There are few tickets in the British social calendar as coveted as those for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Fewer still promise both rare orchids and a rare bottle of Burgundy before lunchtime.
This year, Spring Garden — the sell-out dining experience set within the grounds of Royal Hospital Chelsea — returns with a new culinary pairing that feels designed to match the horticultural fireworks outside the marquee.
At the helm is Jeremy Chan, co-founder of London’s two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi, whose cooking has become synonymous with rigour and surprise.
Raised between Hong Kong, Canada and the US, Chan brings a globe-trotting sensibility and near-scientific precision to his plates. Joining him is José Pizarro, long regarded as Britain’s most persuasive champion of Spanish cuisine, whose food leans into warmth, generosity and a deep respect for produce.
The pairing is deliberate. Chan’s layered, spice-led compositions meet Pizarro’s soulful Iberian cooking in a menu intended to feel both vibrant and rooted — a reflection, perhaps, of Chelsea itself, where tradition and experimentation sit comfortably side by side.
Curated and produced by luxury caterer AP&Co, Spring Garden positions itself as more than a lunch reservation. Guests book into either a morning-to-afternoon “Meridian” sitting or the later “Nocturne” session, with the promise of curated wine pairings, live music, guided walks and culinary masterclasses woven into the day. It is as much immersive theatre as hospitality: the spectacle of the show translated onto the plate.
Tickets range from £525 to £1,095, with newly introduced Saturday access from £242 — a nod to growing appetite for a slice of the experience without committing to the full-day affair. Private and corporate bookings dominate, but the atmosphere aims to avoid boardroom stiffness in favour of festival ease.
For Chan, the draw lies in Spring Garden’s emphasis on storytelling through food; for Pizarro, it is the rare chance to cook amid what he describes as unmatched energy and produce. For diners, it offers something else entirely: the chance to spend a day drifting between rare blooms and rarefied cooking, where the line between garden and table feels — at least temporarily — erased.
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