Gaz Oakley, chef, grower and cookbook author visits The Newt ahead of cooking dinner at the Garden Café on Thursday 12th March 2026 and his kombucha masterclass in the gardens on Friday 13th March 2026.

Selected subjects covered:

• Ferments, pickles, preserves in the vaulted cellars of Hadspen House (02:00)
• Intentional house building (prioritising functional design over purely profit-driven conventional methods) (06:30)
• Nature's lavatory paper (16:10)
• The Newt's compost facility (introducing The Newt's compost-guru, Pete) (20:30)
• Veganism & deindustrialisation of agriculture (29:05)
• Fermenting rebellion in the bakery (introducing The Newt's Head Baker, Paulo) (37:25)
• Gaz's kombucha workshop (what to expect) (46:25)

Membership is your ticket to enjoy everything we offer with unlimited access for 12 months, inviting you to wander our gardens, woodlands and exhibitions and dine in our restaurants across the seasons. Enjoy estate workshops and seasonal events such as Garden Day Weekend in spring, Gather & Grow in summer, Harvest Weekend, Apple Day and Fire Night come autumn and enchanted trails in winter and access to our partner gardens.

The Newt Podcast is created by the team at The Newt in Somerset and produced by Harry Coade at Sound Matters. If you enjoyed this episode, follow The Newt Podcast to enjoy more walks and talks across the estate, or better still become a Newt Member to visit our estate yourself, stay the night, or shop The Newt online.

Your 12-month membership also gives you free entry to The Newt's 17 national and international Partner Gardens and inspirational Sister Estates.

Follow us on Instagram @thenewtinsomerset