As the Horniman celebrates our 125th anniversary, we’ve teamed up with fellow South London institution Babur to mark the occasion together. Babur has created a seasonal anniversary menu inspired by the Horniman’s Gardens, which are full of botanical inspiration.
Babur’s Executive Chef Jiwan Lal and Head Mixologist Rupam Talukdar worked with our Head of Horticulture, Errol, to create a menu inspired by the herbs, botanicals and sustainable planting in our Gardens. Wild lavender, cat mint, myrtle berry, and culinary herbs combined with Babur’s signature spices create a menu that celebrates the relationship between garden and kitchen, and the rich connection between food and our community here in South London.
For Babur founder, Emdad Rahman, the partnership is rooted in a shared love of Forest Hill, good food and bringing people together, and feels like a natural next step in the restaurant’s story:
With every year Babur celebrates another milestone, we reflect on what it truly means to be part of this community. Forest Hill has given so much to us over the years, and our 41st year is all about giving thanks. Jiwan, Rupam and I toured the Horniman Gardens with Errol last spring and that visit sparked the idea for this collaboration. What we've created is a menu inspired by what grows in our community. It’s a celebration of Babur, the Horniman, and everything that makes South London such a remarkable place to call home.
This is the latest initiative in Babur’s growing programme of community partnerships. Following its landmark 40th anniversary celebrations last year, Babur is now looking firmly to the future by investing in the community that has championed it for more than four decades.
When creating this menu, Chef Jiwan was inspired by the connection between nature, heritage, and flavour. These aren’t just garnishes; every herb and botanical is a purposeful nod to the Horniman, selected to mirror on the plate what grows within our celebrated Gardens.
Catmint, a herbaceous perennial with a fresh, minty aroma, is paired with another Horniman signature, wild thyme, throughout the menu.
Jiwan also selected myrtle berry, which is dried at the restaurant and infused with pink peppercorn and dill before being distilled into an oil for the seasonal menu. Diners will find it brings a tart, resinous and peppery flavour, reminiscent of rosemary and eucalyptus.
We are so grateful to Emdad and his team at Babur for supporting the Horniman’s 125th Anniversary and partnering with us in a monumental year for us both.
The Babur x Horniman menu will be available throughout the summer from Friday 17 July to Sunday 20 September.
A limited-edition Together In Bloom cocktail gift set will be available soon from the Babur website and in the Horniman Shop, so keep an eye out for when it is on sale.
