Sssh. We’re going to let you in on a little secret! Did you know that our Bloomsbury Street Hotel has its own roof garden?
Close to the hustle and bustle of busy Tottenham Court Road and nearby Holborn, it’s hard to imagine that eight stories up, overlooking The British Museum, is a thriving “green roof”.
Stretching out in rows across the rooftop, organic grow-bags and planters yield a host of organic fruit and vegetables, with everything from spinach, lettuce and parsley to superfoods such as kale and rainbow chard.
Half of all the produce harvested from the roof top finds its way down to the kitchens below, where they’re used in both the staff canteen and the hotel’s restaurant, Steak and Lobster.
This soil-to-saucepan process enables our restaurant to serve the freshest food possible, and our chefs work closely with the gardeners to make sure we’re growing exactly what they want.
As for the other half of the crops, they’re harvested, packaged and distributed to business and organisations throughout the capital. Established by InMidTown, which aims to promote and improve the area for companies, residents and visitors, the edible garden is just part of their mission to create a more sustainable London.
Part of this strategy is borne out in small, but significant eco-friendly touches throughout the garden. Pipes are automated to water the plants just as the sun is rising and the earth starts to warm up, reducing the amount of wasted water, while 80 of the grow bags on the roof contain wild flowers to encourage the presence of bees.
The herbs and salad leaves are planted on a five year rotation, and over the summer we’ll be following the progress of the roof garden and keeping you up to date with how everything is doing.
If you’d like to sample some of the produce for yourself, then why not check in to Radisson Blu Edwardian, Bloomsbury Street and enjoy dinner at Steak & Lobster. Not only is the salad unlimited, but we can tell you exactly where it comes from!
