A recently-launched collaboration between private chef Lucy Pattinson and smallholders Kat Goldin and Kevin Harrison at Gartur Stitch Farm, Port of Menteith, is offering immersive culinary events, workshops and retreats that showcase the best of local produce and traditional cooking methods.
Fodder + Farm had its launch weekend in June with Lucy explaining: “I’m so thrilled to work with Kat and Kevin to bring Fodder + Farm to life. It’s been magical to collaborate with local farmers, growers and artisans to create menus and events at Gartur that feed your soul and light that fire in your belly that leaves you eager to learn more.”
Lucy is a private chef who specialises in open-fire and game cooking, and has cheffed all over the country – from fine dining and tasting menus in the city, to lodges, estates and castles across the Highlands. It comes as no surprise that she is a passionate advocate for local, seasonal food and sustainability.
Kat and Kevin, meanwhile, have run Gartur Stitch Farm, an education-led smallholding on the Cardross Estate about 14 miles from Stirling, that specialises in craft and food, for nine years. In that time, they have hosted thousands of people at their farm for workshops, “Meet the Goats” farm tours, courses and retreats, teaching traditional skills, sustainable living and food production – including learning how to hand-milk their small herd of dairy goats.
Their mission is to reconnect people with where their food comes from. Kat and Kevin are passionate about teaching regenerative agricultural practices and passing on traditional skills, from sourdough baking, foraging natural dyeing, and botanical printing to spoon carving and hand stitching.
Kat said: “We want people to be part of the story of their food, not just consumers – getting hands on with how things are grown and made, and gaining traditional skills that work in busy, modern lives.”
Together, Lucy, Kat and Kevin combine their passion for food, sustainability and education to create “unique and unforgettable” experiences at Fodder + Farm.
By joining forces, they aim to provide a holistic experience that not only tantalises taste buds but also educates and empowers participants to make conscious choices about their food and its impact on the environment.
Guests can learn about the entire food journey, from farm to table, and discover the importance of supporting local food systems and sustainable practices.
Fodder + Farm’s events and workshops include open-fire cooking classes taught by Lucy, where guests can learn how to prepare and cook local game and produce over an open flame. Meanwhile, farm-to-table dining experiences highlight seasonal ingredients grown and sourced from Gartur Stitch Farm and other local providers.
Hands-on workshops in traditional crafts like cheese-making, bread-baking and preserving are led by Kat and Kevin while educational tours include demonstrations of sustainable farming practices, including a chance to meet and milk the Gartur goats.
Guided foraging walks and wild food workshops help participants learn about and appreciate the abundance of nature with guests able to forage for their own pizza toppings.
For visitors who want to extend their stay at Gartur, Cardross Estate has a number of self-catering accommodation options from glamping pods to cosy cottages.
Alastair Orr Ewing from Cardross Estate added: “We’ve teamed up with Kat, Kevin and Lucy at Fodder + Farm to give visitors the option to extend their Gartur adventure. Together we’re creating more immersive, enjoyable and educational rural experiences – giving guests lasting memories to take away from Cardross.”
He added: “Collaboration is key to everything we do at Cardross, from our conversation work with NatureScot to enabling local ventures like Farm + Fodder which share our vision for sustainable rural enterprise.”
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