This Garden Day weekend, Babylonstoren welcomes acclaimed Somerset cooks Jules and Steve Horrell for two distinctive dining experiences celebrating spring produce, open-fire cooking and the pleasure of gathering around a shared table.
The founders of Horrell & Horrell in Somerset, England, will join Babylonstoren executive chef Schalk Vlok to cook from the abundance of the farm’s spring garden. Taking place on Friday, 16 October and Sunday, 18 October 2026, the collaboration brings together three chefs who have set the standard for seasonal, provenance-led cooking.
The weekend begins with an off-the-cuff Fire Supper at Babylonstoren’s Old Bakery Restaurant on Friday evening. With no predetermined menu, Vlok and the Horrells will cook from the day’s harvest, letting the ingredients lead. Every course will come from the open flame or wood-fired oven, with flavours intensified by smoke, char and ember.
Relaxed and spontaneous, the supper puts guests close to the action as the chefs trust their instincts to coax maximum flavour from the day’s yield. The menu is unplanned by design – led by season and fire rather than a fixed list of dishes.
On Sunday evening, as Garden Day draws to a close, the trio will present a generous collaboration dinner at a long table under the stars. The menu will showcase Babylonstoren’s garden produce alongside ingredients made and raised on the wider working farm.
The evening will begin with freshly shucked oysters, tomato granita and courgette babaganoush with feta, water buffalo ricotta served with warm sourdough. A generous selection of shared dishes will follow, featuring spring vegetables gathered from the garden, farm-made water buffalo cheeses and charcuterie, and freshly baked honey flat breads. Expect colourful salads, vegetables prepared over the fire and other dishes shaped by the day’s harvest.
From the fire will come dry-aged Chianina beef and the day’s line fish, accompanied by ember-baked root vegetables, wood-roasted garden produce, seasonal leaves and signature potatoes seasoned with herbs from the garden. A pavlova with seasonal fruit, farm honey cream and garden flowers will conclude the dinner.
For Schalk, collaboration begins with respect for the ingredient, and everyone involved in bringing it to the table. His cooking is guided by the garden and the seasons, allowing produce to determine each dish rather than imposing a fixed idea upon it. He works closely with Babylonstoren’s gardeners, farmers, butchers and bakers, bringing their shared knowledge to the table.
This approach closely reflects the philosophy of Horrell & Horrell. Jules and Steve established their family-run dining experience at their Somerset home in 2023 after careers spanning some of Southwest England’s most renowned restaurants. Three days a week, they welcome 30 guests to a 12-metre shared table in a converted cow barn and fire kitchen garden.
The Babylonstoren collaboration offers a rare opportunity to experience three chefs brought together by an enduring belief in seasonal ingredients, cooking from the land and food that connects people.
Event Details
Book Vlok & Horrel: An Off-the-Cuff Fire Supper
Friday, 16 October 2026, 17h30–00h00
The Old Bakery, Babylonstoren
R1 750 p.p.
Book Babylonstoren × Horrell & Horrell: A Garden Day Collaboration Dinner
Sunday, 18 October 2026, 17h30–00h00
Babylonstoren
R2 950 p.p.
Visit the Babylonstoren events page to reserve your seat at the table.