Max and Our Kitchen Garden
From an early age Max had two great interests – cooking and gardening and it was always clear to his family that he would choose one of these as a career. Cooking won and at the age of 16 he embarked on a career as a chef. This profession enabled him to travel and experience cooking styles in France, Belgium, Sweden and the UK as well as in his native Germany.
When Max and Susan came to Baslow Hall in 1990 the five acres of garden and woodland were neglected and overgrown. In the early years the emphasis was on building up a business and Max virtually lived in his kitchen. However, over the past five years Max has begun to step back and Rupert Rowley now runs the Fischer’s kitchen. Max’s second love has taken over – he now lives for his garden.
Much time and effort has been taken in preparing the ground. Natural waste from the hotel has been used to enrich the soil. Raised beds have been installed for vegetables, a luscious herbaceous border frames the walled garden and an arboretum has been created in what was a small paddock.
Max has sourced a wealth of plants and vegetables from specialist local markets and nurseries to reflect what was grown in the garden in bygone years. The variety of plants now maturing in the walled garden will delight the senses with their abundance of subtle colour and perfumes. Nasturtiums, marigolds and sweet peas have been planted between the vegetables as a deterrent for pests and to attract bees.
The Kitchen Garden hosts many varieties of fruit, root and green vegetables and a wealth of herbs. In the greenhouses expect to see trays of seedlings being prepared for planting out. Many varieties of lettuce are grown and it is not unusual in Summer to see a chef run from the kitchen before service to cut fresh herbs or salad which will be served in the restaurant that day.
Our garden is a natural habitat for birdlife and we have seen a large number of small bird varieties nesting and feeding, particularly in the vegetable garden.
A visit to Fischer’s is not complete without a wander around the garden. Even if you are not a keen gardener yourself, we are sure you will enjoy the tranquil setting, the perfumes and the sounds of nature and that the garden will enhance your experience of Baslow Hall.
