Will Devlin at The Small Holding, Kent
Farm and Forage at The Small Holding, Kilndown, Kent
Spring-Summer dates 2020
Go foraging this year with Will Devlin, chef owner of The Small Holding. Starting in May, when everything is green and fresh, guests will discover the rich bounty of nature’s wild larder. From dandelions and wild garlic in Spring to elderflower and wild strawberries in early Summer through to damsons, sloe berries, chanterelles and cobnuts in Autumn, the countryside is full of edible delights; you just need to know when and where to look.
The Small Holding ‘Farm and Forage’ days start at the restaurant at 9.30am with coffee and warm, homemade pastries before pulling on wellies and heading through the gate into the farm. After feeding the pigs and chickens, guests will walk amongst the poly tunnels and raised beds learning about the 200 varieties of fruit and vegetables being grown on site. Then guests will venture down the lane with Will to the woods and fields to go foraging and learn about what’s in season and what is best to eat. By May, Spring will be in full throttle and fully green and guests can expect to find carpets of wild garlic, wild fennel, wood sorrel, yarrow, nettles, sweet cicely, dandelion, chickweed, garlic mustard and maybe even morel mushrooms if they’re lucky.
Returning to The Small Holding, guests will be greeted with a glass of awarding-winning Squerryes’ English sparkling wine before being seated for either a Full or Half Acre tasting menu. Sample dishes might include Asparagus, Lovage and Mustard; Hogget, Fennel and Chilli; Lettuce, Mushroom and Dill; Strawberry, Basil and Elderflower.
The Farm and Forage days are available on the third Wednesday of the month between May and September and is priced at £145 for Farm and Forage and a 5 course Half Acre menu or £195 for Farm and Forage and a 10 course Full Acre menu. Both experiences include a welcome glass of Squerryes’ Vintage Brut, a local and award-winning English sparkling wine.
Bookings can be made direct via www.thesmallholding.restaurant or by calling the restaurant on 01892 890 105.
May Farm, a beautifully appointed self-catered three-bedroom barn, catered and run by The Small Holding and only a short walk from the restaurant, is also available to book alongside Farm and Forage days.
Farm and Forage 2020 dates: 20 May | 17 June | 22 July | 19 August | 16 September
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Notes to editors
The Small Holding is a kitchen and farm on a country lane in the pretty village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders.
The 26-cover restaurant has been named as the best restaurant in Kent at the Taste of Kent Awards and is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between farm and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with daily changing menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10ft from the kitchen. Rare breed Berkshire pigs, chickens and ducks roam the farm while The Small Holding’s own bees pollinate and feast on the wildflower beds.
May Farm at The Small Holding
Guests travelling to eat at The Small Holding are now be able to stay at May Farm, a rural country retreat run and catered for by restaurant team. In the heart of the High Weald of Kent and only a short walk or drive from The Small Holding, May Farm is in the blissful solitude of 40 acres of farm and woodland. Once an ancient farm building, May Farm has been converted into a homely and well-designed space sleeping up to six guests. Dogs and muddy boots are welcome too. Combining country comforts with contemporary flair, May Farm retains the charm of the original threshing barn with wooden timbers and exposed brick walls.
“The menu reads like a list of all that is good in a British larder. Self-sufficiency, careful sourcing, purity of intent and an absolute focus on flavour. It’s easy to fall in love with The Small Holding for the warmth of the staff, its good intent and deft execution.” Tony Turnbull, The Times Magazine
“A group of folk growing things, then pulling them out of the ground, sometimes knobbly and lumpy, then cooking and serving them. It’s perfectly imperfect and I wouldn’t change a thing.” Grace Dent, The Guardian
For images, more information or for press review stays please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room PR on 07730 039361 or hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk
The Small Holding
Ranters Lane | Kilndown | Kent, TN17 2SG
www.thesmallholding.restaurant
bookings@thesmallholding.restaurant
Telephone: 01892 890105
Instagram: @the_small_holding_
Open Hours
Wednesday to Friday 12pm-2pm; 6pm-11pm
Saturday 12pm-11pm
Food served 12-2pm; 6-9.30pm
Sunday 12-4pm
Food served 12-2pm