On a sunny August morning, Steve and Aaron, The Packhorse Inn’s Head and Sous Chefs, visited edible plant growers, Nurtured In Norfolk, for a Taste Tour. From the nursery to the greenhouses and production rooms, the chefs learnt about the process behind the colourful produce that they love to use in their dishes back in the kitchen at The Packhorse.
The chefs across our Chestnut kitchens pair Nurtured in Norfolk herbs and flowers to compliment and enhance the flavours in their dishes, while our bar teams add fresh and dried flowers to garnish cocktails.
A LABOUR OF LOVE
From seedling to packaged product, the guided tour showcased the intricate process that can take up to twelve weeks, including planting, watering, cutting and pressing by hand. The chefs explored the nursery and tasted a variety of produce, from micro herbs and edible leaves to flowers and herb oils - full of flavour and inspiration for future dishes.
A COLOURFUL COLLECTION
Nurtured In Norfolk grow over 280 varieties of fresh produce, including Bunched Fresh Herbs, Micro Herbs, Herb Oils, Sea Vegetables, Pea Shoot, Baby Veg, Micro Veg, Edible Leaves, Edible Flowers, Pressed Edible Flowers & Leaves, Dried Edible Flowers, Dusting Powders and Dried Fruit.
AS NATURAL AS CAN BE
All Nurtured In Norfolk products are grown on a natural soil base, rarely using pesticide or fungicide. Instead, they use beneficial insects that are released into the greenhouses to attach to specific pests, mainly relying on these predatory insects to do the work for them. This means their products can be picked seven days a week and are as natural as possible - adding seasonal flavour and colour to our dishes.
PERFECTLY PAIRED PRODUCE
"We use Nurtured In Norfolk produce at The Packhorse purely because of the variety of product and their excellent quality. I particularly love Marigold and Lemon Verbena for desserts and Sea Vegetables are a great addition to fish dishes. On our next menu, we'll be using Borage Leaves with our Smoked Mackerel Pâtè - the Borage Leaves have a distinctive cucumber taste and work perfectly with the fish. We also love to use Apple Blossom when in season, because of its sharp flavour."
Steve Angier, Head Chef at The Packhorse Inn
Mackerel with summer tomatoes and Blue Nasturtiums for their peppery flavour
Smoked duck with artichoke and Shiso Leaves
Greengage and Lemon Verbena ice cream sandwich
A huge thank you to Ruby for taking the time to show our chefs the behind the scenes at Nurtured In Norfolk HQ. If you are a baker, chef, mixologist or just love anything plant based, get in touch with the team to book one of their Taste Tours: info@nurturedinnorfolk.co.uk
TASTE THE PRODUCE
To see The Packhorse's sample menus or make a reservation, tap here.
Watch the Taste Tour over on our Instagram reel here.
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