Adrian spent two days with Mat at The Wild Garlic in Beaminster, near Bridport in the run up to opening night, where he got the chance to share a typical working day with Mat, which included catching up with buyers and suppliers, some foraging for elderflowers and sea kale and what it takes to get a restaurant ready for opening night.

Adrian got the chance to meet Mat’s new fish suppliers, Samways, along with a guided tour (dressed in rather fetching white hats and overalls) round the fish plant, while getting to grips with lobsters, crabs and many types of fish.

The beautiful weather was ideal to also partake in a trip to the beach, where Mat shared his passion for foraging ideas and ways of enhancing flavours of your food with some plants that usually wouldn’t enter your mind to cook with. “Sea kale is a perfect addition to a salad, its leaves are tasty and the buds of the flower really pack a punch to a salad dish,” explained Mat.

One of the many subjects Mat touched on when spending time at Strathisla Farms, was his encouragement of Adrian to pursue a niche market, so a trip to a 80-cow Water Buffalo farm where Mat buys his meat from was an ideal opportunity for Adrian to see firsthand what diversification can do. 

Time spent in the restaurant itself, was a little more rushed and it’s easy to see the pressures Mat is under during this week of frantic preparation. “There are huge parallels to be made with chefs and farmers, both of which have massive decisions to make. But the big difference is the speed in which a chef’s decision has to be made and implemented. Mat can make a change to his business that can equally be changed again in a day, week or month’s time – many decisions made in farming have a far longer life span and can be potentially make a decision more risky.”

Overall, the time spent with Mat, both in Scotland and in Dorset has been a valuable experience for Adrian and one that will continue, as Mat has plans to visit Scotland again with his family, and likewise Adrian plans to bring Katie to Mat’s restaurant.

Adrian would like to thank Farmers Weekly for organising such an insightful visit off the back of winning the Farmer of the Year title last year. For more on the visit read Farmer’s Weekly September 4 issue.

Click here to view Mat’s visit to Strathisla Farms in May 2009 >>>