Gareth Kensett, Food and Beverage Operations Manager, RHS Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire

Gareth has a passion for hospitality, what we eat and how we eat it. Being able to pass this enthusiasm down to his team and the customers that come to the garden at RHS Harlow Carr, is really what he lives for. He began his career at RHS Wisley, Surrey, where he was the point of contact between Company of Cooks and the RHS. He could see there was lots to learn and many exciting possibilities during his time there. This was a big reason why Gareth chose to relocate to Yorkshire and have the chance to showcase what good hospitality could look like at the RHS.

Gareth didn’t always see himself working in the food service industry, he initially trained to be an architect. To help get himself through college, he took a part-time job in a pub and never looked back. Gareth has worked in lots of hospitality roles and has taken elements from each of them to mould The Harrogate Arms Café at RHS Harlow Carr into something special. Each new experience, whether in pubs, restaurants or events, has helped him develop the offering at the Harrogate Arms.