Meet Adrian. He’s our expert Farm Manager with a flair for urban farm design and passion for sustainability education. He also has a wicked sense of humour and often we can’t tell if he’s joking or serious. What we can tell is that this man knows what he’s talking about when it comes to transforming sandy barren soils into biodiverse natural systems. Our kitchen garden consistently produces nutrient rich fresh food at the hands of this expert, and the quality ripples through our offerings, from the restaurant to our bar – you’ll likely find something from our garden in almost every meal or cocktail.
Our garden is immensely diverse. Offering this level of diversity hasn’t been an easy feat, with pest control and soil management strategies changing rapidly compared to a commercial farm, it’s important that the species of veggies and fruits we plant can work cohesively together both in-season and across seasons. Adrian is always thinking 1-2 seasons ahead, and things are developing more rapidly and excitingly here at Cupitt’s Estate than ever before.
His role here is to build strategies that transform our soils to nutrient rich dreamlands for fresh produce, and that the biodiversity from these natural systems abates climate change – and he’s nailing it. Adrian explains that “The reason we go through pain with things like composting is because we want to divert food scraps from landfill, to reduce the production of methane gases and to transform our soils so that we can consistently produce incredibly nutrient rich ingredients for our chefs”. This inherent drive to counter act climate change and change the way people think about consuming and growing food is why Adrian is so committed to his role here, yet his purpose extends beyond the boundaries of our Estate.
“How food is grown and where it comes from links directly to the sustainability and climate issues we are collectively facing” he explains. The world’s food system is responsible for almost a quarter of the greenhouse gases that are warming our planet each year. Between growing & harvesting the plants and animals needed to grow our food, plus the transport & packaging it takes to distribute it, there has never been a more important time to change the way we consume, purchase & grow food.
Our garden at the hands and mind of Adrian has proven that it’s possible to transform sandy soil into nutrient dense food systems. From there our Chefs meet regularly with Adrian to reinvent the Restaurant Tasting Menu based on what is ready for harvest.
Sustainability is a value that underpins everything we do, and Adrian is one of our biggest advocates consistently moving us forward in this space. We care deeply about the health of our planet and take responsibility as producers to change the game of how people consume food and how that collectively contributes to the future health of our earth and it’s people. We’re lucky to be able to reconnect people to nature through incredible food, and we don’t take a single day for granted in doing so.
We hope that our garden and sustainability practices motivate you to research ways you can create changes in your own life, and we look forward to welcoming you here to enjoy a beautiful meal with us soon. If you have any questions for Adrian, get in touch on our social media pages!
