Our Organic Kitchen Garden
See where we grow what's on your plate
Field Kitchen Garden
Nestled in the heart of the Riverford farm, our ingredients are grown just a stone's throw from your plate. We have an abundance of flavoursome, organic veg grown within metres of the restaurant and we also have our own kitchen garden. From here, we grow different varieties that are chosen for flavour and to inspire our guests to try something a little different.
We grow over 28 types of tomatoes, mainly heritage varieties so they grow in all manner of shapes, colours and sizes. We grow sweetcorn, salad leaves, aubergines, squash, lots of basil and herbs, chillies, cucumbers, onions and more. No year is ever the same. Growing our own not only allows us to serve veg that’s truly fresh from the soil, but also lets us experiment with using every part of the plant, so that nothing goes to waste.
We love to share our knowledge of organic gardening and we run many Grow Your Own workshops and we encourage guests to take a wander around the garden and our 60 metre polytunnel. Head Gardener Penny is always on hand to offer advice and tips. Click here to read more.
100% Organic
Everything we grow is 100% organic and slow grown for flavour. Agriculture is necessary for food production. We can’t survive without it, but we can strive to tread on the land as lightly as possible. Organic food is food as it should be: with no artificial nasties, the highest standards of animal welfare, and full traceability from farm to fork.
Organic always means…
No artificial pesticides or fertilisers.
Exceptional standards of animal welfare (better than free range!)
No genetically modified (GM) ingredients or animal feeds.
No routine use of antibiotics.
Free from artificial preservatives and colours.
Organic farming supports biodiversity by providing lots of green spaces. There is 50% more wildlife on organic farms, made up of 30% more species! It’s mutually beneficial: the green borders and thriving hedgerows around our fields provide a habitat for predators like hoverfly and ladybird larvae, who repay the favour by munching aphids off our crops.
Our Flower Garden
We don't just grow veg. Being an organic farm means we actively encourage biodiversity. There is up to 50% more wildlife on organic farms, made up of 30% species and around 75% more wild bee.
Our head gardener Penny is as passionate about organic blooms as she is veg. She grows flowers in the garden to attract the pollinating wildlife and to decorate the restaurant tables and walls. It also adds a bit of colour to the veg patch which can otherwise be very green. Many of the flowers also end up on the menu as we grow an edible flower garden too.
We run workshops in the garden through Spring and Summer on how to grow your own cutting patch, how to create beautiful summer bloom arrangements and even dried flower wreaths. Read more here.
Grow Your Own Workshops
We believe everyone should have access to green spaces, and we encourage everybody to make the most of what they do have - whether that's a garden, courtyard, windowbox or container.
Growing a vegetable garden is a great opportunity to have a positive impact on your own health, increase biodiversity and reduce the negative impact that food production can have on the environment, all whilst putting food on your table.
You don't have to have a big garden or allotment, veg can grow in all spaces of all sizes, including vertically. You need healthy soil, good seed, know when to sow, how to nurture and the best harvesting techniques.
During Spring, our Head Gardener Penny, runs Grow Your Own Kitchen Garden Workshops. Guests learn the fundamentals of how to get started with your own growing patch including; ground preparation, crop rotation, seed sowing, weeding, hoeing and harvesting..
Keep an eye on our workshops and events page for more info and to book..