Three AA Rosettes and Michelin Green Star for The Small Holding, Kent

Will and Matt Devlin

The Small Holding, Kent has been awarded three Rosettes by the AA Guide and retained its Michelin Green Star for the fifth year in a row

The Small Holding in Kent has been awarded three Rosettes by the AA Guide today, 18th February. Given only to outstanding restaurants that achieve standards that demand recognition well beyond their local area, the award is announced alongside The Small Holding retaining its Michelin Green Star for sustainability in gastronomy for the fifth year in a row.

Only 10% of the restaurants and hotels within the AA Restaurant Guide have three Rosettes and above. To achieve this the cooking must be underpinned by the selection and sympathetic treatment of the highest quality ingredients, while timing, seasoning and the judgment of flavour combinations is consistently excellent. The award is also supported by intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list.

The Small Holding was one of the first restaurants in the country to receive a Michelin Green star in 2021. Now with only 35 restaurants in the country who have achieved the award, the star recognises restaurants with a focus on environmental practices and is only awarded to those which hold a Plate, Bib or Star distinction. Many, like Will and Matt Devlin at The Small Holding work directly with growers, farmers and fishermen, forage in hedgerows and woodlands and grow their vegetables and rear animals. Other recipients of the Green Star include Black Swan, York; Coombeshead Farm, Launceston; L’Enclume, Cumbria; Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham and Silo, London.

Will Devlin, chef owner of The Small Holding, commented, “What an incredible feeling! Achieving three Rosettes and retaining our Green Star in the same week is a huge boost for our team and a recognition of everything we strive for daily at The Small Holding in our never-ending quest and drive for sustainability. These awards are for everyone on our team, in the kitchen, on the floor and on the farm who all work so hard and really deserve this, I’m so proud.”

www.smallholdingrestaurant.com
@the_small_holding_

Ranters Lane | Kilndown | Kent | TN17 2SG

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex.

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The Small Holding is open Wednesday to Sunday with an eight-course Full Acre menu costing £95 per person and a five-course Half Acre menu costing £75 per person, with the option of a wine flight. A three-course set Garden Menu is available on Thursday, Friday and Sunday lunch time, priced £55 per person.

For more information, images, interview or to visit The Small Holding, please contact Hannah Blake hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk | 07730 039361

Anthony Raffo joins The Small Holding as Sous Chef

Anthony Raffo in the kitchen at The Small Holding (credit Ashleigh Britten)

Anthony Raffo has joined The Small Holding in Kilndown, Kent, as Sous Chef. Having worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years, after spending time in France and the Channel Islands and working in some of the best Michelin starred restaurants in London, including Pied a Terre and Texture, Anthony is perhaps best known as the creative force behind Anglo in Farringdon. Under Anthony, Anglo achieved 3 AA rosettes, ranked 21 in the Harden’s Guide, had a Michelin plate and was one of the first in the country to be awarded Two Green Circles in the 360 Guide.

Anthony joins a strong team at The Small Holding, which has a Michelin green star and Three Green Circles in the 360 Guide, working with Head Chef James Chatfield and Chef and Founder of The Small Holding and Acre, Will Devlin.

Will Devlin comments, “Anthony has a real passion for British seasonal produce ​and to create interesting and unique dishes using ancient and modern techniques, which reinforces the work we do on the farm at the restaurant​, and introducing new and varied fermentation and preserving techniques to the team and our guests.”

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. 

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

The Small Holding is open Wednesday to Sunday with an eight-course Full Acre menu costing £95 per person and a five-course Half Acre menu costing £75 per person, with the option of a wine flight. A three-course set menu (from the full acre menu) is available on Thursday and Friday lunch time, priced £55 per person. The drinks list also includes housemade soft drinks, kombucha and non-nlcoholic wine, beer and spirits.

November at The Small Holding

Brasscias coming in from the farm at The Small Holding, Kentthe

November at The Small Holding

In some ways November offers a little respite before the busy festive season at The Small Holding, Kent begins in earnest. The wet, warm weather with bursts of sunlight filtering down through the woodland canopy, is a winning combination for the winter chanterelles and trompette wild mushrooms the kitchen team forages for the new month’s menus. While on the one-acre kitchen garden, where the days grow shorter and the air chills, the farm’s team thoughts turn to repair and restore, adding layers of nutrient rich mulch and organic matter all over the farm’s no dig beds. This black gold will feed the soil and rebuild its health and biodiversity after the impact of a full-on growing season. The farm team will be covering all this and more in the ‘Winter Planning’ Grow the Seasons course on 13th November, led by Head Gardener Alex with a few spaces left available. Soil health is crucial to a successful growing year, so this hands-on course is essential to understanding more about biodiversity and the microorganisms which feed the ground.

In the fields and woods, game season is in full swing with local shoots every weekend, keeping the restaurant larder stocked with wild duck, pheasant, and partridge. Wild game birds are one of the only truly sustainable meats and having had only a wild and natural diet, it’s a true taste of the season and the land. On the November Full Acre menu there are two game dishes starting with a Game Faggot glazed with preserved berries and served with a game broth finished with fermented elderberry balsamic, madeira and herb infused rapeseed oil, before a larger plate of Partridge, Parsnip and Mushroom, an earthy and deeply satisfying taste of Autumn.

