After a life lived largely in the fast lane, slowing down and reconnecting with what matters most now sit at the heart of creator and former chef Gaz Oakley’s world. Here, we discuss his deepening relationship with the land – and how it shapes his seasonal cooking, his quest to create a remote sanctuary in the wilderness for his family, and in the way he's raising his baby girl; aptly named Willow.
Your cooking is so closely tied to nature – would you say this is your main source of inspiration?
Yes, it really is. Now, our dinners are determined by the seasons, what’s ready to harvest in the garden, or what’s available to forage in the woods and hedgerows. It feels like true richness and connects you to the earth.
How has growing your own food changed the way you think about cooking?
It has made me simplify so much. The taste of the produce and its freshness are so superior that you don’t really need to do too much to it for the meal to be spectacular.
What does slow living mean to you?
It’s something we keep asking ourselves as a family. We have one foot in each world at the moment, but moving to our new plot of land soon will mean we can be a lot more present. Being able to wake up, take our time, enjoy a slow breakfast with our little girl and not have to rush out or open a laptop.
Garden jobs and working the land are naturally slow. Nature is slow; our modern world is fast. We want to go at the pace of nature. That’s our dream as a family.
For so long, I’ve burnt the candle at both ends, from working in kitchens at age 16, 80 hours a week, to the YouTube journey, busting a gut to get new content out as frequently as possible. It’s not sustainable. I want to be present with my family more than anything.
How has living in the countryside changed your life?
It’s changed my whole philosophy, taught me to be grounded, and helped me appreciate life, death and everything in between. Creating a garden is an antidote to globalisation; it’s heaven to me.
For so long, I was searching for wholeness whilst living in cities, hailing from Cardiff. I never would have expected that sowing seeds would give me the purpose I’d been looking for. I truly believe that, as a modern society, we have what I describe as a nature deficiency, which leads us down all the wrong paths.
Sustainability seems to be at the heart of what you do. What's one simple habit anyone can adopt in their kitchen?
Learn where your food is coming from: where it’s grown, who is producing it, whether it’s in season and whether it’s organic. Find the source of your food and you’ll reap the benefits, from building relationships with the vegetable grower at your local farmers’ market, to enjoying tastier, healthier food and cutting down on plastic packaging at the same time.
What was the decision behind writing your book? And how was this process?
I’m always writing recipes, and I wanted to produce a book for people who wanted to get the best out of their produce, teach them how to preserve it, and make dishes that would make the vegetable the star of the show. It’s called Plant to Plate.
Opening your own shop is a big milestone. What encouraged this decision?
A pretty crazy decision, considering Teigan was eight months pregnant with our baby, Willow! However, we love our local town of Abergavenny, and I’d always wanted to see more independent shops there. But I thought, who am I to say there should be more if we aren’t doing anything ourselves?
Then a shop came up to let, so I thought, let’s have a go. We stock beautifully made local crafts, antiques, products from the land, homemade herbal teas and Welsh-roasted coffee. Come visit us – our shop is called Tŷ Fferm, which means farmhouse in Welsh.
What does travel mean to you?
The ability to travel is such a blessing. We love to soak up other cultures and get inspired by different foods and restaurants.
What does home mean to you?
A home, to me, is a personal sanctuary.
You recently stayed at Ellesmera Mill – how was your experience?
We had a beautiful time at Ellesmera Mill. It felt so welcoming. My highlights were the beautiful decor, the stream, the closeness to the ocean and, of course, the wood-fired hot tub under the stars.
What kind of travel experiences appeal to you now?
We like home-away-from-home stays, trips to rural places, and country homes by the sea are very appealing to us. With a baby, busy city breaks are less appealing, so the slower pace of a holiday by the sea is much more our thing now.
If you were spending a weekend in a beautiful countryside retreat, what would you be cooking?
I love to cook over fire, so whatever is in season and local, I’d get cooking over the hot coals, in the company of family.
What's next? Is there a project or ambition you've not shared publicly yet that you're excited about?
We’re looking forward to moving to a new plot of land, a larger plot where we aim to grow the majority of our food, whilst also hosting dinners, workshops and events.
With a heartfelt thank you to Gaz Oakley for the words and imagery.
Read Plant to Plate, explore Tŷ Fferm shop, follow Gaz Oakley for more, or explore our collection of wilderness escapes.
