Heritage Portfolio, the specialist events and catering company within Sodexo Live!, has announced its new partnership with 2020 Great British Bake Off winner Peter Sawkins at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, unveiling a new cake range specially crafted for the venue.
Visitors to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh will be able to indulge in the bespoke sweet treats until the end of the year at the in-house cafés, alongside savouries, salads, cakes, and the signature Botanical Afternoon Tea.
Inspired by the seasonal goodness from within the venue, the recipes take inspiration from the seasonal ingredients showcased in the onsite Kitchen Garden, which produces over 1.2 tonnes of organic produce annually, which is then included in all the menus for visitors to enjoy. Peter’s cakes include carrot patch cupcakes (for children), rhubarb and orange cake, as well as apple and lemon thyme tart.
The Kitchen Garden located within the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, is a true statement of sustainability and helps to reduce food mileage. It covers over 300 square metres of land, and produces more than a tonne of crops each year; the equivalent 23 kilograms a week. This produce is then used on site in many of the dishes served by the Heritage Portfolio team.
The collaboration with Peter kicked off earlier this month with an exclusive event organised by Heritage Portfolio and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh at the John Hope Gateway, a modern visitor centre designed with sustainability in mind. Guests sampled Peter’s scrumptious bakes and heard from him about the inspiration behind the range, along with top tips and expert insights.
Clare Short, Head of Commercial Sales at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh explained her excitement around this collaboration: “We are delighted to welcome Peter to the garden and join us on our culinary journey with our catering partner Heritage Portfolio. Peter has created cakes that are exclusive to the Garden and what makes it even more special, as many people know from his Bake-Off competition, Peter is local and from Edinburgh. It is fantastic to give him the opportunity to showcase his talents right on his own doorstep using produce grown on site here in our kitchen garden. We hope that our visitors enjoy the cakes from this very talented baker, tasting produce from our garden and being part of this unique and exciting collaboration.”
Peter Sawkins, Great British Bake Off winner, added:
“The bakes I’ve made for this collaboration were designed to fit alongside the Gardens, so are all centred around fruits, vegetables, and herbs. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Heritage Portfolio and, as a local from Edinburgh myself, creating a baking range for the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has truly been a pleasure. I can’t wait for people to try the bakes and hope they make an already grand day out at the gardens even sweeter!”
Sandy Robson, divisional director at Sodexo Live!, said: “We’re delighted to see this partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Peter Sawkins come to fruition. Peter is an Edinburgh native with a love for baking using locally sourced ingredients, a passion that our Heritage Portfolio team and our customers share. This is also a celebration of our long-term collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, where we can enhance our current offering while delivering an unforgettable and sensory experience to visitors.”
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a world-leading centre of excellence in plant science, conservation horticulture and education – and one of Scotland’s most famous five-star attractions. A partner since 2007, Heritage Portfolio provides catering and hospitality to guests all year round based on its ‘made from scratch’ philosophy.
In 2021, Heritage Portfolio renovated spaces at the venue to continue enhancing the customer experience with a new food and drink offering using the highest quality, locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.
A division of Sodexo Live!, Heritage Portfolio is a leading provider of private and corporate hospitality for cultural destinations. Producing outstanding catering and event services, it serves some of the most prestigious venues across Britain, delivering amazing experiences that go beyond the remarkable food it creates. In 2013, Heritage Portfolio was granted a Royal Warrant for services to catering from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
