Stately home's kitchen garden team gets set to reveal secrets in rare summer tours

A TALENTED team of gardeners are set to reveal the secrets to growing top Cumbrian produce in a series of exclusive summer tours.

Members of the public will be able to take a rare look behind the scenes of the private walled garden at historic Holker Hall for the once-a-week event throughout August.

The tours - to be held on Thursday afternoons at 2pm - will see visitors invited into the kitchen garden at the property to see how a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers are grown on site every year.

Kitchen garden team member Dan Fairclough will lead the tours revealing some of the closely guarded secrets to their continued success.

Glyn Sherratt, Holker Hall’s head gardener, said: “Visitors often travel long distances to visit the gardens here at Holker. They are beautiful all year round, there’s always something new to see.

“But our kitchen garden is separate from the main garden and somewhere usually off limits to the public.

“These summertime tours are one of the only chances to catch a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes as we make the most of the unique microclimate to grow fresh fruit and veg throughout the year.”

The produce in Holker’s kitchen garden is grown to organic, no dig principles.

It is used to provide fresh, seasonal ingredients for the Courtyard Cafe and the Ilex Brasserie, just a wheelbarrow’s journey away.

Glyn added: “The kitchen garden team are very talented and manage to grow a lot of produce every year which helps to keep our food miles low and the ingredients completely fresh.

“Those who join the tours are welcome to ask questions and pick up a tip or two from the team.”

The kitchen garden tours will take place at 2pm on Thursday 15, 22 and 29 and are free with every purchase of a house and garden ticket.

They are on a first come, first served basis and limited to just 30 tickets per tour, so book early to ensure you don't miss out.


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