We have a new website! Some of you who frequent Kings Grant will know that we have been working on this for almost a year! But while this website is at a new beginning, most of you will already know how the ‘new beginning,’ for Kings Grant has been in full swing for just over a year now.
My name is Lianne and I’m the daughter of the owner and founder of Kings Grant, Cheryl Biggs. With me is my partner Rob. We joined the Kings Grant team a year ago with the intention of taking the business on into its second chapter, allowing my mother to finally be able to retire after a busy 25 years in hospitality!
As with any new chapter, ‘change’ is inevitable. But the question Rob and I had, was what ‘change’ could we bring to Kings Grant?
The other factor that we have thought long and hard about is that the ‘hospitality industry’ is a lifestyle. It’s people intensive and it’s full on. While others are ‘off,’ we are here at work to make that time ‘off’ a good time! We’re here a lot and for that to be sustainable and successful, there is one very important factor that tops everything, ‘What do we want?’ If this will be a lifestyle, and in essence, our home – how do we want to spend our time? What brings us joy, balance, a sense of purpose and motivation?
The answer is simple: We must love what we do.
We must create something that we do not need to ‘escape from.’
The beauty about Kings Grant, is exactly that. It’s extraordinarily beautiful without trying because it is what it already is. We need not look to what’s trending or to what’s in fashion in the way of hospitality to stand out. We just need to be who we are and be who we are ‘well.’
There is always room for improvement and growth – that we know very well! In many cases, we need ‘a lot’ of money to do what we will still do. It’s tempting to follow the big bling, bling money and to make business decisions solely based on quick money. It’s tempting to go for the quick fix that might take you 10 steps ahead, but in the wrong direction. Rob and I have realised that simply making money is never going to be enough. Money is never is enough. What’s important to us is authenticity and creating something that feels aligned and in tune with what Kings Grant already is and with who we are.
And so, allow us to use this Website platform and blog to share with you our journey, of going forward. How we are returning to our Trappist roots of being a Supply Farm and starting a diverse small-scale farm based on permaculture practices that will supply our restaurant with true farm to fork food. We’re also at the very beginning stages of starting a food forest, an interesting and exciting project that will see us into the future. And for fun and pure joy, we’re starting a Wild Aloe Garden too! We are working on an entire rocky hill that is currently full up of invasive species. We’re working hard to remove these species, though that will no doubt be an ongoing process, forever! In its place, we are planting thousands of aloes and succulents. We’re also planting indigenous trees. These are just some of the long term changes and projects we are starting.
This is a new chapter for Kings Grant with old authentic themes and it feels aligned.
Please come and visit us and join us on the journey as we continue to build on what is already here.