Big Memories, Small Footprint
On our wedding day, we wanted to keep it sweet, simple, and sustainable. To us, this didn’t mean sacrifice. The venue of our dreams wouldn’t need thousands of dollars in florals to cover it up or .
We’re bringing that spirit home to Idle Hour Farm, where Amber grew up exploring its romantic nooks and wide open fields, right under the Devil’s Nose. We hope you feel empowered to add your flourish, but know that filling these spaces with your friends and family will be more than enough.
Eco-Conscious Food Experiences
Whether the big stars of summer or the hidden gems of winter, the grass-fed ribeye of your dreams or a plant-based celebration of spring — we’ll take care to ensure that your ingredients are the best our region has to offer, and that they’ve been treated with the respect our years of experience have taught us. Consider us for private dinners, open fire cooking, or celebrations at Idle Hour Farm.
Seasonal, local eating is as delicious as it is ecological and it’s our favorite thing to bring the farms of East Tennessee to the table. The only question is: yours or ours?
COZY overnight stays
Whether you’re searching for a cozy, romantic escape or need some room for the kids to roam, this 1860’s log cabin will welcome you with open arms. With 40 acres at your feet, you can spread out in the fields or curl up by the original rock fireplace.
You’ll enjoy simple, natural pleasures with all the modern amenities you could want, all while leaving a low ecological footprint. We love East TN, so we take measures to reduce environmental impact and support our regional neighbors and makers in an effort to make your experience rich and rejuevenating.
practical Culinary Consultation
Whether you’re looking to tune up your flavors and food costs, or building a kitchen from the ground up— we’d love to be part of the conversation. With experience in a wide range of contexts from high volume hotel kitchens to Michelin starred restaurants, we can help you calibrate your systems to suit your needs and goals.
Making your food business viable and reliable is so much more than recipes. It’s the habits you form, the team you build, and the culture you create. We’d love to learn about your business.
Idle Hour Farm + Retreat
- 75 minutes from Knoxville
- 70 minutes from Bristol
- 2 hours from Asheville
Met Salvador Sanchez,
Chef & Culinary Consultant
Salvador Sanchez grew up in El Salvador, but he has spent the last decade cooking in professional kitchens from Germany to Chicago. In Sal’s book, an honest plate of food thoughtfully sourced and carefully prepared will always win. He believes that people deserve better food than the industry standard currently offers, and that farmers deserve support beyond the token local tomatoes highlighted in the weekly specials— and his resume proves it.
Sal entered the Knoxville Culinary scene as Sous Chef at Emilia in Market Square. In the height of the pandemic, he decided to pursue a new view of food by serving as an Americorps member at Beardsley Community Farm, growing and distributing organic produce to underserved communities. Later he opened Osteria Stella as Chef de Cuisine, crafting a menu and creating a culture that allowed him to support and build relationships with local farmers who he now counts as friends.
In his most recent professional venture, Sal moved to New York and earned the role of Sous Chef at the two-Michelin-star restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns. “The future of food” was the foundation of every conversation and served as the underlying reason to pursue culinary innovation and excellence to the nth degree.
People who know him know that commitment is one of Sal’s strongest suits. When his commitments include deliciousness, impeccable execution, and bolstering local agriculture, we can all expect to go home happy. Sal is pleased to bring his skills, experience, and commitment to delicious food to the folks of East Tennessee and excited to push the boundaries of what it means to be “Farm to Table”.
Meet Laurel Amber,
Creative Director
Amber’s connection to food and hospitality is a life long, and complicated, love story. She grew up in her own parents’ mom-and-pop restaurant, immersed in the service industry before she was old enough to mop the floors. The tomatoes came on a truck as dependably in January as in July, and they were everyone’s favorite lunch spot, wherever they went.
Hospitality always kept a roof over her head and (really good) food on the table, but social cues told her that a “real job” would have nothing to do with either. Then, she met her husband and partner, Sal, who changed everything. Suddenly food was her past, present… and, for the first time, her future.
When she finally decided to dive headfirst into a career she’d been running from for years, she had the great honor to polish her skills at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Responsible eating colored every conversation– but it was never a lecture. It was an invitation to enjoy every microseason’s expertise, the best of the best in its own time and place.
Now, time has brought her back to East Tennessee, to her grandfather’s farm where she will plant seeds and put down roots. She’s deeply honored to be able to share it with folks who want to warm themselves in its sunny fields and by its antique rock fireplace, to witness and steward its unfurling into the next chapter.
