August Beth is a breath of fresh air; her enthusiasm, passion and approachability evident in every word. But while her mission to get us growing our own veg is inspiring, and her garden to plate ethos admirable, her life story is as remarkable.
Because for 20 years August was an air hostess, a job she loved, until she one day was taken to Le Manoir in Oxfordshire for lunch and fell head over heels in love with the gardens there. And that was it – her life changed irrevocably from that moment on.
“I asked them for a job on the spot,” she laughs. “I think they thought I was mad, or tipsy, so I went back to work. But then I googled gardening jobs from a hotel room somewhere abroad, and Le Manoir was the first thing that came up. I knew it was fate, so I applied,” she remembers.
“I didn’t have a CV or any qualifications because I’d only ever been an air hostess, so I took some veg I’d grown at home with me to the interview and some home-made runner bean chutney, and I got the job.
“I still laugh about my interview outfit – a skirt and heels – like an air hostess, not a gardener, and I don’t think they thought I’d last a day. But they gave me a chance, and saw how passionate I am about gardening. Anyway, they must have seen something in me because I’m still here,” she laughs.
“But then Raymond Blanc is self taught and so passionate about what he does, and his own history is very much a part of who he is – his father being the gardener and his mother the chef, growing as much of their produce as they could when he was growing up.
“But it’s also about learning on the job. If you have drive and passion you can do anything if you put your mind to it, and he is a prime example of that, so Raymond is a great mentor and support,” August continues.
Six years later, and August is not only running Raymond Blanc’s Gardening School, but created a heritage garden with 156 varieties of veg from around the world, using historic seeds.
“That’s my part of the garden,” she says proudly. “Le Manoir gardens are like a painting – so seasonal – it’s like an edible wonderland there with pumpkins spilling out onto the pathways and teepees everywhere. Le Manoir guests can tour the gardens which gives them a better understanding of the food they’re eating and where it came from,” she adds.
August (formerly Bernstein) has also accumulated 130,000 Instagram followers on the way, her own seed business and is one of the big attractions at Big Feastival this year. BREAKING NEWS: Alex James headlining Big Feastival with Nelly Furtado and Faithless, plus Travis, The Wombats, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Tom Walker
“I love Big Feastival. I did some workshops there last year which went really well so they have asked me back. My sessions are very interactive and aimed at getting people gardening and growing their own veg. So I will talk about seeds, soil, planting, seedlings and then get our hands dirty.
“I just want to inspire people and show them how easy it is to get growing, because gardening has totally changed my life. Not everyone is academic and the world needs people with all sorts of different talents,” she says.
Elsewhere in August’s life, it’s still all about gardening, her Instagram feed showcasing the transformation of her new, downsized garden to help motivate others, and is currently half way through a degree in Environmental Studies, her RHS Level 2 and a diploma in Organic Gardening.
A lot of gardening then? “Yes,” she laughs, “but I’ve just moved to a new house and wanted to show people what you can create in just five weeks from nothing, so that you can walk out of your back door and pick something to make into a meal, from tomatoes and basil to garlic, even in quite a small space.
“But more than that, the difference in taste if you grow your own veg and put it on a plate is so satisfying, even if it’s just herbs or salad leaves, it just takes it up a notch.”
Gardening aside, will August still be enjoying the rest of Big Feastival? “Yes! love Big Feastival, because apart from my two Table Sessions I see it as a bit of a holiday. I love going to see the bands and dancing in the Silent Disco and trying all the different food, just getting away from gardening for a bit and switching off. It’s magic.
Big Feastival runs from August 22-24. https://bigfeastival.com
