Peter Lowbridge

You Can Now Dine Inside A Huge Hydroponic Farm In Central London

3 weeks ago

True farm-to-fork dining in the city? Welcome to The Orangery

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‘Local and seasonal’ is the tagline for many London restaurants, but few can compete with new opening The Orangery Tottenham Court Road, which is home to the capital’s largest hydroponic farm.

Inside The Orangery, London’s Innovative New Farm Restaurant

A partnership with Square Mile Farms, the pioneering spot grows fresh, pesticide-free ingredients directly beneath the restaurant, offering true farm-to-fork dining in the heart of the city. The farm blends hydroponic technology (a method which involves growing plants without soil) with vertical farming techniques (growing crops in vertically stacked layers in controlled environments) to achieve a yield equivalent to 1.1 acres of traditional farmland.

Breakfast dishes on the table at London restaurant The Orangery

Peter Lowbridge

Much of the produce is used to create dishes for the restaurant, alongside premium meat and fish, focusing on modern British fare. Key dishes will include leek and shallot tart with cavolo nero, Herefordshire beef with baked celeriac, Scottish halibut with sea herb butter, and pasta with organic pesto and Lincolnshire poacher, but naturally the menu will change according to which produce is available. Even the walls of the restaurant will display thriving crops – and the chef’s table is located within the farm itself, offering a unique private dining experience where guests can enjoy a bespoke tasting menu surrounded by the produce on their plate.

This kind of model is a step forward in the future of urban agriculture. Not only does it offer a solution to the challenges of growing food in cities, it’s also water-efficient, using up to 90 percent less water than traditional farming methods, and the controlled conditions means plants grow more quickly. Plus, the use of LED lighting means ingredients can be grown throughout the year.

Tables at a restaurant in London, The Orangery

Peter Lowbridge

Aside from the food, The Orangery will have a strong social focus. It will run educational farm tours for local schools and universities, as well as host gardening clubs, community harvests and seminars on urban farming. And while 70 percent of the produce grown supplies the restaurant, the other 30 percent will be donated to schools and charities across Camden.

Could this be the future of eco-conscious dining in the city?