Aylesbury Vale pub announces free open day showcasing new 1.2 acre kitchen garden - including garden games, outdoor bar and food truck

An Aylesbury Vale pub has organised a free open day to celebrate the launch of its new 1.2 acre kitchen garden.
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The Akeman Inn in Kingswood is running a five-hour open day from noon on Saturday 23 July.

Philip Jones, a representative from the Oakman Group which owns the pub as well as a number of other Bucks venues, will lead visitors on a guided tour.

As well as the tour, the pub is setting up garden games for children, and opening an outdoor bar and food truck.

A team of gardeners have developed the siteA team of gardeners have developed the site
A team of gardeners have developed the site
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As well as planting over 500 native trees to create a new woodland margin, and apple and damson orchards, Philip and his team have been quietly working away over the last few months building new beds, paths and polytunnels.

They were enriching the soil over the winter and have created a series of plots which will allow for rotational planting, propagation, and crops for Oakman restaurants.

Philip said: “There’s nothing quite like fresh produce. In time, we hope that the Oakman Kitchen Garden will not only be a valuable and sustainable resource for our restaurants but will eventually develop into a valuable educational and community asset.

It is a 1.2-acre siteIt is a 1.2-acre site
It is a 1.2-acre site

"We believe that by growing our own fruit, herbs and vegetables, we will deepen the relationship between our guests, the environment, and our neighbours.

"For example, starting at the kitchen’s back door, undervalued ‘waste’ such as vegetable peel, coffee grounds or wood ash from the pizza ovens, will be recycled into our compost production.”

The Oakman Group was the first multi-site pub group to withdraw single-use plastic straws and cocktail sticks which were later banned in the UK.

Founder, Peter Borg-Neal said: “We’re investing in what I recognise is a very tiny step, but for a multiple-site pub group like Oakman, I think this is a first. It is so much more than being about food – although, of course, we will be producing our own fresh and superior-tasting produce – but it’s also about reinforcing the connection between our guests and the natural growing cycle through our seasonal menus.

“As well as re-using our natural waste for composting, the Kitchen Garden will help us to take small steps in reducing our carbon footprint for food sourcing and deliveries."

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