Bovey Castle Hotel launches garden tours

Bovey Castle, a historic manor in Dartmoor National Park, is providing guests with a unique opportunity to learn about the sustainable origins of its fine dining dishes. 

The hotel has launched Kitchen Garden tours, allowing visitors to experience the concept of "fork to fork" eating; where they can see how locally grown produce is cultivated and used in their meals.

The 60-bedroom hotel, which features the acclaimed Great Western Grill (3 AA Rosettes) and Smith's Brasserie (1 AA Rosette), has a 1,400 square metre kitchen garden that opened in spring. 

This garden supplies the hotel’s kitchens with fresh herbs, vegetables, and seasonal ingredients, including edible flowers chosen by the chefs.

Managed by Kitchen Gardener Erin Welch and overseen by Estates Manager Ian Speare, the garden includes a variety of growing areas, such as market-style vegetable beds, cut flowers, and tiered beds with perennials and soft fruits. 

Guests on the tours will see the entire gardening process, from sowing seeds to harvesting produce.

Recent harvests have included a mix of heritage and F1 tomatoes, alongside varieties of lettuces like Lollo Rossa and Flashy Butter Oak. 

The garden also grows perpetual spinach, tree spinach, beetroot, carrots, mangetout, and peas, as well as a variety of herbs, such as sweet basil, coriander flowers, mint, and thyme. Edible flowers like viola and borage add colour and unique flavours to the dishes prepared by the chefs.

Erin, who relocated to Devon in 2020 after working at RHS Rosemoor, emphasised the importance of promoting "fork-to-fork" eating. 

She said: “I think promoting fork-to-fork eating is so important as it helps educate people on where their food comes from and appreciate each ingredient’s journey as it not something you’d normally consider in many restaurants.”

She also highlighted the sustainability benefits of this approach, including reducing food miles and carbon emissions. 

“It’s important to recognise the fundamental connection between the wellbeing of the soil and habitat, and the mental and physical health of the people,” Erin added. “We want to encourage guests to visit the Kitchen Garden and understand this connection.”

Kitchen Garden tours are held twice a week at the hotel.