MARLE AT HECKFIELD PLACE AWARDED A MICHELIN GREEN STAR

On Wednesday 16th February, Marle at Heckfield Place was awarded a Michelin Green Star, an accolade dedicated only to those restaurants at the forefront of sustainable practices.

Under culinary director Skye Gyngell, the award marks the team as trailblazers for both their ethical and environmental standards, combined with culinary excellence that is deemed an inspiration to both keen foodies and the hospitality industry as a whole.

Overseen by Skye Gyngell and executive chef Michael Chapman, the menu at Marle is dictated by the ethos that the very best tasting food is locally and responsibly grown, with produce being delivered daily from Heckfield Home Farm on the estate, and partners at Fern Verrow farm in Herefordshire. Heckfield Home Farm is an organic farm that follows biodynamic principles and its five-acre Market Garden is certified biodynamic.

Using a pared-back style of cooking, diners are able to experience the immediacy of food served fresh from the earth as dishes evolve from nature and respond to the changing seasons. For instance, current highlights include Tortellini of farm potato and porcini mushrooms with sage butter to start; followed by Home Farm lamb with cime di rapa and anchovy cream; and Estate rhubarb tart with Heckfield cream. Even cocktails are seasonal. A current highlight is the Winter Garden Bellini, made with rhubarb from the Market Garden and apples from the orchard – roasted, blitzed and topped with Heckfield Classic Cuvee.

Located within an elegant Georgian family home lovingly restored and rewoven back into 438 acres of Hampshire countryside, everything at Marle links back to the land. Right from its conception, Skye and the teams across the Heckfield estates were determined to return the farm to a certified biodynamic and organic offering. Overseen by the Heckfield estates Head Farmer and Head Grower and supported by the formidable consultant Jane Scotter, who has been in an exclusive farm-to-table relationship with Skye at Spring since 2015, the farms provide for the House and restaurants: from flowers, orchard and soft fruits to market garden crops and honey.

In 2020, the Heckfield team also celebrated opening their own dairy, generating organic wholesome milk, cream and butter for Marle and its sister restaurant, Hearth. The milk from their 57 Guernsey cows is also used by Village Maid, a local cheesemaker, to create award-winning cheeses including the Heckfield Cheese.

Elsewhere, 53 breeding Suffolk, Hampshire and Southdown sheep roam, along with 10 British saddleback pigs and two flocks of 400 free-range Hyline chickens are bred to grace the plates. There are 20 beehives across the Heckfield estate including the orchard where the blossoms of apple, pear, greengages, damsons, quinces and more will help create delicious honeycomb for the restaurant in the future.

Seven greenhouses – each set to different temperatures – propagate everything that goes into the cut garden, nurturing lettuces, soft fruits, brassicas, squash and a variety of species of tomatoes. They also support the hotel’s house plant program along with the Arborist teams who are growing the next generation for the Arboretum. Edible blossoms are surrounded by a living hedge of hawthorns, mulberries, and blackberries.

Everything grown on the farm forms the basis of the root-to-plate feasts served at the table and used throughout the year to decorate the house with floral arrangements throughout Marle, Hearth and the rest of the House. The farm captures the essence of Skye and Heckfield’s approach – starting with good clean soil, standing for something planet-positive and joyful, and giving back to the community and the planet.

To find out more about visiting Marle, please visit: www.heckfieldplace.com/food-drink/marle.