Chef, Chantelle Nicholson is the founder of the Green Michelin star awarded, Apricity in Mayfair – a restaurant that showcases her strong commitment to sustainability and ‘vegetable-forward’ cooking. Nicholson’s regenerative ethos will now be taking root in the Sussex countryside, where she will be establishing a new culinary venture, the Cordia Collective at Borde Hill.

Borde Hill is a registered charity and a Grade II* listed English Heritage Garden set within 380 acres of parkland and woodland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Created in the early 1900’s with plants gathered by the great plant hunters from their travels to the Himalayas, China, Burma, Tasmania and the Andes. The Garden welcomes 70,000 visitors each season.

Nicholson’s new Cordia Collective will champion locally sourced, seasonal food, whilst celebrating the rich biodiversity and plant heritage of Borde Hill’s restored walled kitchen garden and biodynamic market garden. Not surprisingly, the garden will be a big focus for the menu, ensuring seasonality and strong sense of place.

The project is to start life as a bakery and garden café in spring 2025, before developing into a glasshouse restaurant, café and wine bar, and workshop space in the former stables in autumn 2025. Nicholson has teamed up with wine expert Ruth Osborne, best known for the excellent Wine Car Boot pop-ups as well as, the baker, Janine Edwards – worked previously at Little Bread Pedlar, Darby’s and Toklas. The drinks will follow Nicholson’s ethos, with many Sussex wines expected to feature on the list.