FROM THE LAND
A Taste of the South Downs
At The Woodcote, we are guided by a simple philosophy: to work in harmony with the land around us. From our own organic Chef’s Garden and beehives to the wild venison and fresh trout from nearby Duncton Mill, every ingredient we serve tells the story of this landscape. Our partnership with local farmers, growers, and the Sustainable Food Trust ensures that what reaches your plate is honest, seasonal, and deeply rooted in the South Downs - a true taste of place.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD TRUST
The key to change
Founded by Patrick Holden in 2011, The Sustainable Food Trust (SFT) was primarily established to address worsening food and farming systems, and to accelerate the transition to more sustainable practices, that nourish the health of people and planet. The trust works across a broad range of initiatives. These include new models and systems that deliver on climate, nature and health and a global framework to measure sustainability practices.
At The Woodcote, we are proud to be supporting the trust, as we believe their mission is very important, and it also aligns perfectly with our vision for better, healthier food and practices. Everything we do is viewed through the sustainability lens – consciously reducing food miles by using local suppliers and developing our own kitchen garden (metres from our kitchen), replacing unhealthily farmed salmon with fresh trout from down the road, and continuing to add to our Sussex wine list.
We are enthusiastic champions of local venison, which features regularly on our menu, and we work closely with the local deer manager, who, in turn, works with Natural England and the South Downs National Park, to ensure the stability of our local herds and their environments. The more we work together, the more we can achieve.
Much of our fresh produce comes from Chef’s Farms, who believe in the power of good farming practices, and supply us with local, seasonal and ethically grown produce. From composting, to managing our own beehives and even religiously turning lights off, we are doing our best to do our bit for the planet, adding to our rosta of sustainable activity all the time and learning as we do so.
And, this is just the beginning, as we intend to do much more – as a business and also in partnership with the SFT. As we learn more, as we adopt more sustainable initiatives, we will be able to start sharing our knowledge and experience with our guests and others interested in pursuing similar practices. Watch this space.
We are proud to be supporting the trust, as we believe their mission is very important, and it also aligns perfectly with our vision for better, healthier food and practices.
THE CHEF’S GARDEN
From Soil to Table
We We began our organic Chef’s Garden at the start of this year, and it has been providing homegrown abundance since the spring. First came salad leaves and a large variety of herbs, soon followed by carrots, beetroot, spinach and chard. By midsummer the beds were brimming with French and runner beans, courgettes, cucumbers and more. For a relatively modest patch, the variety is remarkable.
It is a daily joy to see our chefs gather fresh ingredients and use them across our menus, bringing to life the farm to table spirit that lies at the heart of The Woodcote. Guests are always welcome to join a tour with our chefs and gardeners, to see first hand how the garden shapes what appears on the plate.
Starting from scratch gave us the rare chance to build the garden on the best foundations. Our Head Estate Gardener, Phil, is a passionate advocate of no dig gardening, a method that protects the rich networks of fungi, insects and worms that live beneath the soil. “Soil knows how to look after itself,” he says. “All we need to do is add a layer of good organic matter every winter.”
Rabbits and deer have been kept at bay so far, though Phil keeps a watchful eye. Slugs and snails are yet to make an appearance, another small miracle. Around the borders, zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers provide colour for the restaurant and our rooms, adding beauty as well as flavour. And of course, our bees are perfectly positioned and always on hand to pollinate these vegetables and herbs, completing the natural cycle that makes the garden thrive.
For something so new, the Chef’s Garden is already extraordinarily productive. And this is only the beginning: the plan is to create a year round supply of fresh produce, from pumpkins in autumn to hardy salad leaves and root vegetables through the winter months. An ever changing harvest, feeding straight into the creativity of our kitchen and into the bar too, where our herbs and flowers bring an extra freshness to our cocktails.
OUR BEES AND HONEY
A Taste of the Downs
At The Woodcote, we believe the best food comes from what is closest to us, grown, gathered, or nurtured in the South Downs. Our hives are a perfect expression of that philosophy.
When the idea of beekeeping first came up, we turned to our Head Gardener, Phil, an experienced beekeeper of many years. Under his care, three hives now sit in our own fields, quietly at work through the seasons.
The bees forage among wildflowers, trees, and hedgerows, pollinating the landscape and producing honey with a flavour that is entirely of this place. We are very proud of the taste of our honey, shaped by our wonderful location at the foot of the Downs. Our first harvest in June is followed by a larger one in July, bringing golden jars of honey to the breakfast table and subtle sweetness to dishes across our menus.
Bees are extraordinary creatures: protecting their queen, regulating their hives, and even sharing directions through the “waggle dance,” a dance that tells fellow bees where to find the richest nectar. As autumn draws in, they turn to building winter stores while Phil carefully checks their health before leaving them to rest until spring.
There is something quietly magical about watching him walk across a meadow of buttercups, smoker in hand, towards the hives. And there is something equally special in tasting the result, honey harvested just yards from our kitchen, part of the seasonal and locally sourced dining experience we are proud to share with our guests.
LOCAL VENISON
Delicious, versatile and healthy
One of the cornerstones of our food philosophy at The Woodcote is venison. Underappreciated (in our opinion), we are on a quiet mission to see more of our guests enjoying this delicious, versatile and healthy meat. With a year-round supply from local woodland, it regularly features on our menus, whether as part of a delicate starter or as a main dish.
Deer manager, Peter, looks after nearby herds and supplies The Woodcote’s venison. “In the winter months, from September to March, it’s fallow deer and from April to October, it’s roe deer, which has a more delicate flavour and is better suited to summer’s lighter dishes,” he says.
“It’s fantastic that The Woodcote champions venison and has it on the menu throughout the year,” he says. “We need restaurants to use the meat – they’re an essential link in our supply and sustainability chain, as managing numbers is essential for herd health, as well as the biodiversity of the land.
There are no natural predators and there’s only a certain amount of food for them to eat, so if there are too many deer, they start to go hungry. Also, with fewer deer there is less browsing, less trampling and more chance for woodland saplings to survive.”
It’s a fine balance and Peter works closely with Natural England, whose role is to protect England’s nature and landscapes, and the South Downs National Park, to ensure the stability of the local herds and their environments.
In the kitchen, our chefs create dishes that use as much of the animal as possible – it’s not unusual for a Woodcote venison dish to include loin, shoulder and leg, as well as a venison pasty.
Making the most of every cut, with as little waste as possible, is all part of the land to table principles we are pursuing at The Woodcote.
We are on a quiet mission to see more of our guests enjoying our local sustainably managed venison.
DUNCTON MILL
Fresh, light and full of flavour
Just five minutes down the road from The Woodcote, Duncton Mill Trout Farm supplies us with the fresh rainbow trout that regularly features on our menu. The clear, spring-fed waters of the fishery’s four lakes ensure outstanding flavour. And, as the fish are hand-reared using traditional methods, with no automated equipment, they are exceptionally high quality.
Dan Young took over the farm in 2020 and he has gradually been rebuilding and developing the business since then. His ethos is quality over quantity and this is reflected in the calibre and flavour of the fish he supplies to The Woodcote.
Trout is a versatile fish when it comes to pairing with other flavours. From powerful beetroot to delicate cucumber, it holds its own and more. The dishes on the sharing board for our Sunday Woodcote Roast may well include a cured Duncton Mill tartlet with yuzu dressing. On the Seasonal Menu it is served with lemon balm oil, cucumber and oyster tempura.
