The Grove Unveils Jemima’s Kitchen Garden
Cocooned by 300 acres of land, The Grove in Hertfordshire is renowned for its idyllic gardens that promise a haven for nature lovers. This year, The Grove is proud to present the latest addition to the grounds, Jemima’s Kitchen Garden: a space within the exclusive Walled Garden, which has been carefully curated by Head Gardener Natasha Geldenhuys and Garden Supervisor Abby Evans over the last year, to celebrate seasonal produce and botanicals. Jemima’s Kitchen Garden not only provides produce and ingredients for The Grove’s restaurants and bars, it also plays an important role in the biodiversity of the grounds, and provides a truly unique setting for an immersive dining experience.
Following a methodical plan to enhance the produce and plants in the Walled Garden, the team has introduced newly planted flora over the past year, including a selection of native grasses, wild flowers, and medicinal herbs. With a big focus on permaculture and wildlife, the team has tailored all conditions to attract beneficial predators to help with pest control and pollination which will help to restore the balance and health of the soil and land. As a result, Jemima’s Kitchen Garden has attracted new fauna and it is now home to a large number of honey bees, mason bees and bumblebees, as well as dragonfly larvae, newts, frogs, birds and more, proving the positive impact the new space is having on the local ecosystem.
Alive and flourishing, Jemima’s Kitchen Garden also provides a large volume of the ingredients for Chef Maarten Gerschwindt’s menus across the restaurants at The Grove. With Chef Maarten’s focus on regenerative farming and sustainable cooking and eating, these homegrown fruits, vegetables, and herbs are valuable additions. What’s more, The Grove is now producing hops that are used in The Grove’s very own beer and honey, created by on-site bee hives. Later this year, the team also plan to unveil a very exciting collaborative project with a local distillery.
As the gardens have come into fruition for their first full season this summer, The Grove is inviting guests to not only admire and immerse themselves in the beauty of the gardens and grounds, but also to dine nestled in the verdant setting with a true estate-to-plate menu. Available from 14 July – 12 September 2021 in collaboration with Jimmy Garcia, Jimmy’s Garden Table promises a wonderful dining experience, where guests will enjoy flavoursome dishes made with produce grown right beside them. Tables are priced from £540 and can accommodate up to 6 guests.
Creating an unforgettable experience for each visitor, the gardening team at The Grove has created an ideal landscape and has transformed the hotel’s land during lockdown. Of the project, Natasha Geldenhuys, Head Gardener at The Grove says: “The hotel’s gardens have been in the spotlight of the local community for a long time, and we have always been very precious about the land. However, in the last year we have managed to upgrade it to an even greater extent, introducing flora and fauna that were never present in our gardens before, bringing the garden into our dining concept in a more tangible way, and inviting guests to interact with the spaces and the produce. After a long winter of hard work, we are proud to reveal the new elements of our gardens for our nature loving guests to enjoy.”
Nightly rates at The Grove start from £370 for a West Wing Classic Room, on a room-only basis. For more information or to book please visit www.thegrove.co.uk or call 01923 296010.
