Passion, pride and enthusiasm are infectious and you can’t help but feel the energy surrounding Harry & Ginny with their fantastic venture Phenlology & Phenology Deli, providing local and seasonal food straight from the recently transformed Walled Garden of Harpsden Court.

Harry & Ginny Hawkins are two Harpsden locals with a love for fresh, seasonal produce and delicious food who are bound together by their mutual dream of owning a farm-style restaurant and deli with Phenology being the ‘restaurant’ side of the business and Phenology Deli is the Deli, which Ginny says is Harry’s love and passion.

Not many will have heard the word phenology. Phenology is the scientific study of the seasonal natural phenomena of plant and animal life and Phenology is the Harpsden couple’s founding principle, and so they decided it should be their name along with green round wreath logo, which symbolises the cyclical nature of the seasons.

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It all began with our moving into the adorable cottage on the magnificent grounds of Harpsden Court, owned by Ginny’s cousin. Harry is the estate manager and keeps the grounds, including the Walled Garden. With our love for food, and the joy we shared in cooking, we knew that the gifts of the Walled Garden would bring us everything we needed to make our dreams a reality.

We have founded our principal values upon the seasons. We are both conscientious people who have a growing care and passion for the environment and the responsibility that we have to care, nurture and respect it. The seasons are fundamental to the natural and cyclical phenomena of plant life, animals and the food we eat. We believe that it is through respecting the seasons and following the pattern that nature dictates, that we will naturally begin to reduce our waste and carbon footprint on the planet.  

Phenology aims to make delicious seasonal food & deli products that are made with locally sourced produce that is fresh and carefully grown.

Our goal is to take food back to the ways of old, where local businesses, traders and farmers supported one another with their local, fresh and free-range produce. There is something so wonderful about knowing where your food comes from and knowing that it has been tended to by local, caring hands.

Phenology is all about vegetables and using them in something traditional. For instance, think of a wrap with fresh spinach incorporated into the wrap itself. We celebrate what the English soil can bring to our table.

We have an array of delicious deli items which may be found on our website or Instagram page. In addition to these deli items, we make fresh food items such as brown granary bread, quiches, tarts & seasonal wraps.  

As the seasons evolve, so will our menu. honey and meat have their own seasons and as we develop our business we hope to develop our recipes to incorporate local meat, cheese and honey from the surrounding villages and Harpsden village itself.

I have been totally amazed at the tranquillity & pleasure that one experiences whilst walking through the Walled Garden at Harpsden Court. It has been transformed from a long-forgotten forest of trees, into the jewel of the Harpsden Court Estate. It is as abundant in harvest as it is beautiful to behold.

Our first year of planting and harvesting was in 2020 and it has been a wonderful experience. Harry has learned so much and we have learned what we should continue & not continue to do for the next planting and harvesting season. We want to be able to sustain our business and take it to new heights over the years.

Follow the journey of the incredible restoration project by the new owners of the magnificent Harpsden Court on Instagram. “A beautiful magical beast that will hopefully welcome us with open arms and not swallow us whole. Watch and find out.”

Our ultimate goal is to open our very own farm-style restaurant & Deli in Harpsden Village. It will be a Home from Home, a place to bring the family and get stuck in for the day. Whether you are there to eat & be merry, bring the children to play and make new friends or settle in to work remotely – we will welcome you with wide open arms.

There is an incredible synergy between our passion for Phenology and the passion of the owners of Harpsden Court to restore the Walled Garden to its original beauty. It is this synergy that has allowed for the birth of Phenology – Seasonal Natural Food – and which we know will give us the energy to continue to grow and create something much bigger than we are now. Think ambience, greenery & tranquillity!

We are excited and we hope you are too!

With love,

Harry & Ginny

Phenology