Here at Doddington Hall we are proud to showcase quality, seasonal produce from our own estate and local suppliers. We have our own herd of Lincoln Red Cattle for all our beef dishes, plentiful game, our own honey and foraged wild garlic along with fantastic year-round produce from our walled Kitchen Garden. Beyond the estate we seek out the best local growers and producers from Lincolnshire and surrounding counties.
Just a stone’s throw from the Hall, the Kitchen Garden provides an abundance of fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs which take centre stage on the café, restaurant and wedding menus and help us to reduce our carbon footprint.
Using organic techniques, biological control methods and crop rotation our Head Gardener and his team are able to naturally maximise productivity and minimise pests so we have no need for chemical fertilisers, weed killers or pesticides.
We are signed up to Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship Scheme on our Farm. This binds us to a wide range of projects and policies designed to increase the biodiversity on the estate whilst at the same time improving the sustainability of our ventures. Our beautiful Lincoln Red Cattle form part of our commitment to this scheme and we have the added benefit that they provide exceptional grass-fed beef for our Restaurant.
Over the last 40 years the father of the current owner of Doddington Hall, Antony Jarvis, made a collection of C19 and C20 Farm Wagons and a painted gypsy caravan.
The English farm wagon is an iconic symbol of rural life. Nowhere else in the world did farm vehicles develop to such a height of regional specialisation and design. They demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship, design and decorative skills. Wagons were also of considerable social significance. As the largest vehicles in most villages, they were used for Sunday School outings and village celebrations as well as providing transport for the crops. These once common-place examples of local cultural heritage are now rare. Only a small number now remain. Important collections have been dispersed in recent years and there is a recognised need for a good selection, preferably with a strong sense of place, to be preserved and made accessible so that future generations can enjoy and learn from them.
The Doddington Wagon Collection is a unique and important collection regionally and nationally. It has been built on the site of a long-derelict Sawmill with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Over the last 12 years we have developed a wide range of shops and restaurants which we hope you will enjoy in the knowledge that all the proceeds go towards the upkeep and conservation of the Hall and Gardens. At the same time, we have worked hard to be sustainable with a range of initiatives across the estate.
There is always something new to see and do and we look forward to welcoming you to Doddington soon.
Claire & James Birch
