New £350k field to fork kitchen restaurant opens in High Legh

Farmer David Fryer and wife Becky have created a unique ‘true seasonal dining’ experience in the middle of one of their fields.

Groobarbs Field Kitchen has been developed inside a beautifully converted barn at Groobarbs Wild Farm in High Legh.

Groobarbs Field Kitchen is situated in a converted barn in the middle of one of the fields, a 6.5 acre market garden (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

The innovative dining concept has created 22 new jobs.

Farmer David Fryer has created a restaurant to showcase what he grows (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

Guests can watch chefs at work as a large open kitchen runs the full length of the venue and sits at the heart of the modern rustic barn.

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Vast bi-folding doors wrapping two sides of the barn provide views straight out onto the fields from which the organically inspired products are lovingly grown and picked.

Some of the dishes made from the fresh produce (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

Esteemed chef Mark Price, who gained a Michelin listing at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen, heads up the kitchen.

David, who has two children aged two and five, said: “As a farmer you have these mad ideas of creating a restaurant to showcase what you grow, but to see Mark turn our fresh produce into truly inspirational food is brilliant."

After graduating from horticultural college, David worked on farms all over the world.

A dish inspired by beetroot (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

A labour of love has seen his dream of working with fruit and vegetables come true.

In 2013, he bought a small patch of land in High Legh and started growing crops with wife Rebecca, and packing veggie boxes at home.

The couple brought their produce to local artisan markets every weekend for seven years to make their fledgling enterprise viable.

Flowers handpicked from the farm provide a soft and almost village festival atmosphere (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

During the pandemic, the business grew seven-fold in just one month.

More land was purchased, including 60 acres at Great Budworth, which now forms the bulk of the veg box supply.

The restaurant uses only ingredients freshly picked from the farm and prepared on-site alongside complementary meat and core products (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

David said: “Over the last eight years we’ve been delivering our freshly picked produce direct to people’s doors with our Groobox veg deliveries.

“Now, thanks to our loyal customers, we’ve been able to build something we like to think is really special, and are pleased to be able to invite people to enjoy the produce in the very environment in which it’s grown.

'We've been able to build something we like to think is really special' (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

“I feel we owe it to everyone that has supported us to make something great and bring veg and fruit growing back to Cheshire.”

Guests can come for lunch or dinner (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

Every dish is inspired by the farm’s harvest and uses only ingredients freshly picked from the farm and prepared on-site, alongside complementary meat and core products.

Head chef Mark Price (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

Head chef Mark said: “I’ve been fortunate to work all over the country but to get the chance to do something like you would see down south and in my own back yard is great.

“Cheshire has always had the potential to do something like Groobarbs Field Kitchen.

“As a chef I thrive on the opportunity to be creative.

Head chef Mark Price and farmer David Fryer (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

“Working with produce from the fields right in front of me, if you can’t get excited about that it’s time to pack up.

“Each week I get to walk the fields and discuss with David what is being harvested next, then I get a day to play around in the kitchen and come up with that week’s menu.

Guests can watch head chef Mark Price working in a large open kitchen (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

“Every week is different, that would be a challenge in most places but because the farm works around a weekly veg box harvest it works really well for the kitchen too.”

Complementary produce is carefully selected from some of the region’s best artisans and producers.

Guests sit at large wooden tables and chairs dressed in soft cushions (Image: Groobarbs Field Kitchen)

Freshly baked bread is supplied by Lovingly Artisa, drinks from Dunham Massey Brewing Co, dairy products from Clotton Hall Dairy in Chester and Sheldon’s Dairy in Knutsford and meat from Ken Webb’s Traditional Farmhouse Meat, amongst others.

Guests are invited to walk the market garden either before or after service.

The restaurant is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday A five-course set menu is available for £29.50 per person at lunch or £33.50 per person at dinner.

A three-course feast is available every Sunday. Reservations are by advance only with guests seated at large wooden tables of between six and 12 diners, making for a truly social and seasonal dining occasion.

Sittings are at 1pm and 7pm, with guests kindly asked to arrive up to 30 minutes in advance. Private hire is available for parties of up to 84.

The modern rustic décor sees wooden paneled walls set against a polished concrete floor, with simple wooden tables and chairs dressed in soft cushions and flowers handpicked from the farm providing a soft and almost village festival feeling.

Guests inspired by Groobarbs Field Kitchen’s menu can recreate some of the many dishes at home, with Groobarbs Wild Farm’s Groobox veg boxes delivered direct to the door.

Boxes rotate weekly, just as with the Field Kitchen menu.

To find out more or make a reservation, visit groobox.co.uk/field-kitchen.