Tom Elson, Head Chef at Monkton Elm Garden Centre can’t wait for his new kitchen and restaurant to be built.  Groundwork for the re-development at the Taunton site have already started and in nine weeks time the new restaurant build starts in earnest.

With catering turnover growing at over 8% the team at Monkton Elm are now planning for the generations of garden centre customers of the future, increasing the size of their catering operation from an existing 200 covers to over 330.

GTN Food Xtra spent a morning behind the scenes with Chef Tom to find out what makes the restaurant at Monkton Elm tick and their aspirations for the future development.

Tom’s been at Monkton Elm for six years now having previously worked for the National Trust at Killerton House & Gardens and owned three pubs after a career as a Grenadier Guard.  “A chef will get on with what he’s got, you can do a lot with a gas heater and a normal oven” he explained as we entered his “engine room.”

Space, or the lack of it was a recurring theme in the kitchen.  They could bake more cakes on site if they had more oven time, and all day breakfasts would be possible with a separate preparation area and resource so with his current kitchen it’s always a question of juggling things to get the most out of it.

When it comes to the new kitchen the team are looking at plenty of new items “New equipment pricing is frightening” says Tom, “the same as the price of a car,” but essential to deliver the new vision.

Even as a child Tom always experimented with ingredients “I have flair with food” he tells us as he shows off his Homity Pie.  Developed from his time at Killerton, Tom adds basil as well as parsley. “When you put a French herb into an English dish with loads of fresh garlic, loads of chives it creates a formidable dish.  Vegetarians love it.   I was married to a vegetarian for 8 years so I’m quite skilled at vegetarian dishes.”

The Monkton Elm cheese, sundried tomato, spring onion and chive scones topped with sunflower seeds and cheddar are another of Toms specialities, and very tasty too!

The traditional nature of the existing Monkton Elm restaurant customers is illustrated by their love of ham salad sandwiches, closely followed by prawn, chicken fillings and egg and tomato.  At present no one asks for brie and bacon, but all that will change in the new restaurant.

Catering Design Group have been working on the new designs which include lounge seating, high tables and a deli counter, carved hot meats for salads and rolls and panini’s. So there will be new offerings, but also the extra space and larger kitchen will mean there will be a carvery every day too.

Tom heads up a team of three chefs at Monkton Elm, with a work pattern that means no split shits and a long weekend every other week.  Work 6 days, take 1 day off, work 4 days have a long weekend off.  “That is a huge benefit when I have a family and play saxophone in a band.”

Indeed, Tom’s other love is music and by night he’s a sax player in a local dance band.  “I couldn’t do that if I were working in the hotel or pub trade.”

“I’m very happy here, and it’s a happy team. From what I can gather in the new garden centres people are coming in to eat and the plants are secondary.”

“I want our new restaurant to be so good that other garden centres come to me to find out what makes Monkton Elm so special,” said Tom.  Later this year we’ll be able to visit the new restaurant and report back on just how good it is!