The genesis for Wilder and Matt’s love affair with Nailsworth began with Wild Garlic Bistro & Rooms, which the Matthew and Hannah opened in 2007. The original restaurant was converted into guest apartments last year and now provides seven self-contained rooms and suites.

Matthew knew he wanted to be a chef from a very young age and his mother’s advice was: ‘whatever you chose to do, make sure you do it well’. With stints in Barcelona, London, Melbourne and Sydney and working alongside the likes of Marcus Wareing, Angela Hartnett, Gordon Ramsey, Simon Rogan and Martin Blunos, Matt now pours his acres of ambition and technique into Wilder.

Matt is also a great ambassador for a modern kitchen workplace with his honest and open attitude to mental health and fully-inclusive teamwork.

Hannah and Matthew started their journey together on a bus to Chippenham college in 1993. Passion for food and hospitality took them around the world, settling back in the UK in 2004 to be near family and to raise their own three girls, falling in love with Nailsworth and the Stroud Valleys.

Hannah is a HR Professional in her own right; she keeps the Wilder ship sailing straight and knows when we need to change course. She claims to be Matt’s harshest critic and his biggest fan.

When Hannah is not busy supporting Wilder, she can be found walking their dogs on Minchinhampton common, dealing with teenage daughters or swimming in a cold lake.

Aka Olly, is Matt’s right hand man. He joined us in 2021 after returning from abroad to his hometown of Stroud. Prior to this he was engulfed in the new nordic food scene of Sweden, and later Copenhagen, Denmark where he was based for five years.

His passion for seasonality, fermentation, and artisan-produced goods is what guides his creative flare. His quest for new flavour combinations is infectious!

Olly also loves the now booming natural wine sector, and recently studied wine in his spare time, gaining a distinction in WSET level II. Ever the joker, we only occasionally need to tell him to pipe down! When not at work you can catch Olly either playing golf, socialising, or at a local pub tucking into a Sunday roast.

Bella role shares the Restaurant Manager role with Violet, between them they keep Wilder running smoothly. Bella has been working in hospitality for years and is an important part of the team. She is passionate about food and wine and makes a mean martini.

When she is not at Wilder she is a busy mum of two little people, one of whom has additional needs.

Violet partners with Bella as Assistant Restaurant Manager at Wilder, they work hard together to keep the restaurant ship shape. Violet has a natural flair for working with people, she loves to chat about dogs and knows our dishes and cooking techniques inside out.

When Violet is not at Wilder she does research into animal behaviour, she has a BSc in Animal behavior and an MSc in Global Wildlife and Health Conservation.

There is a team of people working hard behind the scenes who keep things running smoothly. Yvonne our housekeeper extraordinaire, Kitchen Porters in their first work roles getting a taste of kitchen life and much-appreciated team members who leave for pastures new, but come back time and time again to help us out when we are busy (Danni).

We are always happy to hear from people who would like to join our team. Read on to learn more about our workplace values and get in touch if you share them on hello@dinewilder.co.uk.

Authenticity

We are all human, we all make mistakes, these are nearly always opportunities for growth and reflection. We aim to own our mistakes and support others when they make theirs. We are not robots; we want our team to be filled with individual character and spirit.

Balance

The hospitality trade can be tough; we operate a four day working week and we want to bring ourselves to work rested and ready to do our best. We eat proper meals together and look after each other by showing kindness and respect at all times.

Collaborate

We are always looking for what’s new, we always want to be learning, work with us, not for us. Collaboration happens in all areas of our business, with our suppliers, neighbours our team and beyond. Share your passions and your enthusiasm to help make Wilder the best it can be!