Once the Bathurst family’s foxhound kennels and stables, Roots + Seeds Kitchen Garden café and restaurant occupies a newly built light-filled space with vaulted ceilings and large windows overlooking the kitchen garden.
Situated at The Old Kennels in Cirencester Park – part of the Bathurst Estate – the venture comes from the guys behind The Scenic Supper at Moreton-in-Marsh, old school friends and founders Toby Baggott, Sam Lawson-King, and Scott Sullivan.
The trio want their eatery to engage with both the environment and community, aiming to use its onsite kitchen garden to achieve 75 per cent home-grown fruit and vegetables by spring 2025.
Head Chef, Sam Idione’s sumptuous and varied menus use locally reared beef, lamb, pork and poultry, game from the Bathurst Estate and fresh fish and seafood delivered daily from Brixham in Devon.
Vegetarian and vegan dishes are available on every menu. A regularly changing seasonal specials board offers delicious ‘Field to Fork’ dishes based on what’s best on the day.
Simon worked for Rick Stein in Padstow, also 2* Michelin Restaurant Patrick Jeffroy in France and he has catered for football icon David Beckham’s summer garden parties.
This restaurant is perfect for mums, who would like to pop in for a bite to eat and bring their children to play happily in a safe and spacious indoor play area.
What we tried
We arrived full of excitement and immediately were put at ease as we were greeted by the extremely personable Danielle, who led us to our table.
On a warm and rain-free evening, I wanted something to quench my thirst, so I ordered a Cotswold Craft Lager from the Cotswold Lakes Brew Company – probably the best pint I have ever tasted. My partner, who is a bit of a lush, opted for a Salted Caramel Espresso Martini – it looked fab, so I tried some.
She opted for a starter of pulled pork croquette complimented with red onion puree. A generous portion – it was, in her view, a perfect pick for croquette lovers.
My pick had zero food miles – a courgette directly summoned from the kitchen garden. Yellow in colour, it was bursting with flavour and divinely married with Feta and garden herbs.
Scanning the menu for our main course – I predicted my partner’s choice. As always, she ordered a steak. The 30-day dry aged meat was presented with beer braised shallot and salsa verde – it failed to disappoint and was cooked to perfection.
I, on the other hand, think you can know a restaurant by a go-to burger and chips. Again, this was on the money. It was served with red onion marmalade and coleslaw. From the first bite to the last, it was sublime.
Full to the brim, and entirely satisfied, we could have merrily left for the evening.
However, we had a tantalising dessert menu to peruse.
We finished the evening with a selection of delicious British cheeses, sourdough crackers and homemade chutneys and for our sweet fulfilment, a cheeky Eton Mess. Our shared dessert just delighted our taste buds and capped a memorable visit – we will be back.
Roots and Seeds, The Old Kennels, Cirencester Park, Bathurst Estate, GL7 1UR
rootsandseeds.co.uk