Book a Table at The Small Holding

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. 

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

“Growing our own produce on the farm brings an understanding and honesty back to the kitchen, and vital freshness. Making the most of our harvests when the ingredients are at their prime - whilst also preserving and conserving them to use throughout the year, keeps us concentrated on the natural cycle of the land and helps us to create full flavoured and imaginative dishes.” Will Devlin 

For more information and images for The Small Holding, Will Devlin and Acre, please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room 07730 039361 | hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

Will Devlin cooks at Nordelaia, Italy for international chef pop up series

The chefs at Nordelaia, Piedmont, Italy

Will Devlin cooks at Nordelaia, Italy for international chef pop up series

Will Devlin, chef owner of The Small Holding, Kent will be cooking a series of pop-up dinners at LORTA, the farm to fork restaurant at boutique hotel Nordelaia in the Monferrato hills of Piedmont, Italy.

The seasonal dinner, in collaboration with Resident Chef Charles Pearce is a one-off seasonal menu that will be served at LORTO for only two nights on 18th and 19th October 2024.

Will and Charles share the same philosophy for using hyper-seasonal, local produce as well as championing small artisanal producers, and will bring their own distinct style to the LORTO kitchen. Autumn in Piedmont offers an abundance of native herbs, vegetables, and flowers to work with including, of course, mushrooms and truffles. The dinner will start with a welcome drink on the terrace overlooking Piedmont’s rolling hills, before an introduction from Charles and Will discussing their inspiration for the evening ahead. The menu, taking place in the height of the Piedmont truffle season offers eight courses, priced 150EUR per person, including wine pairing. Dishes include Pumpkin, Vinegar and Sage; Mushroom, Hazelnut and Truffle; Ravioli, Prawn and Chanterelle and Goat with Piedmont condiments.

LORTO, translated as ‘The Vegetable Garden’, serves predominantly vegetable-based dishes taken from the restaurant’s abundant kitchen garden and producers in the area, both of which provide constant inspiration to Charles and his small team of passionate, like-minded chefs

Other chefs in the pop-up series include Jacob Kenedy from Bocca di Lupo and Roberta Hall McCarron from The Little Chartroom in Edinburgh.

ends

About Nordelaia

Nordelaia is an independent hotel in the Montferrat area of Piedmont, Italy set in five hectares of agricultural land and with its own vineyards. Comprising 12 guest rooms and suites, Nordelaia combines destination dining, a spa, and activities that allow guests to discover the best of the area. Easily accessible from Milan, Genoa and Turin, the hotel is the perfect base to discover one of Italy’s most sophisticated and enchanting destinations.

About The Small Holding
The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of the Acre Group which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. The 36-cover restaurant and farm are set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging, and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough, and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

Farm Table at The Small Holding

Picking peas at The Small Holding (credit Saltwick Media)

Farm Table at The Small Holding

New for the Summer at The Small Holding, Kent is Farm Table, a series of intimate, alfresco suppers hosted amongst the wild flower meadow and vegetable beds on the one-ace farm. Exclusively for eight guests with just one sitting each month for July, August and September, this magical dining experience will start as the sun starts to set with a glass of Sussex sparkling from Artelium Wine Estate and a walk around the farm, watching the bees and butterflies and seeing what produce is in perfect condition to harvest. Much of the six-course menu will be harvested straight from the farm, where chef Will Devlin will cook elements of the menu over fire in front of guests. Showcasing a rainbow of summer vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers, expect to see freshly harvested farm crudités, tomatoes straight from the vine and still warm from the sun, barbecued kales, greens and peas and garnet-coloured berries picked from the bush served with garden herbs and warm chocolate sauce.

Reservations for July, August and September are open now and cost £120 per person.

Green Michelin Star 2021/22/23
360 Guide Three Green Circles 2024
Number 69, Harden’s Top 100 Restaurants
Number 89, Square Meal’s Top 100 Restaurants
Good Food Guide 2024 and shortlisted for best Farm to Table restaurant

About The Small Holding

The Small Holding is a Michelin green-starred kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. Run by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, as Chef and Head of Operations, respectively, The Small Holding is part of Acre, which also includes Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex. 

The 36-cover restaurant and farm is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between the land and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with monthly changing tasting menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10 feet from the kitchen.

The menu is defined by the farm’s own produce. Vegetables and fruits are harvested within hours of guests arriving; while charcuterie, sourdough and cultured butter and zero waste animal cookery from the farm’s own livestock, are made on site. The kitchen team works directly with growers, farmers and fishermen who share the same core values, and the team forage in the nearby hedgerows and woodland.

