Last weekend I visited Petersham Nurseries in Richmond for the first time. We had arranged a belated lunch with our mums for a belated Mother’s day. The criteria was somewhere relaxing, pretty, with vegetarian and healthy options and ideally, somewhere not too far from the family homes. We decided to tick one off the bucket list and visit Petersham Nurseries in Richmond.
Petersham Nurseries is not new – it’s a stunning, rustic garden centre which has been around for over a decade, but it truly is a tranquil oasis in London. We hadn’t quite decided on our venue until a couple of days before so we didn’t have time to book the acclaimed greenhouse restaurant, instead, we decided on the relaxed teahouse which promised seasonal, homemade dishes, and didn’t require a reservation ahead. It certainly doesn’t disappoint!
The teahouse sits in the airy greenhouse and is a perfect spot for a casual lunch in the sunshine. We passed the fields of horses, the beautiful, yellow daffodils, nature’s little wonders, and this incredible welcoming flower mobile as we made our way to the teahouse, exploring the plants and beautiful mirrors all around us.
Petersham Nurseries’ food is ALL about the quality – it’s renowned for sustainable, delicious food based on quality ingredients. The teahouse is pretty casual and the perfect space for getting some sun and having a catch up with a delicious meal.
As soon as I saw the menu I was in overload. Everything sounded delicious and I wanted it all! Do you ever get food envy? I’m so guilty of it, I love the sound of so many dishes and struggle to pick, inevitably feeling a little jealous when someone else’s food looks better! So when my other half suggested we order more dishes to share for the table I agreed calmly couldn’t stop grinning and went wild with the orders, in the name of sharing of course!.
We tried three salads, the first was a delicious flavour-full spiced chickpea, beetroot hummus, and spinach. My mum loved the second especially with mixed pulses, courgettes, olives, sun dried tomatoes, fresh chilli and fragrant mint. The third salad included freekeh, asparagus, crunchy toasted seeds and garden herbs was delicious. The fresh herbs truly set this apart, and all three were delicious. They were vibrant and worked perfectly together. A surprising hit and some of the most delicious salads I’ve had in ages.
The Doc loved the Spaghetti with wild garlic and parsley pesto, which was a grown-up version of pesto pasta – his childhood favourite!
I loved the Cauliflower Tagine best, served hot with what I think was roasted celeriac – it was hot with flavour but not too spicy, served with a cooling mint yoghurt and spiced flatbread. Truly delicious! It reminded me of the bread served with my monkfish at Spring at Somerset House, and the celeriac had a crunch that resembled Christmas Day roasties! Our mums bothy seemed to enjoy all of this, as well as the Montgomery Cheddar and Chutney sourdough sandwiches.
The Spring herbs quiche was served with a rocket salad went down well with us all. The pastry was perfect – Mary Berry would be so proud of the crunchy, flaky crust with no signs of any “soggy bottom!” It had a delicate flavour and a beautiful pastry which was buttery but not cloying at all. Truly delicious!
We washed this all with a carafe of Chegworth Valley pressed apple and pear juice. It was so refreshing and worlds apart from anything from a carton! It was the perfect lunch in that warm Greenhouse. The sun shone down and every dish was delicious and perfect in the sunshine… perhaps the sun heightens your taste buds? I don’t know but I do know that I every single bite of the food.
Strolling around Petersham Nurseries on a sunny day has got to be a London highlight, with the sun on your skin, it’s hard not to smile. Scents of fresh lavender and rosemary, fresh air (which seems so rare in Central London) and the most beautiful displays out. It’s seriously pretty. From the fountains to the flowers, to the most Instagrammable shop ever, I loved it all.
I wish I’d bought these – the scents were amazing!
The shop is filled with beautiful antique style furnishings, garden accessories, homeware and even clothing and accessories. We went for a walk around the garden centre and of course, I wanted everything! But this day was about our Mums, so we finished up at Petersham Nurseries and heading home for tea and cake.
I truly loved the teahouse at Petersham nurseries and definitely want to go back to try the Michelin Star Petersham cafe. Petersham Nurseries is also opening in Floral Court, Covent Garden, and if it’s anything like the one in Richmond it’s sure to be a little inner city haven of tranquility and delicious food; the perfect spot for a last minute lunch in the sunshine!
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