What a summer we had! The heatwave meant the crops were in remarkably early, allowing the farmers a more sociable summer than usual. Meanwhile, we enjoyed a really good boost to the season, so we were spoilt for courgettes, lettuce, ...

The kitchen garden is in its element at the moment with beans, kale, chard, beetroot, carrots, lettuce, courgettes, cucumber, tomatoes, herbs and more. Ivan has done an amazing job keeping on top of the considerable watering and weeding – thank ...

The birds are doing their best to eat the sprouting kaibroc before us so we are having to take drastic measures in the shape of the return of Harry the hawk. He is handsome, tame and is actually a kite ...

This month, we are mostly obsessing about our beautiful new Sussex hens, courtesy of James Baty at North Acomb Farm, where we first saw them when they were mere chicks. The first sun of the year has also brought about ...

Oh my goodness, we are hanging out for springtime… I walked through Corbridge the other day and the crocuses were psychedelic against the dismal winter colours, the sun was out – the promise of spring and everything turning green is ...

The whole garden has been cloaked in sparkle dust today. We had to stop picking the kale mid-December as it had stopped regenerating with the lower temperatures and it doesn’t look like picking up anytime soon. The sprouting broccoli started ...

It’s so cold we barely want to go out in the garden and pick at the moment. But the bonus is the sunrises and our chef Richard in the Tea Room has been sharing his early morning sunrise and kale ...

Having just returned from a very relaxing, sea-tastic and majorly foodie holiday in Cornwall it has been quite tricky to get back into work mode. After a wedding for 150 (the loveliest couple) and Sunday lunch for 100 the next ...

Between planting, picking and serving all the produce from our kitchen garden, our newest team member, Richard Jack, head chef of our Tea Room, has been toiling in the heat with my husband Peter to keep the cogs turning. There have ...

I don’t know what the weather is like when you are reading this but I am writing this column during a full-on heat wave! This morning I went to walk the Whiplington (half whippet, half Bedlington and far too posh ...