From Farm to Fork: Supporting Sustainable Events with Our Kitchen Garden

Did you know our campus has its very own kitchen garden? Our talented Grounds Team has been cultivating fresh, seasonal produce, helping us host sustainable events with food that’s grown locally and served straight from plot to plate.

By growing our own ingredients, we reduce food miles and reliance on external suppliers, putting sustainability at the heart of our catering operations and delivering fresh, eco-conscious dishes.

A Year of Growth in Our Kitchen Garden

In its first year, our kitchen garden has produced a variety of seasonal crops, carefully selected for use in event catering, dinner, and salad menus, as well as in our catering outlets across campus.

Grown just steps from our kitchens, this produce offers unbeatable freshness while minimizing the environmental costs of transport and packaging, key for creating truly sustainable events.

Our chefs have enjoyed experimenting with the garden’s yield, adding a local, seasonal touch to their dishes that makes every event memorable and eco-friendly.

Traditional and Innovative Sustainable Gardening

To support sustainable events, our garden combines traditional and innovative growing methods:

The Outdoor Kitchen Patch

Our soil-based garden uses eco-friendly techniques to nourish the soil naturally, promoting long-term soil health and biodiversity.

Hydroponics: Smart, Sustainable, and Space-Efficient

Hydroponics grows plants in nutrient-rich water without soil, offering several benefits for eco-conscious catering -

• Efficient water use: Water goes directly to plants, reducing waste.
• Cleaner produce: Fewer pests mean less need for chemical treatments.
• Maximized space: More crops in less space, ideal for campus gardens serving events.

By using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and other biological controls, we’ve reduced chemical use, aligning with our mission to host truly sustainable events.

Hosting Sustainable Events with Fresh, Local Produce

This is just the beginning. Our vision is to expand the kitchen garden, increase its contribution to our catering supply chain, and inspire sustainable practices across all campus events.

Working with our Grounds and Catering Teams, we strive to prove that eco-friendly, farm-to-table catering can make a real difference.

To find out how we can help you host sustainable events with fresh, seasonal produce, contact our team at 0300 555 0214.