I GARDEN
By Will Bennett Founder & Chief Nature Nerd, WILDEN Design
COLD SOUP Why Gardens Will Save the Planet
A crisp, icy, tomato gazpacho; the greatest meal of my life. As far as profound food memories go, I don’t carry a huge back catalogue, which might seem strange as an ex-chef and resident of Dubai; after all this foodie hub is awash with fine dining ‘experiences’. It’s more that they all get mashed (like an overpriced avocado breakfast) into one fuzzy memory. I can barely remember the good sourdough from the sour do-not, so how is it that a bowl of cold tomato soup was the greatest thing on earth?
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I was enjoying this meal on an organic farm called Babylonstoren in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where I’d walked through the orchards and allotments on my way to the restaurant. Where green mountains surged high above, draped in a patchwork of natural forest and cultivated vineyards - both cherished equally under the stewardship of grateful humans, full of vitamin D no doubt. It was a special place where the awe of nature was inescapable, and it was the realisation that a simple soup was infinitely better for appreciating the
