The Walled Garden has been named one of the UK’s best restaurant and one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the world
A restaurant in Greater Manchester has been recognised as one of the finest dining establishments globally. The Walled Gardens, located in Whalley Range, secured the 83rd spot on the We’re Smart Green Guide’s list of Best 100 Vegetables restaurants worldwide for 2024.
It also clinched the eighth position on the guide’s ranking of the Top 10 UK vegetarian restaurants. Other Northern culinary hotspots that made it to the top tier include chef Simon Rogan’s triple Michelin-starred L’Enclume in Cartmel at fourth place, The Forest Side in the Lake District at fifth, and Moor Hall in Lancashire at seventh.
In addition to being vegetarian, The Walled Garden is unique in that it only employs one staff member – founder and head chef Eddie Shepherd. It also accommodates just eight diners at a time, given its location within Eddie’s own residence.
The concept has been such a hit that there’s currently a six-month waiting list for reservations. Sharing his excitement on Instagram, the celebrated chef expressed his delight at making it into the UK top ten, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Eddie posted on Instagram: “Thrilled to be in the UK top ten @best_vegetables_restaurants again this year. ‘m really excited for the year to come and to push the food to the next level.
“Thanks @frank_fol_the_vegetables_chef and congratulations to @kirk_haworth absolutely smashing it at Plates.”
Eddie’s Instagram followers were quick to shower him with congratulatory messages, including the renowned Stockport restaurant, Where the Light Gets In. Others described the achievement as ‘amazing’ and ‘massive’.
One fan said: “Amazing mate. Fully deserved. Last night was phenomenal.”
Eddie’s trailblazing, plant-based menu features a 12-course tasting journey in a chilled-out setting, earning his veggies-first approach accolades such as being named one of Observer Food Monthly’s 20 Best Restaurants, while Eddie himself scooped up the title of Manchester’s Best Chef at the 2022 Manchester Food and Drink Awards.
Boasting nearly two decades of culinary wizardry, Eddie has zigzagged across the globe with his innovative, vegetarian creations. It all began in Marple, sharing school days with top chef Samuel Buckley, yet his pioneering plant-inspired cuisine has had him whipping up dishes in places as diverse as Mexico, Greece, and Athens.
His repertoire includes flavour-bomb dishes like the scotch bonnet and fermented passionfruit employing techniques such as distillation to capture the bold essences and tastes of plants, herbs, and vegetables. Patrons at The Walled Gardens have previously enjoyed inventive offerings like Dandelion Petal Fruit Pastels paired with an inviting G&T and finished with lemon verbena straight from his garden.
Four nights weekly, Eddie becomes the host with the most, cooking for just eight diners on a converted floor of his home, offering up gastronomic wonders from an open kitchen. Keen gourmands vie for tickets to this exclusive dining event, which drop four months ahead at 9am on the first day of each month and they’re infamous for selling out.