Food | STYLE
Meet the chef
A passionate believer in reductionism and tackling climate change, Ventnor Botanic Garden’s Head Chef, David Holley, would love to see everybody introduce at least two vegan meals into their weekly diet
By Amy Shephard Pictures Megan Clarke H
e uses the garden’s exotic offerings in as many dishes as he can — and creates a truly unique (and incredibly delicious) menu
for diners at The Plantation Room Café and edulis Restaurant.
As we strolled through 22 acres of rare and sub-tropical plants, David told me how the aromatic ‘Winter’s Bark’ (from the Drimys Winteri tree) was currently dehydrating in the kitchen, with some ground into a chocolate, biscuit and pistachio larder cake, while another portion steeps in vodka. A separate bottle, filled with rum, is infusing with magnolia heads — and an ‘acorn coffee’ is in its final stages of production.
“I come out into the garden and wander around thinking, ‘ooh, can I eat this?’” David tells me. “This garden is the main reason I came here back in August. The five degrees of extra
warmth means we can grow some unusual things. If we’re not careful though, climate change will mean we won’t be able to grow some of these anymore.”
David talks passionately about the benefits of introducing more plants and less meat into our meals. A lasagne he prepares once back in the kitchen is made almost completely with produce from the garden, apart from the cashew nuts and vegan cheese, which have been used to make the white sauce. It’s piled high with sliced courgettes, squash and aubergine, and filled with delicious tomatoes, olives and basil.
“There’s no reason why we can’t reduce our intake of animal produce. If a meal doesn’t need to have animal products in it, then why use them?” David says. “If ten people vowed to eat just one vegan meal per week, that would make a bigger difference
than one vegan person would make over the course of a year.” And he passionately believes this change will have a positive impact on both the environment, and human health.
“For me, it’s all about making the distance from tree to plate as short as possible. We’ve got lazy as a society in terms of shopping. We like to pick up everything in one shop. But supermarkets can be ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. The Island is blessed with so many creative minds, which are starting up businesses here. We can buy beautiful breads, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, chutneys etc. And if you do choose to buy meat and fish, buy local.”
David spends time over the quieter winter months perfecting new recipes. Sometimes, an idea may not come to fruition, but he enjoys exploring the different plants in the garden and playing around with them in lots of
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