Chef Raymond Blanc’s vegetables to grow for flavour

The story behind the garden

Based in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is the home to Raymond Blanc’s inspiring gardens and orchards.

When Raymond and his team took over the garden in 1984, the site was half vegetable beds, half orchard – complete with ponies grazing beneath the trees.

View of hotel at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons from the gardens

Over the first few years, plenty of manure was incorporated into the mainly clay soil, and drainage installed to cope with the saturation caused by the natural slope of the garden. Surrounding trees and stone walls stop the garden from being too windy.

With such tasty veg and fruit, it wasn’t just people who wanted to taste Raymond’s produce. “Butterfly netting is good for stopping the caterpillars and keeping the deer and rabbits out.” says Raymond Blanc, “Enviromesh (very fine netting) helps against the flea beetle and carrot root fly. We’re also a bit of a frost pocket so fleece is used as a ‘blanket’ in colder conditions.”

​Take a tour of Raymond Blanc’s veg garden

Raymond’s top veg to grow for cooking and eating

• Beans
• Cocoa beans such as ‘Tabis’
• Flageolet beans such as ‘Chevrier vert’
• Aubergine ‘Moneymaker’
• Celeriac ‘Ibis’
• Lettuce ‘Reine des Glaces’
• Carrot ‘Nantes’
• Tomato ‘Marmande’ and ‘Coeur de Boeuf’
• Turnip ‘Demi-long de Croissy’
• Squash like ‘Crown Prince’ or ‘Musque de Provence’

Tomato seedlings in home-made pots

Where to start with growing your own

Throughout the years, Raymond has settled on some firm favourites, and has advice for any foodies who want to grow their own.

“Look for varieties that aren’t easy to get hold of. For example potatoes like ‘King Edward’ and ‘Maris Piper’ are easy to buy. Try ‘Ratte’ or ‘Belle de Fonteney’, which are excellent, but rarely seen. Also, think of the size of the plot. If it’s small, look for multi-use crops such as Swiss chard or try growing vertically, plants like climbing French beans or runner beans. Some smaller squash like ‘Delicata’ can also be grown on structures.”

Harvesting home-grown potatoes