As part of this exclusive series, acclaimed Scottish chefs and Michelin star holders, Tom Kitchin and Lady Claire Macdonald, have also created a uniquely personal afternoon tea, which draws on their Scottish roots and champions local produce.
Andrew is passionate about his Secret Garden - a special space hidden behind Victorian, ivy covered walls and featuring a traditional greenhouse.
It’s here, along with head grower Jo Campbell, they tend to rare and heritage vegetables, fruits, herbs and edible flowers.
The Flavours of the Secret Garden Afternoon Tea has been conceived as a celebration of summer as the garden reaches its peak in August, with an abundance of beautiful produce, bursting with seasonal flavours.
This is reflected in the Provençal amuse bouches and fresh summer flavours used throughout the menu such as cucumber, strawberry, geranium and raspberry.
Picture: Andrew Fairlie and Jo Campbell
Commenting on the Flavours of the Secret Garden Afternoon Tea, which will be created by Gleneagles’ team of expert pastry chefs from 20 August, Andrew Fairlie, said: “Our Secret Garden has undoubtedly been my biggest inspiration over the past number of years, and is a source of great pride for us all.
“It is the product of a close collaboration between Head Chef Stevie McLaughlin and Head Grower Jo Campbell, and is the result of years of meticulous planning and relentless backbreaking work.
"Jo is an extremely gifted woman. Her vision and dedication - supported by a very talented and hard-working all female team - has added a completely new dimension to our kitchen, and has taken the restaurant to a whole new level.
“The remarkable ingredients she produces continue to surprise us all, and now guides our cooking season by season.”
The luxury five-star hotel offers the perfect setting to enjoy the relaxing ritual of afternoon tea in the newly refurbished Glendevon, an elegant room which boasts designs celebrating the natural hues of Scotland’s flora and fauna.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiKGe4WF0aK/?hl=en&taken-by=thegleneagleshotel
The Glendevon opens onto a sun terrace where afternoon tea can be enjoyed al fresco on sunny summer days with views of the landscaped gardens, croquet lawns and the Ochil Hills in the distance.
Edinburgh-based, Tom Kitchin, will bring his ‘nature to plate’ philosophy to life with his take on the traditional afternoon tea in September, while Lady Claire Macdonald will take inspiration from her ancestral home on the Isle of Skye, bringing the best of Scottish home cooking to Gleneagles’ celebration of afternoon teas in November.
Andrew Fairlie’s Secret Garden Afternoon Tea is available between 20 – 26 August 2018 for £40 per person.
For more information and to make a reservation, visit Gleneagles website.
