Stef's Kitchen Garden Adventures

Stef Bradfield is our keen bean Kitchen Gardener at Lainston House, bringing incredible produce to life so we can serve the freshest ingredients in our restaurants, travelling only a matter of foot metres, not miles. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a total newbie, we’re diving into the world of homegrown goodness and sharing what’s happening in our little green paradise, along with some top tips to get your kitchen garden thriving. 

As summer approaches with the weather warming up, it's the perfect time to roll up those sleeves and get your kitchen garden flourishing too, so we’ve caught up with Stef to find out what’s going on and how you can get involved. Plus, we’ve got a feathery new team member who’s making quite the impact! More on that shortly…

“We’re currently sowing climbing French beans, Borlotti beans, Chinese kale, winter squash, courgettes, and sweetcorn. Courgettes, winter and summer squashes are one of the last things to be sown as we have to wait until the nighttime temperature exceeds 10 degrees and all risk of frost has passed before they can be planted out.”

“Right now, our kitchen garden is a hive of activity! We’ve got broad beans, pink fir potatoes, beetroot, pak choi, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, chilli peppers and cauliflowers, to name just a few. Our chilli peppers are really stealing the show, adding both colour to the gardens and heat to the kitchens with a diverse selection providing a variety of heats to pick from. They’re perfect for dry rubs too and are adding a zing to our Season barbecue cookery classes over the summer.”

“If you haven’t already, tomato growing is a bit of a must. There are many varieties, shapes, colours and flavours to keep your dishes packed full of nutrients. They are easy to grow and require a small amount of maintenance, just pinch off the sideshoots that appear at 45 degrees between the main stem and branches, it keeps the growing power focused on your fruits. Use a bamboo cane to support the stem and pinch out the top of the plant when 5 trusses have formed. Tomatoes are hungry plants, feed them every 14 days during growing season with a high potassium liquid fertiliser, such as Tomorite or Maxicrop.

Herbs like basil, mint and oregano will easily become your kitchen's best friends – easy to grow and packed with flavour, they'll elevate your dishes without the need for store-bought powders. And let's not forget about root veggies like radishes and turnips. They're speedy growers, perfect for adding a crunchy twist to your salads throughout summer. Lettuce is the ultimate leafy green for beginners and it’s very easy to grow, you can also cut and come again up to three times.”

“With so much harvesting on the go already, the Chefs have been frequent visitors to the garden to look at what they can bring to the menu. Here’s how we’re currently using our garden’s bounty in our restaurant, The Wellhouse:

• Asparagus is in a lamb main course and as a starter
• Pak Choi, Radish, Turnip and Rhubarb is in a pork chop main course
• Mixed Leaf and Rocket as side salads and garnishes
• Rhubarb is the main ingredient of our rhubarb custard tart
• Bronze Fennel and Mint for garnishes and pesto sauces
• Oregano in a chimichurri for steak dishes
• Thyme and Rosemary for cooking meats and veggies
• Lemon Verbena, Elderflower and Gooseberries in a mackerel starter and panna cotta dessert

• Also, outside the kitchen garden walls, we’re also foraging in the 63 acres of grounds we have here. Currently we’re rustling up some wild garlic and elderflowers.”

As a B Corp, we try to source the most sustainable produce for our kitchens, which no surprise means lots of fruits and vegetables from our kitchen gardens to reduce food miles. Last year we harvested over 800kg of produce for use in the kitchens and cookery school here at Lainston House. From sowing to growing to cooking, nothing goes to waste. Interested in seeing it all first hand? Click here to join Stef for one of our kitchen garden tours and get inspired - you’ll be a gardening pro in no time.

“We’ve got a special new team member in the KG this year – Buddy the Quail. I incubated several quail eggs a couple of weeks before Christmas, Buddy hatched on the December 23rd and named by my children (who were well into watching Elf pre-Christmas of course!), Buddy now comes to work with me every day. He stays in the polytunnel, and as chief pest controller, keep the woodlice, spiders and even aphids under control.

Plus, the female quails, which also hatched around the same time (who stay at home) supply eggs to The Wellhouse restaurant and are a star ingredient in our asparagus starter. Talk about earning your keep!
Now, although Buddy is doing his best, he’s working overtime and can’t cover the whole kitchen garden himself So, we’ve got some other techniques to keep the bugs off our produce. You can also try these at home when growing your own…"

• Organic sprays: We use SB Invigorator spray, which is totally organic and helps to keep a large variety of insects under control
• Reused netting: We use Enviromesh netting for brassicas to control cabbage white caterpillars
• Horticultural fleece: Great for creating a barrier against carrot root fly and for keeping the early frosts off plants

So, are you ready to jumpstart your green journey? Try growing something at home or swing by reception, where we regularly sell starter plants for charity that you can take home and nurture.

Whether you're here for tips, updates from our gardens, or to explore our dish ingredients, don't miss the chance to see and experience it all in person! Click below to find out more about our Kitchen Garden tours over the warmer months.