Secret Garden at Gleneagles inspires afternoon tea

Gleneagles’ Michelin star chef has thrown open the door of his secret garden as the hotel runs a series of exclusive afternoon teas.

Andrew Fairlie is preparing for the first in a series of collaborative afternoon teas taking place at Perthshire’s Gleneagles Hotel from August to November.

As part of this exclusive series, acclaimed Scottish chefs and Michelin star holders, Tom Kitchin and Lady Claire Macdonald, have also created a uniquely personal afternoon tea drawing on their Scottish roots and championing local produce.

Gleneagles is home to Scotland’s only two Michelin star restaurant, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie.

Andrew is passionate about his Secret Garden, a very special space hidden behind Victorian, ivy covered walls and featuring a traditional greenhouse. It’s here, along with head grower Jo Campbell, they lovingly tend to rare and heritage vegetables, fruits, herbs and edible flowers.

The Flavours of the Secret Garden Afternoon Tea has been conceived as a celebration of summer with the garden reaching its peak in August with an abundance of beautiful produce, bursting with summer flavours. This is reflected in the Provençal amuse bouches and fresh summer flavours used throughout the menu such as cucumber, strawberry, geranium and raspberry.

The afternoon tea will be created by Gleneagles’ team of expert pastry chefs from 20 August.

Inside Andrew Fairlie’s Secret Garden

Andrew said: ‘Our Secret Garden has undoubtedly been my biggest inspiration over the past number of years, and is a source of great pride for us all.

‘It is the product of a close collaboration between Head Chef Stevie McLaughlin and Head Grower Jo Campbell, and is the result of years of meticulous planning and relentless backbreaking work.

‘Jo is an extremely gifted woman. Her vision and dedication – supported by a very talented and hard-working all female team – has added a completely new dimension to our kitchen, and has taken the restaurant to a whole new level.

‘The remarkable ingredients she produces continue to surprise us all, and now guides our cooking season by season.’

The quintessentially British hotel offers the perfect setting to enjoy the relaxing ritual of afternoon tea in the newly refurbished Glendevon, an elegant room with design celebrating the natural hues of Scotland’s flora and fauna. The Glendevon opens onto a stunning sun terrace where afternoon tea can be enjoyed al fresco on beautiful days with views of the glorious gardens, croquet lawns and the Ochil Hills in the distance.

Edinburgh-based, Tom Kitchin, will bring his ‘nature to plate’ philosophy to life with his take on the traditional afternoon tea in September, while Lady Claire Macdonald will take inspiration from her ancestral home on the Isle of Skye, bringing the best of Scottish home cooking to Gleneagles’ celebration of afternoon teas in November.

Afternoon tea at Gleneagles is enjoyed through the year by both hotel guests and non-residents visiting for the day.

Andrew Fairlie’s Secret Garden Afternoon Tea is available between 20–26 August for £40 per person.

For more information and to make a reservation, visit www.gleneagles.com or contact Gleneagles’ dining reservations team on 01764 69 4270. Complimentary transfers are available by prior arrange from Gleneagles train station.