“Growing our own produce on the farm brings an understanding and honesty back to the kitchen, and vital freshness. Making the most of our harvests when the ingredients are at their prime - whilst also preserving and conserving them to use throughout the year, keeps us concentrated on the natural cycle of the land and helps us to create full flavoured and imaginative dishes.” Will Devlin

For more information and images for The Small Holding, Will Delvin and Acre please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room on 07730 039361 or hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

Grow the Seasons - new courses at The Small Holding

Head Gardener Jenny Huddart and chef Will Devlin at The Small Holding at the launch of Grow the Seasons

Chef Will Devlin launches ‘Grow the Seasons’ courses at The Small Holding

Learn to ‘Grow the Seasons’ on a series of new horticultural courses at Will Devlin’s Michelin Green Starred farm and restaurant, The Small Holding, in Kilndown, Kent. 

The hands-on courses are led by Head Gardener Jenny Huddart and her team, for a behind-the-scenes experience. Each full-day course will include a mix of practical and theory learning, as guests discover and share in the team’s knowledge on seasonal vegetable growing, ‘No Dig’ principles and how to be sustainable in their own gardens. 

Each course will be relevant to the season, such as making the most of Harvest in August, reaping the rewards of your hard work and making organic compost and feeds. In November’s Winter Planning course learn how to make the most of the end of the season by mulching, lifting and dividing the perennial plants and the last chance to sow overwintering crops.

The full-day courses cost £125 per person and will run throughout the year, in tune with the four growing seasons and include a relaxed lunch, using ingredients from the farm.

Find out more and book now for February, May, August, and November 2023 www.growtheseasons.com.

About The Small Holding

Will Devlin, 34, is the chef owner of The Small Holding, a kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. The 34-cover restaurant has a Michelin Green Star and was voted the best restaurant in Kent at the Taste of Kent Awards. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with daily changing menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10ft from the kitchen.

www.thesmallholding.restaurant
@the_small_holding_

Ranters Lane | Kilndown | Kent | TN17 2SG

“A group of folk growing amazing things, then pulling them out of the ground, sometimes knobbly and lumpy, then cooking and serving them. It’s perfectly imperfect and I wouldn’t change a thing.” Grace Dent, The Guardian

“The menu reads like a list of all that is good in a British Larder. Self-sufficiency, careful sourcing, purity of intent and an absolute focus on flavour. It’s easy to fall in love with The Small Holding for the warmth of the staff, its good intent and deft execution.” Tony Turnbull, The Times

Green Michelin Star for Will Devlin at The Small Holding

Will Devlin at The Small Holdinh

The Small Holding, Kent has been awarded a Michelin Green Star in the Michelin Guide 2021.

The new star was given to chef Will Devlin via a digital awards ceremony on Monday 25 January, presented by Kent based TV presenter Davina McCall.

This is the first year Michelin has awarded its green star for sustainable gastronomy to 23 restaurants in the Great Britain and Ireland guide 2021, after debuting in the French 2020 guide.

The award recognises restaurants with a focus on environmental practices and is only awarded to those which hold a Plate, Bib or Star distinction. Many, like Will Devlin at The Small Holding work directly with growers, farmers and fishermen, forage in hedgerows and woodlands and grow their vegetables and rear animals. Other recipients of this year’s Green Star include Black Swan, York; Coombeshead Farm, Launceston; L’Enclume, Cumbria; Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham and Silo, London.

Will Devlin, chef owner of The Small Holding, commented, “What an incredible feeling! This Green Star encompasses everything about The Small Holding and our drive for sustainability. This award is for everyone on the team, in the kitchen, on the floor and on the farm who all work so hard and really deserve this, I’m so proud.”

Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin guides commented, ‘These restaurants are not only an inspiration for the industry but also for all the readers and users of the Michelin Guide.”

www.thesmallholding.restaurant
@the_small_holding_

Ranters Lane | Kilndown | Kent | TN17 2SG

About The Small Holding

Will Devlin, 32, is the chef owner of The Small Holding, a kitchen and farm on a country lane in the village of Kilndown on the Kent and East Sussex borders. The 26-cover restaurant was voted the best restaurant in Kent at the Taste of Kent Awards and is set in one acre of land, permitting a unique connection between farm and table. Growing, foraging and cooking the best ingredients is at the core of The Small Holding, with daily changing menus, using home-reared and home-grown ingredients from the farm, which is less than 10ft from the kitchen.

Will’s second site, The Curlew, a former 17th century coaching inn in Bodiam, East Sussex opened in February 2020 and is 8 miles from The Small Holding. www.thecurlew.restaurant

For more information, images, interview or to visit The Small Holding, please contact Hannah Blake hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk | 07730 039361

Praise for The Small Holding
A group of folk growing amazing things, then pulling them out of the ground, sometimes knobbly and lumpy, then cooking and serving them. It’s perfectly imperfect and I wouldn’t change a thing.” Grace Dent, The Guardian

“The menu reads like a list of all that is good in a British Larder. Self-sufficiency, careful sourcing, purity of intent and an absolute focus on flavour. It’s easy to fall in love with The Small Holding for the warmth of the staff, its good intent and deft execution.” Tony Turnbull, The Times

“Striding confidently into its second year, Will Devlin’s restaurant shows no sign of slowing down, ‘a truly sensational experience’ is one fan’s heartfelt comment. The level of ingenuity generated by a kitchen on turbo drive, fuelled by its own small holding, hen coop and piggery is prodigious.” Will Devlin was named ‘Chef to Watch’ in The Good Food Guide 2020