might dine on butterbean, fennel and roast pumpkin stew, rice pilaf and roasted carrots served with organic wine and cider. Following a walk through the rolling sculpture park, a spatial audio listening experience might await.