We have some rather exciting seasonal updates from the farm and gardens as Autumn has well and truly set in at our beautiful Cambridgeshire wedding venue. Discover all the latest from the smallholding including adorable paps of our new miniature donkeys and eco-friendly wedding tips to inspire your special day and some exciting sustainable developments coming soon…
New Sustainable Initiatives at the Farm
Firstly we have something rather exciting news to shout out about….for many years sustainability has always been at the heart of everything we do at South Farm – from our thriving nature and conservation efforts to the abundance of organic home-grown produce grown on-site in our small-holding. But over the past year, we’ve taken this commitment even further, introducing new initiatives designed to deepen our positive environmental impact and future-proof our eco-wedding venue in Hertfordshire.
One of our proudest developments this year is the creation of the ‘South Farm Sustainability Council’. This wonderful group of dedicated staff, brings together representatives from every corner of our business from the office and kitchen to the farm, gardens, housekeeping, bar, and front of house teams. By combining insights and ideas from all departments, we’ve not only strengthened communication but also ensured that sustainability remains a shared priority. This collaborative approach has already sparked fresh thinking, improved consistency across our green initiatives, and helped us embed sustainability into every decision we make.
While we’ve been long using 100% green electricity for many years, we knew we could — and should — do more to reduce our energy impact. That’s why we’re investing over £250,000 in a major on-site solar energy project that marks a transformative step in our sustainability journey.
Our exciting new on-site solar system is currently being installed and will include 360 solar panels and battery storage. Once operational, it’s expected to generate around 167,000 kWh of clean electricity each year — powering a significant portion of our venue and reducing our carbon footprint by approximately 34 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Even better? This exciting project is on schedule to go live by the end of this month, bringing us closer than ever to operating on self-generated renewable energy.
These developments reflect our long-term commitment to caring for our precious part of the world, reducing our environmental impact, and offering couples a truly eco-conscious setting to celebrate their special day. With more initiatives in the pipeline, we’re excited to continue evolving and finding new ways to position South Farm as a leading example of sustainability in the wedding industry.
The Farm
We are thrilled to share that our talented garden team proudly brought home four ‘First Prizes’ and three ‘Second Prizes’ at the local Gransden Show in September.
Every entry was lovingly grown, hand-picked, and perfectly prepared from our very own smallholding here at the Farm, a true reflection of the care, skill, and dedication that goes into everything we grow here at South Farm.
Our six ‘Sturon Onions’ stole the spotlight in their class — small, perfectly formed, and each weighing 250 grams or less. With their roots carefully trimmed and tops tied with string. We were equally delighted with our six ‘Senshyu Onions’, our larger “Globe” variety. Our 12 ‘Picasso Potatoes’ were a real labour of love! All carefully chosen for their matching size and shape, each one between 170 and 225 grams, they were gently washed and displayed on a soft bed of sawdust. And not to forget our six medium tomatoes — firm, richly coloured, and perfectly sized under 65mm in diameter, with their stalks intact.
We were also delighted to receive second place for our three brown eggs, laid by our very own chickens, each chosen for their identical size and smooth shape, gently cleaned and displayed on sawdust. Our pumpkin was another highlight — SO large it took two people to carry it into place! Finally, our collection of six vegetables including tomatoes, squash, courgettes, garlic, peppers, and red onions, earned a well-deserved second prize! All lovingly home-grown, prepared with patience and precision before being beautifully displayed on the board.
At South Farm, sustainability is truly at the heart of everything we do so this wonderful collection of awards reflects our ongoing commitment to responsible and sustainable practices. From producing organic vegetables in our smallholding to rearing rare-breed livestock on site, we’re proud to serve home-grown food wherever possible. Our commitment to eco-friendly practices extends across energy, recycling, wildlife conservation and land stewardship giving our couples a truly authentic and environmentally conscious wedding experience.
Alongside celebrating these wonderful awards, our dedicated garden team have been hard at work with the Autumn harvest and preparing the smallholding for the year ahead which is an essential part of supporting our seasonal menus. Careful planning and preparation go into ensuring we have the perfect selection of home-grown vegetables and fruits for our dishes. Over the past month, the team have been busy harvesting a fabulous variety of squash, including Uchiki Kuri, Harlequin, Turk’s Turban, and Gâteau d’Eysines Celebration — an impressive and colourful collection!
The team have also been preparing the beds with our own home-made compost and carefully rotavating the soil. They have planted a wonderful variety of onions, including Senshyu and Red Winter, which will be ready for harvest in July and August next year. Alongside these, they have planted garlic varieties such as ‘Provence Wight’ and ‘Caulk Wight,’ also scheduled for an August harvest.
We look forward to bringing these home-grown vegetables to life in our couples’ menus over the coming year. Anything not used fresh from the smallholding will be carefully preserved over the year ensuring nothing goes to waste.
