Chelmsford chef creates organically inspired chef’s garden

11 Jul Chelmsford chef creates organically inspired chef’s garden

Talented Chef Dan Pitts has been developing his green credentials at Channels Country Estate in Little Waltham.

He and his team have been creating a organically inspired chef’s garden, and over the last few months have been building, preparing and planting a variety of raised planter boxes and beds to deliver the freshest, most flavourful and nutritious daily harvest to the table at the award winning bucolic Bar & Brasserie restaurant.

Their growing inventory of vegetables, herbs and greens includes chillies, beetroot, tomatoes, radish nasturtiums, carrots, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb and blueberries.

Dan Pitts, says: “We have all had a great time developing the chef’s garden. From a chef’s perspective, there’s something so rewarding about growing our own produce. For one thing, we know where our food originates, how it’s been looked after and that it’s only travelled from the garden to the kitchen door. Our customers expect organic quality, with food miles being high on the list.”

“The other advantage is the freshness. We have already used produce that we have grown in our menu. It is very exciting to pick the food shortly before it is served and the taste is fantastic!”

General Manager Katie Squire, a member of the Channels Estate-owning Stubbings family, oversaw the project and has been very much hands-on throughout the creation of the Chef’s Garden. Katie comments: “It has been a lot of work but great fun and I have learned so much. I was involved in selecting the herbs, vegetables and fruit trees, as well as getting down and dirty with my gloves and trowel.”

Committed to maintaining an all-organic garden, Dan and Katie scoured Essex for edible plants at local farmers markets and nurseries, supplemented by seeds to round out the supply. In addition, Katie and her team at Channels have planted a variety of lavenders, rosemary and roses to serve as bee magnets, ensuring a buzzing pollination programme throughout the seasons.

Indeed, this is not the only organic path taken by Channels Bar & Brasserie, as they have recently added a range of fabulous new Johnty’s Ducks organic wines to their wine list.

Katie says: “We already support local growers and artisanal food producers whenever possible and our commitment to promoting our green credentials is the logical next step. We are constantly striving for excellence and will continue to add value to our offering.”
Today, with a healthy percentage of people now preferring to eat organic foods over the non-organic alternatives whenever possible, more consumers are seeking out restaurants and places to eat that offer organic based menu options.

The Chef’s Garden at Channels is easily accessible to customers and allows diners to visit the very row which supplied their vibrant greenery, but strictly on a ‘no touching’ basis, naturally!