Our Herb Garden is reminiscent of an old fashioned country house garden, providing fresh vegetables for the kitchen and fresh flowers for the house but it is the collection of herbs which makes it all the more special. Approximately 700 varieties are grown for pot pourri, dried flower arrangements, scented oils and vinegar’s and of course for use in the varied and imaginative dishes created by our Head Chef and his brigade. Kitchen herbs are picked fresh daily when our Gardeners checks with the chefs what they require for salads, flavouring and garnishing. Although some herbs are grown all through the year, we prefer to use them for their seasonal flavours. In winter, herbs with heavier flavours such as sage and rosemary are used in strong flavoured meat dishes including game and in spring lighter meat and delicate fish dishes are flavoured with basil and buckler leaf sorrel. Alongside the herbs, we also grow the less common vegetables such as golden beetroot, globe and Jerusalem artichokes.
The Herb Garden remains an important part of the Hotel, Crabtree and Evelyn used the garden for some of the photographs in their book Fragrant Herbal and the renowned floral photographer Clay Perry has submitted photographs for other publications and calendars. The Herb Garden is open to guests of the hotel to wander around at anytime. The best time is in the early morning or at dusk when the scents and aromas fill the air.
Our Herb Gardens are open to the public Sunday to Friday, from Easter to the end of September with many varieties for sale in pots. Private tours are available for lunch and dinner parties for up to 50 people by prior arrangement. Although not seen as a commercial venture, the Garden is also open to the public between the hours of 2.00pm until 4.00pm, Sunday to Friday from April through to September.
