Self-Sufficient Simon Rogan
and His English Farm-to-Fork
Restaurant L’Enclume

(Earth) “I actually had to look up where Cartmel is on the map.” Simon Rogan didn’t grow up here, in the Lake District in the hills of Cumbria; he was born in Southampton, a port city in the south of England. Being the son of a fruit and vegetable merchant, he developed an interest in whatever grew from the earth early on. Rogan moved to Cartmel Valley simply because the right property was for sale here, but the fact that he would one day own a farm did not come as a surprise at all. Throughout his years of training as a chef at various addresses, Simon Rogan always knew that the connection between the ingredients and himself had to be as strong as possible, “otherwise you can never fully grasp food”. He is a firm opponent of the seasonal omnipresence of crops such as tomatoes. Today, in his role as a chef who is also a farm owner, Rogan is able to convey to his guests not only the magic of the seasons, but also that of micro-seasons lasting just a few weeks. Only when you are close to the earth can you truly experience how quickly nature changes here in Northern Europe—how fleeting the flowering time of vegetables and herbs is, and how precious that makes them.

Cartmel is a picturesque village with a willow-lined creek that was built around a priory church dating back to 1189. Many of the cottages display nameplates: Causeway House, Byways, Ard Na Graine, Barngarth. The surrounding landscape is characterized by short stone walls and sheep, wool-white and black-headed, exploring the evergreen pastures.

Simon Rogan opened his restaurant L’Enclume in 2002. Those who speak French may be able to guess the original use of the premises: enclume means anvil; a forge was once in operation in the same place where multi-course menus are served today. Several details remain unchanged: a mighty centuries-old anvil reminds guests of the location’s history, as do brick water basins, which now serve as wine coolers, and tool hooks in the entrance area. Guests dine using iron cutlery crafted especially for L’Enclume by a blacksmith, and one of the last sweet courses, a caramel mousse with miso, apple and spruce tops, is adorned with an anvil motif.

Simon Rogan calls his cuisine “farm-to-fork”. The countless varieties of fruit and vegetables growing on “Our Farm”, just a few minutes’ drive away, play the leading role. In addition to the varieties, the menu also lists the exact names of the plants: Musselburgh leek, Crown Prince pumpkin, Fuseau Jerusalem artichoke. A (probably unintentional) twist that brings diners instantly closer to the restaurant’s own soil, making the cultivated earth feel tangible on the plate.

Anything that doesn’t originate from “Our Farm” either comes from the surrounding wilderness, such as rose hips or the miraculously ethereal hogweed, or from suppliers with whom the kitchen team has a closely knit relationship. The venison, served with kalibos cabbage, salted currants and aromas of juniper and chestnuts, once roamed the Cartmel Valley. The cod swam along the Cornish coast before bedded on colorful chard, razor clams, tapioca pearls marinated in verjus, and a sauce infused with horseradish leaf oil in the kitchen of L’Enclume. The focus on the local region is not only evident in the non-alcoholic drinks, where buckwheat is paired with quince or shiso with tonic, but also in the wine list. “More and more guests are specifically asking for English sparkling wine,” recounts sommelier Jordan Sutton.

Over the years, Simon Rogan has opened other restaurants, including one in Thailand another in Hong Kong and one in Malta. Whenever he is traveling, French-born Paul Burgaliéres takes the lead in the kitchen at L’Enclume.

At “Our Farm”, Adam Frickel is in charge. The English restaurants in Simon Rogan’s small gastronomic empire, including the Michelin-starred Bistro Rogan & Co in Cartmel and the Henrock in Linthwaite House, a boutique hotel overlooking Lake Windermere, are primarily supplied by “Our Farm”. Only ingredients like onions for broths and other basic products which are needed in large quantities are purchased elsewhere.

Circular economy plays a key role: the food waste from L’Enclume is composted on the farm in a complex process (gardener Adam Frickel is more than happy to explain precisely how this works and how he prepares the soil in great detail—if you have three hours to spare). Additionally, the team fertilizes with horse manure from nearby farms and the nutrient-rich droppings of the brown hens living in a giant mobile enclosure, which alternates between raspberry bushes and fruit trees.

In a greenhouse, numerous sprouts and “micro herbs” are stretching towards the light at a convenient chest height for harvesting. The chefs personally pick them with tweezers, reports Adam Frickel. After all, only they know whether they’ll need 1.5-millimeter or 1.7-millimeter green miniatures that day to decorate dabs of fermented corn cream on croquettes of smoked eel and Duroc pork. Those on the lookout for cola-scented geranium (which actually smells and tastes like the soft drink it’s named after) will find it here, along with nasturtium flowers and olive herb. A green oil is made with this tangy herb, which grows in many pots, and is used in Simon Rogan’s restaurants as the English alternative to olive oil. At Henrock, for example, it is paired with an ice cream made from roasted buckwheat and pickled quince.

The chefs of the various restaurants can request what they’d like to have grown on the farm. For example, Henrock’s team asked for lemongrass, which is used for its freshness to aerate the fermented Morecambe Bay shrimp seasoning sauce. The logistics at “Our Farm” are extremely time-consuming, especially in the summer months when everything tends to ripen all at once. At times, the chefs must negotiate for certain vegetables. Who will get the flawless fruits of the Japanese grape berry planted as a living hedge? Who will take the peach leaves, whose aroma is a hybrid of bitter almond and green tea? Who will receive the crunchy Japanese artichoke, resembling the Michelin man on a strict diet?

“L’Enclume always takes priority,” says gardener Adam Frickel. Speaking of Michelin, 2022 was already an exciting year due to the 20th anniversary celebrations, and that year, L’Enclume was awarded its third star by the Michelin Guide for its farm-to-fork cuisine.