The story
The Grove in Watford presents a refined approach to Huaiyang cooking within a historic English estate.
Executive Chef Michael draws on over twenty nine years of Yangzhou training to lead the culinary team. The menu changes with the harvest, relying on vegetables and herbs grown in Jemima’s Kitchen Garden. Chefs apply traditional Huaiyang techniques like live fire robata grilling and hand pulled pasta to showcase these ingredients. Guests can book plot to plate masterclasses that cover fermentation, foraged cocktails, and charcoal cooking.
Martin Hulbert designed the main spaces to honour the estate’s eighteenth century origins. Contemporary furnishings and curated art pieces sit alongside original stonework and airy French windows. A massive Black Walnut sapling, brought over by Captain Cook for the first Earl of Clarendon, remains planted near the terrace. The lounge layout guides guests toward quieter corners for conversation.
The restaurant’s dedication to seasonal Huaiyang cuisine secured a Black Pearl One Diamond rating. This distinction highlights the consistent execution of the kitchen and the rigorous standards applied to local sourcing. The surrounding property covers three hundred acres of Hertfordshire parkland. A championship golf course winds through the estate, having hosted major tournaments since the nineteen nineties.
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