From Plot to Plate with Darren Stephens: Seasonal Growing at Homewood Hotel

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, both in the garden and the kitchen. The two spaces feed each other, literally and creatively. As we use no chemical fertilisers, we are reliant on our homemade compost to feed our soil. The ingredients for this black gold are any organic waste, vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, fire ash, cardboard, wood chips, and green waste from the garden. I stop seeing these as waste now and actually as a valuable resource. Ultimately, it’s about closing the loop. The garden and horticulture in general aren’t completely carbon neutral, of course, we use netting, plastic sheeting, and pots. We make a conscious effort to use recycled items, or if not possible, make sure they are taken care of and used year after year.

Start small, but start with intention. You don’t need a field; just a few pots of herbs on a windowsill can change the way you cook. My biggest advice to chefs or kitchen gardeners is to grow what excites you. Don’t feel pressure to grow everything; it's not easy and is time-consuming. Grow the things that are hard to buy fresh or that elevate a dish: herbs, edible flowers, soft lettuces, unusual varieties you’d never find in a supermarket. What’s wasted in your kitchen that you could grow better or fresher yourself? Be ready to fail and learn from it. Plants will die, things will bolt, slugs will feast. But that’s part of it.