Farm Caff: Restaurant Opens At Somerset’s New Regenerative Farm Project

In 2023, brothers Giacomo and Matteo took over a former dairy farm in Castle Cary, Somerset, with big ambitions. Over the past couple of years, they have transformed the land into a visionary regenerative farming project, with the aim of demonstrating how we can revolutionise the British food system. And now, they have expanded the offering by opening an on-site restaurant there, Farm Caff.

Inside Higher Farm, Somerset

Set in a barn within the fifty-acre farm, the new opening is designed to bring the farm-to-table concept to new heights. Diners are invited to reconnect with nature while enjoying weekly changing, hyper-seasonal menus. Along with their menu, guests receive a farm map, encouraging them to wander round and explore the surrounding landscapes after their meal. 

With open beamed ceilings and panoramic views of the Somerset countryside, it’s an idyllic setting, with two tables outside overlooking the lake. This May, an al fresco bar will launch there too, serving locally produced drinks and snacks. 

(c) Dave Watts

The kitchen is headed up by chef director George Barson, whose CV includes the likes of River Cottage and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – as well as his recently launched Beckford Canteen in Bath. Many ingredients will be grown and foraged on the farm, from purple sprouting broccoli to sweet peas and kohlrabi, with summer fruits like apples, plums and pears soon to arrive in the new harvest. Anything that’s not yet grown on the farm, meanwhile, will be sourced from like-minded local farms, including fish from The Sea, The Sea and baked goods from Landrace Bakery.

To give you a feel for what to expect, there’s starters of wild garlic soup and crumpets, and trout tartare with pickled rhubarb, ahead of larger plates of beets with walnuts and goats curd, slip sole with curry butter, and pork shoulder with celeriac. For dessert, there’s clotted cream cheesecake, rhubarb sorbet, and dandelion root fudge.

Higher Farm is all about living in harmony with the natural world: Giacomo and Matteo practise regenerative principles, avoiding pesticides, chemicals and fertilisers. They also work hard to encourage biodiversity on the farm – they have introduced a lake, orchards and beehives, as well as ducks, chickens and pigs. 

Alongside the restaurant, two new ‘Nature Cabins’ have arrived on-site, allowing overnight stays immersed in nature. And later this summer, the lake will open for wild swimming, alongside a programme of events for the local community.

VISIT:

Farm Caff is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from Wednesdays to Sundays. higher-farm.co.uk