MasterChef Keri puts The Good Life on pub’s menu

A pub is to become the first in London to be self-sustainable, with all food grown on the premises or sourced locally and boasting a menu designed by MasterChef winner Keri Moss.

The Patch, formerly The Magnolia, in East Dulwich, will bring a taste of The Good Life to south London but will also harness cutting-edge “urban farming” technology to help achieve its aims.

Using a technique called vertical farming, an outdoor area will be turned into a multi-layered garden planted with herbs, fruit and vegetables.

The technology, supplied by US company Sun State Organics, uses 90 per cent less energy and water by growing produce in a smaller, denser area.

Parts of the buildings will be converted into a bakery and smokehouse, while meat, fish and other ingredients will come from within a 15-mile radius. It will mark a transformation for the pub, which was once a popular music venue but became plagued by problems and closed in 2008.

East Dulwich resident Moss was joint winner last year of the BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals, and opened her first restaurant, The Corner, in Selfridges last month. She will create the menu for the pub’s reopening in June, with an emphasis on classics such as sausage and mash.

Speaking about the deal, she said: “I am really excited to be part of such a pioneering initiative which will be providing great-quality food from farm to plate, with the urban farm being The Patch’s unique kitchen garden.

“You can’t get more local or fresher food if it’s grown on-site.”