Over the coming months, the garden team will be focused on planting over 10,000 bulbs across the entire site and gardens, laying the groundwork for a spectacular floral display next year for our couples wedding photos.
This year’s apple and pear harvest was a wonderful success, with the team gathering over five tonnes of apples and pears. From this, we have produced more than 1,800 bottles of organic, home-grown apple juice — ready to be enjoyed at breakfast following the wedding celebrations and during your drinks receptions. These bottles will provide a year’s worth of fresh, home-grown apple juice. A truly delicious taste of the season, straight from our orchards to our couples’ special day.
The Animals
Our delightful new miniature donkeys, Snowdrop and Bluebell (aka known as the “wedding crashers”), have now settled in beautifully at the Farm. They’ve been enjoying plenty of attention from the team, with no shortage of neck scratches and cuddles. This adorable pair have also been seen exploring the gardens and grounds with the garden team as they get familiar with their new home with the Kitchen Garden proving a particular favourite with thanks to the tempting autumnal crab apples scattered along their path. They’ve also absolutely loved meeting our wonderful couples this year and have been more than happy to pose for a few adorable wedding day photos along the way!
Our cheeky little goats, Ivy, Holly, and Hazel, have also settled in superbly and are already stealing hearts! This curious trio keep the garden team on their toes with their playful & cheeky antics. They’ve recently joined Snowdrop and Bluebell in the main paddock, alongside our sweet woolly sheep – our delightful farm friends add a touch of countryside magic and never fail to bring smiles to our wedding guests’ faces.
Our adorable ducks have been adding a touch of charm to our outdoor ceremonies over the Summer, often seen casually “wedding crashing” and keeping a watchful eye on the day’s proceedings. These little visitors enjoy wandering through the gardens and nearby ponds, and their curious presence brings a charming countryside feel to the wedding celebrations and always a pleasant surprise for our couples and their guests.
Stay tuned on Instagram and Facebook as we’ve got even more exciting news arriving next Spring…and we can’t wait to share it with you!
Keeping it Conscious
We’re seeing more and more couples looking for ways to make their wedding day reflect their eco-conscious values — and we’re all for it at our eco-concious wedding venue! With sustainability at the heart of what we do at South Farm, we asked our wonderful planning team to share their Top Eco Tips from our couples for creating a celebration that’s as kind to the planet as it is beautiful.
- We love this idea we heard recently from one of our couples! Instead of buying flip-flops, invite your guests to bring along their own favourite “party shoes” so they can dance the night away in comfort. Simply set up a designated shoe rack for them to pop their dancing shoes on as they arrive — stylish, sustainable, and so much more personal!
- Favours are becoming less and less popular as so many guests leave their favours behind and so much is wrapped in single use plastic. Encourage your guests to take their favours home by making them edible, or give them a packets of seeds so that they can plant their own flowers or gift small potted plants or succulents which are easy to take home.
- If you’re feeling creative, why not grow your own flowers ( or even seasonal vegetables such as pumpkins) or collect blooms throughout the year to dry and use on your special day. For an even more lasting touch, potted plants make charming centrepieces — beautiful on the day and perfect to keep to plant after the big day or gift to loved ones afterwards.
- We also had a couple this year who provided charming garden flowers and got their guests to arrange their own table flowers to take into the Tudor Barn for the centrepiece display – the guests loved it!
Walk & Talk with Stuart Bennett – South Farm’s Garden Designer
Recently, some of our team had the pleasure of joining South Farm’s wonderful Garden Designer, Stuart Bennett, for a fascinating “Walk and Talk” around the grounds here at the Farm. Stuart generously shared his time and expertise, guiding us through the gardens while explaining the story behind the conservation and sustainability projects he has helped shape our wonderful environment into what you see today…
We all thoroughly enjoyed our Autumnal walk through the seasonal grounds, and it was a wonderful opportunity for the team to pause and appreciate the incredible work that goes into keeping the grounds beautiful throughout the year. It truly is a labour of love from our entire garden team.
Stuart, you are a real inspiration, and we’re so grateful for your hard work, vision, and dedication. Your commitment to conservation and sustainability plays a vital role in shaping our landscape and ensuring South Farm remains the unique, eco-conscious haven we’re all so proud of today.
If you’re dreaming of a green wedding that’s magical, romantic, and also kind to the planet, we can help make it a reality. We are dedicated to offering a stunning setting empowered by sustainability and our long-held green values. We know how to balance the beauty and joy of a fairy-tale wedding with our deep commitment to environmental responsibility. Our sustainable mission is at the heart of everything we do, helping you create a truly memorable, environmentally friendly wedding day to cherish forever.
Check out our Instagram feed and Facebook page for more photos and updates. If you would like to visit us to see all that our countryside wedding venue has to offer and talk to our wedding team about plans for your dream wedding day please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!