New chefs at a popular Dorset attraction are developing a sustainably sourced menu - of food from their own kitchen garden. 

The cooks at Sculpture by the Lakes, at Pallington, near Dorchester, are creating a 'disruptive' zero-mile menu as the demand for locally sourced  natural ingredients continues to surge.

The dishes on its menu served at its restaurant The Kitchen are not only sourced, but governed, by Sculpture by the Lakes’ on-site kitchen garden.

The menu already contains 90 per cent of the garden’s own produce, with anything they can’t grow on site sourced as close to the attraction as possible - but they want to offer more. 

The gardens' two chefs George Carter and Mark Ramsden are working with the on-site gardening team to ensure that next spring’s offering of vegetables, fruits and legumes is as abundant as can be.

They are starting with the ingredients and work out the menu from there.

George, Mark and the kitchen gardeners sit in the garden discussing timings, light exposure, temperature and, most importantly, harvest time. 

Mark said: “Having most of our produce locally sourced isn’t just important in terms of reliability for supply: it’s all about the flavour, having it so close.

"The sugars change in the vegetables when it sits in transit, whereas here it can be cut and on a plate in the hour.

“I’ve worked in this industry a long time and the asparagus here is the best I’ve ever had, so we must be doing something right!”

George and Mark have adopted a very adaptable approach to create their menu, which changes according to the garden’s yield.

Last summer, the restaurant’s garden produced a bumper crop of tomatoes. They were in such abundance George and Mark extended the menu to accommodate.

Soon enough the offering included homemade chutneys for the charcuterie boards, tomato and mozzarella salads, and shakshuka all bursting with sweet, ripe tomatoes picked and brought to the kitchen every morning and afternoon.

George states: “We don’t keep any fresh produce in the fridge – what’s the point when it can be cut and brought to the kitchen that morning?”

George and Mark work together with the head gardener, ChiChi Dunford to get the very best quality ingredients for the kitchen

“Only gardeners will understand what we ask of them,” Mark adds.

“We’ll ask for something and ChiChi will say ‘you can have it, but it won’t be at its best’ and will suggest something else instead.

"By working with her and the other gardeners, we get the very best of our produce and that comes out in the flavour of every dish.”

Next year visitors will be able to enjoy aubergines, red peppers, yellow and green beans, even more heritage tomatoes, heritage carrots, berries, as well as Japanese and Crown Prince squash.

The Kitchen forms part of the Makers Yard, which also has an on-site gallery, store and pantry.

For more information about Sculpture by the Lakes’ Kitchen at the free-to-enter Makers Yard, visit https://www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/the-makers-yard/#kitchen