Graham Garrett, The West House

Graham Garrett is owner and chef of The West House at Biddenden in Kent.  After working for Nico Ladenis & Richard Corrigan, Graham opened The West House in 2002 and won a Michelin star just two years later, which he has now retained for twelve consecutive years. In addition to the West House, Graham provides menu design consultancy to hotel chains and travel companies.

In late 2013, Graham installed an Evogro unit and after a year of living with it, he had the following to say:

    “For me, flavour is paramount, and I have not generally been a fan of micros – so many seem bland or dull and people use them just for the sake of it.  The whole point of adding anything to a dish has to be to enhance it.”

“The Evogro has been an amazing addition to the kitchen and has become a real talking point amongst customers who regularly ask if they can see it. The plants have real flavour and we cut the cresses at the pass as we plate each dish. You would be amazed at how much customer feedback we get, with people wanting to know what certain herbs are and where they can buy them.”

“You also have total control over what you grow and exactly when you harvest it. Experimentation in what we can grow has become part of our menu planning and the varieties are endless. It’s relatively simple to operate, which is important for a small team of relatively simple chefs. The app keeps us updated with its various commands of what to do and when to do it and may even turn one or two of us into farmers!”

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