What got you into herbs as your speciality and how long have you been growing them professionally?
Back in 2010 I began an experiment: I would grow plants alongside my studies to pay off my tuition fees. It worked. I finished my degree and the business paid for my course. I actually submitted my final thesis while sitting in the polytunnel. In late 2010 I began growing herbs and fell in love with the weird and wonderful flavours that could be grown. I remember the afternoon that I encountered pineapple sage. That was a game changer for me. In 2012 we began to grow only herbs. It has been my sole source of income ever since.
You travel around the country during the summer selling your plants. Do you ever spot any trends for particular herbs and do tastes differ between the places you visit?
Travelling around the UK selling herbs has taught us an important lesson. There really are no stereotypes when it comes to people’s love of growing. We don’t have a typical customer. Our stand will regularly be packed by people of all ages and genders who share a passion for growing unusual things. We recently worked with a school in Birmingham, working with students who had recently come from Syria. It was amazing that they still recognised the varieties of herbs that they enjoyed at home. I guess we all enjoy the smell of lime mint or blackcurrant sage in the same way, no matter who we are or where we are from!
You like to create ‘herb menus’ for your customers. What is your particular favourite?
Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Kitchen Garden.
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Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Kitchen Garden.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SEPTEMBER SPECIALS
This month, with sweetcorn, figs and blackberries on the menu, Anna Cairns Pettigrew is not only serving up something sweet and something savoury, but all things scrumptious
FLAVOURSOME FRUIT AUTUMN RASPBERRIES
September - is it late summer or the start of autumn? David Patch ponders the question and says whatever the season, it's time to harvest autumn raspberries
SOW GREEN THIS AUTUMN
Covering the soil with a green manure in winter offers many benefits and this is a good time to sow hardy types, says KG editor Steve Ott
A HISTORICAL HAVEN OF FRUIT AND FLOWERS
KG's Martin Fish takes time out from his own plot to visit a walled garden in Lincolnshire which has been home to the same family for more than 400 years
RESTORING THE BALANCE
The phrase regenerative gardening is often heard in gardening circles, but what is it? Can it help you to grow better veg? Ecologist Becky Searle thinks so, and tells us why
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Garden Organic's Anton Rosenfeld shares his expertise on using compost made from green bin collections with handy tips on getting the right consistency and quality
Celebrating Organic September!
In this special section we bring you four great features aimed at improving your crops and allowing nature to thrive
SEEING RED
Do your tomatoes have a habit of remaining stubbornly green? Or perhaps you're lucky to enjoy lots of lovely fruits - just all at once. Either way, Benedict Vanheems is here with some top tips to ripen and process the nation's favourite summer staple
NEW KIDS ON THE BROCCOLI!
Rob Smith is talking broccoli this month with a review of the different types available and suggestions for some exciting new varieties to try
A NEW kitchen garden
Martin Fish is getting down to plenty of picking and planting on the garden veg plot, while Jill is rustling up something pepper-licking good!
