Eddie Shepherd

Coming Up

Plant-based tasting menus are the centre of gravity at The Walled Gardens in Manchester, where Eddie Shepherd works as chef/owner. At The Walled Gardens Underground Restaurant, the cooking is set out with quiet precision, giving texture, restraint and contrast room to register; Hazelnut / Kinako / Cherry 2.0 is a current dish that sits cleanly within that approach. The work is framed by a direct aim, stated plainly by Eddie Shepherd: “For me, it’s about sharing the purest expression of an ingredient.”

Where They Are Now

A plant-based tasting menu sets the rhythm of the kitchen, and Eddie Shepherd uses that structure to build depth, balance and surprise without treating plant-based cooking as a constraint. Courses are composed to unfold with intention, and the menu’s pace is measured so each element can do its part in the larger sequence of the meal. The result is cooking that asks to be read closely, with each plate carrying weight through proportion and control rather than volume.

Signature

Halloumi, light whipped meringues, Fermented Cashew / Tarragon / Blood Orange, and Hazelnut / Kinako / Cherry 2.0 map the range of Eddie Shepherd’s signature work. The dishes point to a kitchen built on contrast as much as harmony: savoury against sweet, delicate against bold, familiar forms recast through a plant-based lens. Their naming also shows a careful hand at the level of construction, with each dish holding its own identity while still speaking the same culinary language.

In Their Words “With mine based around a plant-based tasting menu, ethics and environmental principles are at the heart of what I do – so it’s even more important that my business matches this in terms of sustainability.” “For me, it’s about sharing the purest expression of an ingredient.”

Honors

Eddie Shepherd has received Manchester Food and Drink Awards, Chef of the Year (2023). Chef of the Year (2023) and Chef of the Future sit alongside Eddie Shepherd’s work as markers of recognition for a kitchen defined by focus, conviction and clarity. The awards align with a practice that keeps the ingredient visible and the point of view precise.