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Ash Valenzuela-Heeger

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Coming Soon

The Chef's Table

Originally from South Africa, raised in Cape Town, Ash has carved out a distinctive place in the culinary world, culminating in her being named the Michelin Guide's Young Chef Award winner for 2025.

Ash began her culinary journey at a young age in South Africa, She trained under the mentorship of renowned chef Luke Dale Roberts at both La Colombe and The Test Kitchen. Her experience also includes working in the UK's top Michelin-starred restaurants, The Ledbury and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.

In 2020, Ash relocated to Birmingham. After a series of pop-ups, she and her wife, Erin, opened the permanent location of Riverine Rabbit in Stirchley. The restaurant has garnered significant praise for its inventive and flavour-driven small plates, which draw on influences from her native South Africa to across Asia, while championing local produce.

In addition to the Young Chef Award, Riverine Rabbit has received a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide. Ash's cooking style is described as original and big on flavour, reflecting her classical training, fine dining background, and a "laidback, a little whimsical" approach. Her success in Birmingham continues to shine a spotlight on South African culinary talent on the world stage.

Please note you must have a valid festival ticket to book an experience at Wilderness. See full experience FAQs and T&Cs HERE

Refunds & Exchanges

  • Please note extra experience bookings are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
  • Experiences will only be held for 20 minutes, after that tickets are subject to resale and will be automatically cancelled without refund.

Order Confirmations & More Info

  • If you don't receive an order confirmation email, please first check your junk/spam folder before contacting us.
  • You can see full information on how to book experiences, access your Wilderness account and experience Ts & Cs here.
  • You’ll need a copy of the lead booker’s I.D. to check-in. Group bookings must arrive together.

Feasting Experiences

See full Feasting Experience FAQs HERE

  • All menus are designed nut-free (unless specified otherwise), but please be aware food is prepared in kitchens where nuts, gluten, and other allergens may be present.
  • Feasting Experiences can only facilitate dietary requirements as outlined on the individual chef's booking page.
  • Where alternative dishes are available, the same dish will be used for vegan and dairy-free.
  • While we aim to keep all dietary alternatives as close to the original menu dish as possible, in some circumstances, where a direct substitute is not possible, there may be changes to the entire dish.
  • Available alternative menu options must always be requested in advance via the dietaries form. Do not forget this if booking for a group, we are in a field so alternatives are not readily available.
  • Banquets - unless specified otherwise on the chef's page, there is a vegan alternative for all our larger banquet restaurants (long table and woodland), but they must be requested in advance via the dietaries form.
  • Banquets - are served sharing style, so, if you have a dietary requirement, your dish will likely be served individually plated instead.
  • The Chef's Table cannot accommodate any dietary requirements other than those outlined on the individual chef's page, due to the style of the experience.
  • The Woodland Banquet will take place come rain or shine as we have a beautiful canopy in the woodland to use in the event of rain so you don’t miss your meal!
  • Little ones can sit on parents' laps at all restaurants except for The Chef's Table. If they're in a pram please ask on arrival to be seated at the end of a table. Unless available at the point of booking, we don't have a dedicated children's menu, so if you’re planning for them to eat with you they’ll need to be booked as an additional seat.