Our Story

Once a small community pub, The Small Holding is now a Green Michelin Star restaurant with national recognition. Opened in 2018 by brothers Will and Matt Devlin, The Small Holding offers a farm to table experience with a seasonal set menu, predominantly grown on site on their biodiverse farm.

The changing menu is curated as a celebration of the season. Guests are introduced to new ingredients and flavours straight from the farm, creating a unique and memorable experience. The farm grows 180 varieties of produce for The Small Holding and a handful of local restaurants.

Like many villages in the Weald, Kilndown has a history rooted in agriculture and farming. The Small Holding is located in a building with a strong connection to the land. It was once the stables at the back of a large seventeenth century coaching inn, an integral part of the community which catered to hop pickers and the agricultural workers who tended to the surrounding fields.

The Small Holding use core principles such as low intervention, organic farming methods and no-dig growing practices. No-dig preserves and improves soil structure with organic matter. Minimising disruption to the soil to protect, improve and safe-guard the earth. Will describes it as “managing the land” and “stewarding” it, ensuring a high level of dense nutrients and diversity.

The restaurant has exciting plans for the coming year. “Spring is one of the most exciting times for us – it’s sunny and the farm is looking good - but in terms of food growth we are just at the cusp of when the seasons are turning”, Will says. They respond to the seasons and the produce that is available, growing and foraging.  “We spend time walking around the farm. We go outside and see for ourselves how much there is of each ingredient.” The restaurant offers educational courses which are “a chance for people to get their hands in the soil.” The courses are an exciting way to share the full experience, both restaurant and farm.

Of course it is not possible to grow everything onsite, and we want to be celebrating and showcasing other people too. The produce selected and used at The Small Holding is from a small community of local farmers. The pork is sourced from a farmer just up the road, which Will describes as “rare breed, low intervention, good quality.”

The cornerstone of The Small Holdings ethos is natural, with a heavy focus on seasonality, preservation and looking after the ingredients. Showcasing different flavours and produce. There are a few restaurants with similar setups, but they don’t have the links to the local community of producers that we are able to benefit from. We are just a small case study about what you can do in an acre.

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