Breaking news
Anthony Raffo - known for Anglo in Farringdon - has joined The Small Holding in as Sous Chef. He's a real talent – this should further enhance this already-excellent restaurant.
Harden's says
Kent farm and kitchen that offers both vegetarian and vegan tasting menus
Harden's survey result
Summary
“A beautifully considered menu, cooked to perfection in idyllic surroundings” delights all comers to chef-patron Will Devlin’s attractive spot in the ‘Garden of England’, where many of the ingredients are grown on their own farm. “We were given an interesting pre-lunch tour of the garden, and the chef serving the tables was unusually informative”. You can choose between ‘Full Acre’ seven-course (£95 per person) or ‘Half Acre’ five-course tasting menus (£75 per person), with a three-course option at lunch (£55 per person). Wines are all organic or biodynamic, and include a “very good paired English wine flight”.
Summary
“Hyper-local and hyper-seasonal set menus, with a lot of the produce coming from their own farm”, is the ethos behind chef-patron Will Devlin’s engaging venture – “the result is delicious food and friendly service, which makes for an enjoyable evening”. He also runs Birchwood at the nearby sustainable development Flimwell Park, but closed The Curlew in Bodiam in the face of rising costs two years ago.
Summary
A visit to this “lovely restaurant way out in the country” is “like a trip to the theatre only better – with amazing cooking” on “a top-value tasting menu”. “Dishes are often surprising – I love that much of the produce is from the garden or nearby”, in line with Kent-born chef-patron Will Devlin’s ultra-local and sustainable ethos. He also runs Birchwood, a daytime venue in the nearby Flimwell Park sustainable woodland development, but was forced to close The Curlew in Bodiam due to rising costs in late 2022.
Summary
Widely acclaimed for its hyper-localism since opening in 2018 – this “fabulous little restaurant serves imaginative small plates of very locally sourced ingredients”, many of them grown on the smallholding after which it was named, or foraged nearby. Kent-born chef, Will Devlin qualified as a mechanic before switching to the kitchen, and trained at Gordon Ramsay’s Petrus. He also runs The Curlew (see also), eight miles away in Bodiam.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Small Holding?
Ranters Lane, Kilndown, TN17 2SG
Restaurant details
The Small Holding Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Thoroughly deserves its 5 stars. Each course impeccable. My favourite was the monkfish, tender, succulent with a riot of flavours surrounding it. Very good wine list with plenty of choice by the glass."
"Had the Garden lunch here for my birthday. visually all the courses looked stunning and tasted very good as well. The portions don’t look very big but they are well balanced and quite filling. Had a lovely glass of non-alcoholic Prosecco as I was driving. We also had 2 portions of the local cheese course to share- all of which were excellent. They provided my brother with gluten free canapés and altered other courses as appropriate which was much appreciated. "
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £75.00 |  |
|
|
Traditional European menu
| Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|
| £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £35.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £4.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
Ranters Lane, Kilndown, TN17 2SG
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 6 pm‑8:30 |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑1 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑1 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1 pm, 5:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑1 pm |
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