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Included as standard
Return journey on the Belmond British Pullman
A return day-trip on the Belmond British Pullman from London Victoria to Oxford Parkway, with brunch on the outbound and luncheon on board.
Wine pairing across the day
Selected wines served with luncheon at Le Manoir; selected wines and a welcome cocktail on the Pullman.
Return coach transfer, Oxford Parkway to Le Manoir
A return group coach transfer between Oxford Parkway station and Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.
Welcome cocktail on board
A welcoming cocktail served on the Belmond British Pullman before brunch.
Tea, coffee and petits fours on the return leg
Tea, coffee and petits fours served onboard the Pullman as it makes its way back to London.
A day aboard the British Pullman with Raymond Blanc's two-Michelin lunch.
5.0
8 reviews
Clients praised the seamlessly organised day combining luxury train travel and fine dining in
Clients praised the seamlessly organised day combining luxury train travel and fine dining in
5.0
(8)
What to expect
Board the British Pullman's art deco train at London Victoria for a countryside journey through England's home counties with Bellini welcome and brunch service.
2 Michelin stars since 1984; lunch in intimate garden-view rooms at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, followed by free time to wander the kitchen gardens.
Re-board the Pullman at Oxford Parkway for the afternoon run back to Victoria, with cheese, dessert, and wine served as the Oxfordshire countryside passes.
Two Michelin stars since 1984. 27 acres of organic gardens, orchards and herb beds at Great Milton supply the kitchen daily. 34 Michelin-starred chefs trained here.
Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal and Michael Caines all came through Le Manoir's two-and-a-half year apprenticeship before earning their own stars.
Great Milton
18°
Mixed with showers
Our best tips
Summer in southern England is mild but unpredictable. Pack a light layer and a compact umbrella so you're ready whatever the skies bring, and free to explore Le Manoir's gardens whenever the sun appears.
Smart casual applies at Le Manoir. Avoid trainers, shorts, and ripped jeans; elegant, well-presented clothing suits the setting.
Getting you on track
Completely hands-off from start to finish
Tell us what you're after and we'll plan the rest. All you have to do is show up.
Everything you need at your fingertips
Store all your event information, tickets, and contact details in one convenient place
Add personal touches to your trip
Make a request and our team will do everything they can to make it happen
An Imperial host walks the paddock with you. One person, one number, the whole weekend.
Pick the experience, pick the tier, pick the day. Your account manager handles the rest.
Getting around
ICE arranges transfers for all international experiences. Your events manager will coordinate airport pick-ups, hotel transfers, and event transport.
Local taxis and ride-hailing services are available in most major cities. Your ICE events manager can advise on the best options for your destination.
What our guests say
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
The whole day was a wonderful experience, from the train journey on the British Pullman to Oxford, with breakfast and cocktails, to the beautiful lunchtime meal at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, and the return back to London. A beautiful and relaxing day, highly recommended!
British Pullman journey to Le Manoir
The entire day was planned perfectly and executed seamlessly. At every location on the day, there were always team members from Imperial there to take care of us and make sure everything ran smoothly. This excellent service complemented the luxurious treatment we received aboard the iconic British Pullman train and the exceptional and unforgettable lunch at Le Manoir. Highly recommend this experience for anyone looking to impress clients, win new ones or just treating yourself to a much deserved day off!
Everyone was very friendly and helpful.
Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Superbly organised and thoroughly enjoyed.
Belmond British Pullman to the MAQS
The initial welcome was friendly yet professional and well organised with clear instructions. The home team kept us informed all day long and the whole experience on the Belmond British Pullman and Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons (MAQS) was amazing. The food was wonderful, with so many flavours and the refreshments were always perfectly timed (and flowing). The train was in beautiful condition and the gardens at MAQS were stunning. It wasn't cheap but it was good value and I would recommend this for a special occasion or if you want to spend quality time in splendid surroundings with contacts, colleagues or a loved one. I was very impressed. One extra bit that made the day was getting to know a couple of Imperial staff members (Will & Beth) who were a credit to the organisation. Some of the rest of the team were hidden away eating their packed lunch which was a bit of a shame.
Belmond Pullman is a majestic train
Belmond Pullman is a majestic train. Service and food were excellent. It was great to go back in time on the journey to Oxford. Le Manoiris an amazing venue - gardens are a joy to wander round. Food was wonderful.
The experience was fantastic
The experience was fantastic. From the nostalgia and elegance of the train ride, even riding in the royal family's carriage. The food was great and the service top draw. The stories from the staff of a different age were so good and the service was excellent. Raymond blanc's Manoir was amazing too. The gardens were incredible, the food extraordinary and the wine was first class. The staff at imperial were great. Friendly, fun and always there to help. Thanks for the memories Lucy
An excellent day out
An excellent day out. From arrival to departure we were looked after very well by the staff . The train was so comfortable and well appointed and the food was excellent. At the Manoir the grounds were spectacular and the food lived up to its Michelin star. Jordan who made our booking could not have been more helpful and assisted our arrangements at every step.
