Homegrown herbs and veggies – Mandarin Oriental Paris unveils its rooftop vegetable garden


While the hotel industry at large seems to partake in environmental initiatives, Mandarin Oriental, France is not one to be left behind. Being one of the very first hospitality pioneers to achieve a fine balance between luxury and sustainability, the premium hotel has now put in place a straggly new rooftop vegetable garden. Perched on heights that provide a breathtaking view of the city’s skyscapes, the garden aims at growing a fresh chunk of organic produce that can further be enjoyed by guests.

The hotel boasts of a robust environment responsibility plan and the vegetable orchard is nothing but an extension of it. The all-natural produce will be used by Executive Chef, Thierry Marx for his exotic lunch and dinner spreads, better known as Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx. The fresh array of vegetables will include courgettes, tomatoes, celery, and onions along with an aromatic yield of herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, and fennel. While Chef Marx will incorporate the plush yields as seasonings and tea infusions in his gastronomical delights, Alexis Martinez, the Chef Barman for Bar 8 (the Hotel’s in house Bar), will make use of the ingredients in concocting original cocktails like the ‘Mandarule’ – a heady mix of tarragon, passion fruit, ginger beer, and Hendrick’s Gin) or the ‘Honey Love – an exotic blend of Calvados, honey, lemon juice, plum bitter and champagne.
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The sprawling green space perfectly complements the hotel’s rooftop beehive that was specifically installed to help reverse a decrease in the French bee population. The bees from the hotel’s hive thrive in a pesticide-free zone and produce a yield of roughly 20 kgs per year. In addition to this, the Mandarin Oriental, Paris has also been recognized as an eco-responsible hotel and is the first in France to obtain High-Quality Environment certification. If you crave some replenishment for yourself, booking a green stay (starting at 925 Euros for a night) at the Mandarin Oriental, Paris can surely do you some good!

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A lawyer with a zeal for writing, Ekta has a deep love for linguistics, travel, and philosophy. Not an adrenalin junkie but likes going on occasional hikes to beat the weekday blues. Her bucket list includes escapades to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Morocco.