‘A day on our farm’ by chef Simon Rogan

“They can do anything organic – raw meat, fish heads, fish tails – we can even grind up bones and shells,” explains farmer John Rowlands, standing near several huge composting systems that were designed by a former Formula 1 engineer, while the rest of us, positioned at a safe distance from the smell, sip glasses of cold liquor. I didn’t expect manure to start a supper club, but I’m very attentive. “We don’t put any food waste into landfill – it all comes back here,” says Rowlands.

This is our farm, the 12-acre estate run by pioneering British chef Simon Rogan, located at the southern edge of the Lake District. It is the heart of the Rogan empire, which provides (and recycles) most of the produce used in his UK restaurants, including the three-Michelin-starred L’Enclume. During the summer, it welcomes visitors for a series of events called “A Day at Our Farm,” each of which begins with a guided tour led by Rowlands, the farm’s manager, and his head chef Liam Fitzpatrick, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the group’s pioneering approach to sustainable food. Visitors enjoy delicate seasonal snacks along the way, sampling ingredients among the plots in which they are grown, and finishing with an al fresco banquet-style meal.

The farm is a mile from Cartmel, a small village nestled in the patchwork hills of rural Cumbria, known for its racecourse, its 12th-century priory, its date pudding and, for two decades now, L’Enclume. When Rogan opened the restaurant more than 20 years ago, emerging as one of the leaders of the UK’s farm-to-table movement, he initially sourced ingredients from a local organic producer, but over time outgrew his capacity. Coupled with a growing interest in environmental issues, in 2011 he began leasing farmland in the Cartmel valley and set up Our Farm in the hope of building a sustainable operation that could supply premium fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers to the entire restaurant group. “A lot of time was spent thinking about the farm, but not enough about the name,” jokes Sam Ward, the group’s managing director.

The proximity of our farm to L’Enclume, as well as other farms in Rogan, Restaurants in the Lake Districtallows produce to be picked every day before serving, lending greater flavour to the dish (Aulis, Rogan’s one-star restaurant in London, gets deliveries a couple of times a week). Chefs work closely with farmers to determine what is grown, how to grow it, and develop dishes around the farm’s yields.

The place is an ingredient paradise, with abundant banks of rosemary, thyme and chives, a kaleidoscopic array of currants and an education in the diversity of colourful mint, cabbage and kale varieties. There are tunnels of different types of cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, flowers, herbs and much more, along with a host of other plants intended to attract pollinators and beneficial insects – part of the farm’s biodynamic and regenerative ethos. Fitzpatrick, who, before joining the farm, helped lead nearby Rogan & Co to its Michelin star, was keen to host this series of on-site guest events to showcase his work; the rest of his time is spent helping chefs choose ingredients and preserving, pickling and fermenting surplus produce. “My job is to make sure we have things on the menu all year round,” he says. His colleagues refer to him affectionately as the “Prince of Pickles”.

Before arriving at Our Farm, visitors are gently reminded to dress appropriately – this is not the sort of well-tended kitchen garden one might find at a country hotel, but a working farm, with sweaty glasshouses, mud and manure. After our introduction to the latter, we head to an allium patch, where, as a ginger farm cat swirls around her ankles, Rowlands explains how complicated it is to grow red spring varieties, and a tray of delicate Red Baron onion tarts and Old Winchester cheese arrive – sweet, tangy and a fine tribute to the farmer’s efforts.

Aside from delicate vegetables, farmers face many other challenges, but erratic and unseasonable weather is the growing concern. This year has been particularly difficult: some crops, such as chard and onions, should have been moved from the gardens to the fields by now, but nights have been too cold, says Rowlands. Courgettes and cucumbers should be ripe for picking, but they appear to have reached their teens.

Sometimes the plants flower far beyond expectations, which is a test for chefs. “We still have 300 pounds of beans in the freezer from last year,” says Fitzpatrick, as we sample some that have been fermented, diced and presented in a leaf to be devoured like a one-bite taco.

The educational and epicurean tour continues through tunnels and allotments, with apple and elderflower kombucha, crackers topped with spicy pickled cucumbers, and crudités of baby carrots and radishes, sweetly presented in a terracotta pot with “soil” (seasoning) and green onion dip.

Dinner, served family-style at long tables set up next to a simple outdoor kitchen and grill, is a celebration of what grows around us or what has been lovingly preserved from the past year. Charlotte potatoes with butter, rosemary and thyme, salt-baked rutabagas cooked in beef fat, charred crispy kale — I could go on — accompanied by spectacular beef short ribs, glazed in a fermented green bean sauce, soft enough to eat with a spoon. We finish with a Basque-style cheesecake flavored with woodruff, an herb used for its vanilla or tonka flavor, Fitzpatrick says, one of many plants used to infuse puddings with specific characteristics rather than seeking out produce they can’t grow. “It’s so easy to ask for a lemon or an orange or a lime, but this is what I find most exciting: making those flavors happen with plants I didn’t even know existed,” she says.

The events, which run until early September, will take place from 4pm on Mondays and will include a night’s accommodation in one of Rogan’s 16 rooms in Cartmel (lunch services were also initially offered on Tuesdays, but were sold out at the time of publication). If time and finances permit, it’s worth extending your stay to dine at The Enclumewhere produce reaches the pinnacle of haute cuisine in an extraordinary 15-course menu (£250 per person) that has earned the restaurant recognition as one of the world’s best. The whole experience, from the cuisine to the skilfully choreographed service, is akin to watching Roger Federer on the grass or Lewis Hamilton win at Silverstone: an expertly performed ballet, seemingly effortless but based on an enormous amount of care and hard work. Everything starts from scratch.

Getting there: Cartmel village is just over five minutes drive from Cark & ​​Cartmel train station, or a 10-minute drive from Grange-over-Sands.

Niki Blasina was a guest of the Simon Rogan hotel group. A day on our farm It costs £150 per person excluding accommodation or £500 for two including one night’s accommodation in Cartmel with breakfast the following morning.

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