AN AWARD-WINNING pub and restaurant is launching a crowdfunding campaign for a market garden and ‘slow food’ orchard.

The Barrington Boar, led by Chef Alasdair Clifford (formerly of Chez Bruce) and Victoria Collins (formerly of The French Table), recently acquired the farm next to the pub.

They are now raising funds to transform the overgrown farmland into a functional and inviting space that will benefit their customers, local community, and ecosystem.

Their plans include creating a market garden to supply The Barrington Boar's kitchen, developing a Slow Food UK allotment and orchard to grow forgotten local plants and trees, and providing a community plot for local groups to use for garden therapy sessions.

To fund the project, The Barrington Boar are launched a crowdfunding campaign earlier this month.

Alasdair and Victoria said: "Orchards and kitchen gardens are havens for biodiversity, providing vital wildlife habitats for thousands of species, some of which are of high conservation priority.

“The Barrington Boar Market Garden, Orchards, and Slow Food UK Allotment will help preserve traditional heritage varieties of fruits and vegetables, many of which are on the brink of extinction, and ensure locally grown produce for future generations of our community in South Somerset."

"They also create important green spaces, which can bring communities together.

“Gardening can have many beneficial effects on people, regardless of their age or background.

“We plan to run regular sessions for our supporters to learn new skills, meet new people, and build their confidence in a welcoming, safe setting.

“We also plan to work with a horticultural therapy group where people can improve their mental well-being through gardening."