[Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary meal at Roots + Seeds Kitchen Garden to review for this blog]
The Covid pandemic marked the end of many a hospitality business, as we all know too well. But for some people it also marked the start of a new chapter – encouraging them to take ‘that leap’ with the idea they’d been stewing on for years, or forcing them to pivot to a new way of doing things, or creating something entirely new inspired by their circumstances. The Scenic Supper was one of those. You might remember the idyllic pictures of a load of greenhouses lined up in the Cotswold countryside, forming private dining rooms perfect for a post-pandemic eating experience and allowing pals Toby Baggott and Sam Lawson-King to embark on a new business journey together.
It wasn’t short-lived, but like any successful hospitality business it evolved and changed – shifting location, moving to beautiful barns in the winter when even the hardiest diner didn’t fancy braving the elements with only glass as protection. And now, Toby and Sam are on to their next chapter – opening up a bricks and mortar venue slightly further down the Fosse Way in Cirencester.
Roots + Seeds Kitchen Garden is in many ways quite similar to The Scenic Supper. There’s an emphasis on local ingredients, which are either sourced from within a 25-mile radius or literally grown in the garden at its new home in Cirencester Park. There’s a carefully-chosen drinks list, a well put together menu, and the same infectious enthusiasm from Sam, who I’ve had the pleasure of being looked after by both times I’ve visited.
Yet in others, Roots + Seeds is a departure from some of the more high end aspects of The Scenic Supper – at least when we visit on a Saturday lunchtime – and that’s no bad thing given its new location and slightly different setting.
While greenhouses and sunsets make for perfect date nights and long, slow dinners, the brand new building in Cirencester is geared to families, dogs and everything in between. There’s a daytime cafe feel to it, with people piling in for coffee and cake after a dog walk through the park, kids fizzing with joy at the indoor play area designed just for them, and mums enjoying being let off the leash with a glass or four of rose while they pretend this is all about the kids catching up.
There are dogs under every other table and food whizzing out from the kitchen left right and centre. Sam tells us that the evening atmosphere is somewhat different, but this is a place that isn’t just about slow suppers and tasting menus these days – it’s about capturing the daytime trade and from what I can see, it’s doing that rather impressively.
The menu is a selection of light, spring dishes, with a few classics thrown in for good measure. The breakfast section has the obligatory eggs Benedict, Eggs Royal and Full English, but there are welcome additions of a rather nice sounding black pudding, potato and chive hash, plus tender stem broccoli with dukkah, poached eggs and sourdough. There’s evidence of foraging and home growing dotted around the menu, from wild garlic, nettle and dandelions to chard and woodland mushrooms.
Lunch has a mixture of obvious main courses like a pork chop or burger, along with a salads section, an array of ‘flatbreads’ and specials up on the wall. There’s lots that sounds good, from fried chicken and pork belly bite specials, to the nettle gnocchi from the main course, and all three of the flatbreads.
We rationalise our choices and decide on the pork belly and a special request of a smaller portion of fried chicken to start, followed by the gnocchi, a fresh-sounding tomato tart and one of the flatbreads. We figure we can take what we don’t eat home. Because we all like to live in self-delusion, right.
The ‘small’ portion of fried chicken is still pretty generous. Which is great, as it’s fab. Rather than a coating or breadcrumb, it feels more like batter, and I’m 100% here for it. Light, crispy, with moist, tender chicken underneath. It’s well cooked, full of flavour, and proof that fried chicken really is one of the best things in the world. Especially when served with creamy, crunchy, fresh-tasting slaw.
Pork belly bites are good too – my mate is worried that one of hers is a bit tough, but the ones I have are all decent. Melt in the mouth fat, tender meat, and that guilty pleasure feel of knowing you’re essentially eating fat and not caring in the slightest. Especially when you’re washing it down with a rather delicious Cava.
The tomato tart isn’t what we expect. And then we admit we didn’t know what we expected. Instead of a pastry case it’s more of a pastry bottom, and the tomatoes really are the star of the show. They’re sweet and full of sunshine, and a bit of extra salt makes the flavours pop even more.
We’ve chosen the flatbread topped with pea, asparagus, wild garlic and a fried egg. It’s a good brunch or lunch dish, and we all know wild garlic elevates everything. We’re both expecting a slightly lighter bread maybe, but the pizza-style dough works well and the fact that there’s none left at the end means it was clearly pretty good.
But it’s the nettle gnocchi that has us cooing in delight like the mums across the way over a pushchair. In fact, we might be even more effusive. It’s a bowl of loveliness. Soft, pillowy gnocchi coated in a thick wild garlic sauce that’s punctuated with an array of mushrooms. It’s brilliantly seasoned, full of earthy savoury loveliness that has your spoon heading back for the bowl the minute it leaves your mouth.
The mushrooms are the right degree of meaty and chewy, the sauce the right consistency, and before we know it we’re scraping the bowl clean. It seems rude not to pair it with wine, and it’s refreshing to see that Sam and his pals are still addressing their drinks with a savvy attitude, serving up a Provence-style rose that’s from Languedoc to avoid the price tag associated with the latest cool tipple while still giving the people what we want.
Desserts are classic with a twist. An over-used phrase, I know, but I can’t think of a more accurate way to describe them. My Bakewell Tart has all the elements of a good old Mr Kipling fave, but is rustic and less messed with (which we’d hope, right). The pastry is buttery and crumbly, with a layer of frangipane but then the addition of whole almonds for crunch. A tart cherry puree is a welcomingly natural alternative to any glace cherries you might get elsewhere, and their homemade mascarpone is a creamy delight.
My friend’s rhubarb creme brûlée is an interesting one. The perfectly-judged layer of caramelised sugar cracks open to reveal custard that at first glance seems like it might not be as smooth as it should be. Then we realised that it’s the inclusion of rhubarb that has changed the consistency. The flavour’s great, the texture a bit of an acquired taste, but we finished agreeing that yes, it does work.
We’re there for a decent amount of time, and Roots + Seeds is full for that entire time. It’s a bustling, busy place, that’s clearly a regular haunt for some, and the chosen destination for many a family or group outing. It’s somewhat different from The Scenic Supper in many ways, so don’t come expecting a carbon copy of that experience, but what the guys have created is something new, something that fits with its surroundings and yet still stays true to the ethos they had when they first threw a load of greenhouses in a field and gave us a restaurant experience when we wanted it most.
Roots + Seeds is a vibrant, happy place serving up decent food in a lovely setting. Maybe not the place if you’re after a quiet, tranquil meal (although this may be the case for dinner), but if you want somewhere you can get decent food made with fresh ingredients, a glass of something nice, and you want to know that the whole family is welcome – from grandparents to mum and dad, kids and the dog, then this is the one for you.
