"Locally sourced." "The finest British produce." "Hyper-seasonal." Phrases like these are often seen on restaurant menus but diners struggle to know what they mean in reality.
But the farm-to-table movement has been steadily establishing itself over recent decades and restaurants seem to have finally clocked on: touting eco-friendly credentials can mean a major boost for business.
The arrival of the Michelin Green Star in 2022 helped cement this shift. Sure, the food itself is important but there's now another metric for measuring success. Is the restaurant pulling its weight when it comes to sustainability?
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At its essence, farm-to-table dining is about cutting out carbon-heavy transportation costs and bringing ingredients from nearby farms directly to chefs in the kitchen. Here are five restaurants showing how it's done.
The 'thrillingly isolated' location and superb food at Monachyle Mhor makes the boutique hotel stand out
(Image credit: Alamy / Tony Smith)
Monachyle Mhor, Perthshire
For a "lochside lunch" assembled from the produce of a 200-acre working farm, said Rosalyn Wikeley in the London Evening Standard, make a pilgrimage to Monachyle Mhor. Situated in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, the journey to this "blush-pink farmhouse" is well worth the effort. The boutique hotel and restaurant's "pantry" is two gleaming lochs "brimming with fish" and a series of vegetable gardens laden with wild garlic. Monachyle's "thrillingly isolated" location and superb food is a winning combination.
Conde Nast Traveller's readers crowned this little family-run no-dig farm as their favourite restaurant in the UK in March. The eatery opened next door to its decade-old sibling, Chef's Table, last year and has caused quite a stir in Chester. Prices are "very reasonable", said Rick Jordan on the travel website, and the place is small enough to "experiment" with the farm produce and "have a bit of fun". It might be "laid-back" but talented young head chef Jay Tanner shows "serious intent". Dishes span everything from "tender strips" of gravlax trout cured in beetroot juice from the farm to "nostalgic" custard tarts with rhubarb compote.
A true "pioneer of the UK's farm-to-table movement", Simon Rogan's impact on the industry is colossal, said Lela London in Forbes. The chef established Our Farm back in 2011 to supply ingredients for his Michelin-starred restaurant, L'Enclume. A second star swiftly followed and, on its 20th anniversary, the eatery was crowned with a coveted third star. Growing ingredients in cold, rainy Cumbria has its challenges and yet L'Enclume "thrives" under Rogan's watchful eye. Around 80% of the produce for his "empire" of restaurants is sourced directly from the farm. He also employs a full-time forager to comb the surrounding hedgerows and woodland for extra treasures.
Found in Redland – one of the "really-quite-nice" areas of Bristol – this "intimate" bistro has just 24 covers and is the type of place you can go for a fun evening out "without being too showy", said Lilly Subbotin in The Independent. Wilsons, which received a Green Star in the 2022 Michelin Guide, has its own two-acre market garden a short drive away where it grows most of its fruit and veg. Diners are treated to a six-course set menu; each "delicate" plate of food demonstrates a "clear and definite respect" for the ingredients used. Despite being on the "somewhat pricey side", it's worth getting the matching wine to make the experience extra special.
Celebrated New Zealand-born chef Margot Henderson helms the kitchen at this cosy pub, which opened to much fanfare last year in Batcombe, Somerset. Her "deceptively skilled take on simple fare makes perfect sense" in this "coveted 17th-century boozer", said Susan d'Arcy in The Times. Ingredients are carefully sourced from a local network of trusted suppliers where possible; the beef and pork comes from the eco-friendly regenerative Slow Farming Company, while greens are provided by the no-dig pioneer Charles Dowding. Expect a daily-changing menu "liberally sprinkled with Henderson's greatest gastronomic hits".
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
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