Some restaurants talk about local sourcing. At Groobarbs, it’s as simple as walking a few metres from the kitchen door. Set on a working farm in Cheshire, this is true field-to-fork dining. Run by husband-and-wife duo David and Rebecca, Groobarbs is equal parts restaurant, growing project, and quiet celebration of the seasons.
Everything here begins in the soil. With over 50 varieties of fruit and veg grown on-site, the menu is constantly evolving — not for the sake of change, but because no two weeks on the farm are the same. There’s no à la carte, no QR codes, no tinkering around with substitutions. Just a well-considered set menu shaped entirely by what’s freshest, with produce pulled straight from the ground and onto the plate. The only thing you need to do is turn up and eat.
Meat does make an appearance, sourced from small-scale producers like Ken Webb’s Farmhouse just down the road, but it’s always a supporting player rather than the headliner. Think roasted brassicas laced with seasonal oils, root veg that’s been slow-baked or pickled to perfection, and sauces so clean and intense you’ll wish you could bottle them.
Diners are seated in a shared barn space that looks out across the beds and rows that fuel the kitchen, so you can literally see where your lunch was growing that morning. The mood is casual, the setting beautifully rustic, and the drinks list proudly local, featuring Dunham Press ciders, Mobberley beers, and small-batch English wines and coffee.
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