Spring Garden at RHS Chelsea 2026: Jeremy Chan Takes Over the Kitchen
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show returns to the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 19 to 23 May, and for many regulars the most anticipated table of the week is inside the showground. Spring Garden, the show's flagship food and drink experience, has a new creative lead this year: Jeremy Chan, head chef of the two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi. With the show less than a month away, now is the time to book.
A change at the top
For many years, Spring Garden was run by Skye Gyngell together with José Pizarro. Following Gyngell's death, Chan has taken over the centrepiece of the show's dining, working alongside Pizarro. It is a significant appointment. Ikoyi is one of London's most original restaurants, known for its bold use of spice and West African influences, and Chan's arrival signals a more adventurous direction for the show's food. Keeping Pizarro alongside him ensures continuity for the regulars who return every year.
What is on the menu
Dishes revealed for this year include:
- Pea, lovage and green chilli soup with confit trout and a beetroot and elderflower emulsion
- Morel and wild garlic rice with sugar-cured prawns
- Cherry, pine nut and malted barley for dessert
The menu reads as a celebration of late spring produce, and is a good fit for a show devoted to gardens. Lovage, wild garlic and elderflower are all plants a keen gardener might grow at home, which feels like a deliberate nod to the setting. Hot Dinners has the full announcement.
The format
Spring Garden is more than a restaurant. It is an all-in experience combining sit-down meals with culinary masterclasses and live music, set within the grounds of the Royal Hospital. Country and Town House's guide to eating during the show describes a programme that runs from breakfast through lunch to afternoon tea, with Pizarro's tapas, spritzes and Champagne alongside Chan's dishes.
How to book
- Tickets for Spring Garden are sold through its own event website, separately from general show entry.
- You will also need a valid ticket to the show itself. The first days are reserved for RHS members, with public days from Thursday 21 to Saturday 23 May.
- Book soon, as places are limited and show week is the busiest of the year in this part of London.
Eating beyond the showground
If you cannot secure a Spring Garden booking, the restaurants between Sloane Square and Knightsbridge make the most of show week, with floral menus and terraces dressed for Chelsea in Bloom. We will be rounding up the best of them nearer the time. Expect themed menus, floral cocktails and, if the weather holds, plenty of tables outside.
Getting there
The Royal Hospital Chelsea is on Royal Hospital Road, SW3, about ten minutes' walk from Sloane Square station. From Knightsbridge, allow around 25 minutes on foot down Sloane Street, a pleasant route during Chelsea in Bloom. For more ideas around the show, see our restaurant guides.
Lead image: Jeffrey via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
