The Secret Garden is celebrating our first birthday!

🎉 One Year of The Secret Garden! 🎉

Wow—what a year it’s been! It’s hard to believe that in January 2024 we finally got the keys to what is now known as The Secret Garden. After being closed for three years, the site needed a lot of love (and elbow grease!) to become what you see today.

We’ve made huge progress—and we’re still growing. Our ever-expanding patio is made entirely from upcycled pavers, tiles, and quirky trinkets. It’s becoming a bright, cheerful space that brings a smile to everyone’s face, whatever the season.

While our predecessors did a lovely job with the tearoom, we had a different vision—something a bit more us. We set out to create a space that’s vibrant and full of character, inspired by our Mediterranean roots, love of travel, and of course, the beautiful flowers we sell in the nursery.

When it comes to food, we aim to give our guests a real treat—something a bit special, something you wouldn’t typically make at home. We want you to feel like you're on a little holiday while you’re here, soaking up the relaxed atmosphere, surrounded by colour, nature, and good company.

We officially opened our doors in May 2024, and since then, the support we’ve received from the local community has been incredible. We've welcomed returning faces and made lots of new friends, and it still amazes us how far some people travel to visit our little garden café.

Since opening, we’ve hosted charity events for wonderful causes like Age Concern Epsom & Ewell and Buddy Up. We’ve thrown fun seasonal events for children at Halloween and Christmas, and run craft sessions during every school holiday—giving kids a chance to get creative and parents a well-deserved break.

At Christmas, the garden looked magical with our Christmas trees, a wreath-making workshop, and a festive quiz night hosted by our incredible Quiz Queen, Jess—who so generously volunteers her time to write and host these fun-filled evenings. Her quizzes are always packed with laughs and guaranteed good times. We’ve already had another great quiz in 2025 and can’t wait for the next one!

We also held our very first Supper Club—a true family-run event that we’ll never forget. My brother-in-law, Tomer, flew in all the way from New York to be our head chef, helping make the evening truly special. My father-in-law, Sami, and brother-in-law, Elad, also flew in especially to volunteer and be part of it all. I found myself on pot-washing duty alongside Sami, while Elad stepped in as sous chef, and my husband—co-owner and the most familiar face around The Secret Garden—naturally took on the role of maître d’. Our daughter Eden stepped out of her usual cheffing role and back into her waitressing shoes, working alongside our fantastic team member Becky, while Jamie kept things flowing behind the bar. Despite the weather not being on our side, the food got rave reviews—especially the steaks and salmon, which were described as “to die for!”

We’ve learned so much along the way and are always listening to feedback to improve and evolve.

🎉 This Sunday, we’ll be celebrating with a Garden Party—not just to mark one amazing year, but also to commemorate 80 years since VE Day. A talented friend has kindly offered to sing some classic tunes and sing-alongs, we’ll be serving cream teas all weekend, and we’ll even have a licensed bar! No need to book—just come along and enjoy the fun!

Swipe through the photos to see how far we’ve come—from getting the keys in January 2024 to today. 🌸

Finally, we want to take a moment to thank the incredible people who helped turn this once-abandoned site into something so special:

💚 To my Dad—we absolutely couldn’t have done it without you. To my Mum—you were pretty handy too! 😉

💚 To our amazing neighbour Jef—your generosity with your time and tools has been unmatched.💚 To our wonderful friends Andy, Karen, Dave, Rox, Tony, Nicole, and Chris—thank you for showing up, rolling up your sleeves, and often bringing your own teams to help.

💚 And to our fantastic builders Luis (and his dad!) and Alex—you brought the vision to life.

💚 To Tim and Karen, our kind predecessors, and Councillor Alex Coley—thank you for always being available in the background with support, answers and excellent advice when we’ve needed it.

💚 To Ewell Court Association and Friends of Ewell Court Park—thank you for your ongoing volunteering in the community and support. Your efforts make such a positive and lasting impact on our Ewell community.

❤️ To all our team members, past and present—thank you for your hard work, passion, and commitment, both big and small. In no particular order: Becky, Omri, Ben, Thomas, Yaz, Asia, Joe, Anne Marie, Anjeza, both Jasmines, Chloe, Cecily, Ray, Stephen, Jamie, Adam, Eden, Nio, Arla, Rachel, Izzy, Sophia, Edie, and Ellis—you are all a part of the heart of The Secret Garden, and we appreciate you more than words can say.

There are so many others who’ve helped along the way, and if we missed your name, please know that you’re appreciated more than we can say. 💐

We hope to see you Sunday to raise a glass or two with us and enjoy the merriment and joy of community! 🍷🥳 Here’s to our first year—thank you for being part of the journey. Let’s see what the next one brings!

Feeling grateful, Zia (& Itay) x