I rarely make reviews but following our…
I rarely make reviews but following our trip this week to the Le Manoir on the British Pullman I felt I should ! The day was described as a unique experience, it really was. A day with many ingredients that could all go wrong ran smoothly from the beginning to the end. It was a day to put away in the memories box! Special thanks to Marcus too who offered it to us originally and helped with arranging revised seating so we could travel with our friends who by chance were booked on the same event. Well done Imperial 🕺🏽
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons is the life's work of Raymond Blanc, a self-taught French chef who arrived in England in 1972 with limited English and no formal culinary training. What he built in a 15th-century Oxfordshire manor house has held two Michelin stars continuously since 1984, a record unmatched by any other restaurant in the United Kingdom. The gardens alone, which supply the kitchen with over 90 types of vegetable and 70 varieties of herb, tell you everything about Blanc's philosophy: obsessive sourcing, seasonal honesty, and a deep respect for ingredients.
I had no formal training. My mother was my first teacher. She taught me that cooking is an act of love.
The garden is the first kitchen. If you understand the garden, you understand the food.
He arrived to wait tables; the kitchen had other plans.
Raymond Blanc, born near Besançon in eastern France, moved to England to work as a waiter. He had no formal chef training. His education came from his mother, Maman Blanc, and from an instinct for flavour that would prove impossible to contain within front-of-house duties. Within a few years he had talked his way into kitchens and begun cooking professionally.
A Michelin star within two years of opening; Oxford's quiet Banbury Road had no idea what had just arrived.
Blanc opened his first restaurant, Les Quat'Saisons, on Summertown's Banbury Road in north Oxford. It was small, personal, and immediately remarkable. Within two years, Egon Ronay named it Dessert of the Year, and the Good Food Guide took notice. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 1979, just two years after opening.
Two Michelin stars in its opening year; a record Le Manoir has never once surrendered.
Blanc acquired a 15th-century manor house in the village of Great Milton, south-east of Oxford, and transformed it into a restaurant with rooms. The building, set in 27 acres of grounds, gave him the space to realise a vision that went far beyond the plate: kitchen gardens, orchards, and a Japanese tea garden would all follow. The Michelin Guide awarded Le Manoir two stars in its opening year, a distinction it has held without interruption ever since.
A template so widely copied, imitation became the sincerest form of flattery in Britain's restaurant world.
Blanc launched his cookery school at Le Manoir, one of the first of its kind attached to a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Britain. The school offered hands-on courses for amateurs and professionals alike, with participants working in purpose-built kitchens using ingredients picked that morning from the gardens. It became a template that many others would later imitate.
Blanc kept the keys to the kitchen and gardens; the chequebook simply changed hands.
Orient-Express Hotels (later Belmond) took ownership of Le Manoir, providing the investment needed to expand and refine the property while Blanc retained full creative control of the kitchen and gardens. The partnership allowed significant development of the rooms and grounds without compromising the culinary identity that Blanc had spent over a decade building.
Millions who had never booked a table suddenly knew his name; prime-time television did what three Michelin stars alone could not.
Raymond Blanc became a household name beyond the food world through BBC Two's The Restaurant, which ran for three series from 2007 to 2009. The show, in which aspiring restaurateurs competed for Blanc's backing, introduced his exacting standards and warm personality to millions. It cemented Le Manoir's status not just as a destination for food lovers, but as a cultural landmark.
His kitchen didn't just produce great food; it produced Blumenthal, White, Caines, and Bains.
Blanc was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2008 New Year Honours. The recognition acknowledged not only his own cooking but his extraordinary contribution to training the next generation. The list of chefs who learned their craft at Le Manoir reads like a who's who of British fine dining: Marco Pierre White, Heston Blumenthal, Michael Caines, and Sat Bains among them.
Blanc, well into his seventies, kept his hands in the soil and his standards immovable, even as LVMH's billions arrived at the gate.
LVMH completed its acquisition of Belmond for $3.2 billion, placing Le Manoir alongside properties such as the Cipriani in Venice and the Eastern & Oriental Express. The deal brought additional resources for the estate's continued development. Blanc, now in his seventies, remained firmly at the helm of the kitchen and gardens, his standards undimmed.
Forty years, two stars, and ninety types of vegetable; some records speak entirely for themselves.
Le Manoir marked its 40th anniversary still holding two Michelin stars, a record of consistency without parallel in British dining. The kitchen garden now grows over 90 types of vegetable and 70 varieties of herb across themed gardens including a mushroom valley and a Japanese tea garden. Luke Selby serves as head chef alongside Blanc, ensuring continuity while the founder continues to shape every menu. The cookery school, the gardens, and the restaurant remain a single, integrated expression of one man's belief that great food begins in the soil.
