Pull on your wellies and head to Padstow Kitchen Garden,
a 5-acre market garden on Trerethern Farm, where it seems they are seeing how literal they can take the expression “Field to Fork”. Hosted monthly from Autumn through to Spring, Ross Geach owner and head gardener of ‘PKG’ puts on a feast that is served in one of his many working polytunnels. Ross set up the kitchen garden on his family farm, situated just outside of the foodie hub; Padstow.
Now a 6th generation farmer, with the help of just one employee Lewi, he provides spray-free veg, and herbs to chefs all over the country, including Rick Stein, whom he trained with and worked for as a head chef for over 10 years.
Passionate about growing and rearing first class produce, Ross not only entertains and wows his guests with his polytunnel menus, but also informs and educates people on how important high welfare and seasonality is.
The dishes at these events are always based around what is growing in the garden at the time of the pop up, with the main course quite often being pork, from the farms own pedigree large blacks Cornish pigs.
Everything is cooked outdoors on the Big Green Egg’s or the OFYR fire pit, giving the food a delicious smoky flavour.
Ross takes inspiration from his foodie travels and knowledge from his ‘cheffing’ background for each event he hosts at the farm. The menu is never the same, with dishes varying from chorizo balls with sherry vinegar and parsley to asparagus drizzled with herby buerre noisette and edib
One pop up saw Ross create a whole menu focused on cauliflower, after being astonished by the amount of waste Cornwall sees each year from this veg, simply due to big growers not needing the amount they have grown. Each dish from the five course menu was totally different, the favourite being tempura cauli served with a spicy thai dipping sauce. The guests left with a new found love for cauliflower, excited to trial for themselves some of the unusual ways Ross had cooked the brassica.
The most recent pop-up event to be held at Padstow Kitchen Garden was a Sunday brunch. Branded by Ross as a “full Padstow breakfast”, everything on the plate (except the bread which is bought from a local baker) comes from the farm: sausage, bacon, chorizo beans, potato cake and a chicken or duck egg served on Coombeshead Farm sourdough. With a side order of a Bloody Mary, and a view overlooking Little Petherick Creek, there’s no better way to spend a lazy Sunday morning.
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Ticket prices vary
Blog and photography by Gemma Shapcott
