Explore these farm-to-fork stays around Mumbai for a weekend getaway

One of the best practices in the food industry that emerged during the pandemic is championing natural local ingredients and innovatively using these across menus in most establishments in the city As access to indigenous produce straight from their acres increased it also opened avenues to let city dwellers dive into authentic villagefarming and sustainable practices through immersive farmtotable experiences These provide opportunities to pick seasonal produce for a meal learn traditional cooking techniques and discover the wholesome joys of food grown close to home Come explore these charming petfriendly getaways with nourishing stays and eateries that put locallygrown flavours at the forefrontTooth Mountain FarmsA serene familyrun luxury boutique retreat sprawled across 20 acres of lush countryside Tooth Mountain Farms in Karjat is an idyllic haven with a private lake lap pool an animal shelter and bird sanctuary and a captivating assortment of flowering plants scattered throughout the estate ldquoAfter studying hotel management in Les Roches Switzerland I wanted to go back to my roots in hospitality What started with renting our farmhouse out on the weekends eventually became this boutique farm stayrdquo shares founder Shiv Sagar While the onsite store offers a variety of organic products harvested directly from the farmrsquos fertile fieldsmdashsuch as jamun spreads peanut butter mango pickles and fruit preservesmdashthe cafe specialises in wholesome farmtotable eats ranging from delectable pizzas and stuffed pasta bursting with freshly plucked veggies and herbs to an Indian fare crafted from seasonal produce Therersquos even a curated menu designed by an animal nutritionist for pets Beyond culinary delights the property has a spa and a slew of outdoor activities including nature trails treks yoga sessions and visits to the farm animalsgtgtgtWHERE Tooth Mountain Farms KarjatPRICE Rs 8400 onwards including breakfastCALL 9969030207AngloIndian CafeacuteldquoWersquore hydroponictofork growing our veggies and leaves either on the property or at a nearby hydroponic farm in Talegaon and bringing them straight to your tablerdquo says Shaheen Arsiwalla partner at Anglo Indian Cafeacute Lonavla On request guests can also harvest produce themselves adding it either to a dish or beverage or for taking back home A typical farmfresh menu here includes watermelon and feta salad basil limbu pani kale and burrata salad feta and spinach stuffed naans and lasooni palak paneergtgtgtWHERE AngloIndian Cafeacute LonavlaACCOMMODATION Le Sutra Great EscapesPRICE Rs 1000 onwardsCALL 9359820179The Table FarmSpread across one acre in Sasawane Alibaug The Table Farm was conceived in 2012 to cultivate highquality chemicalfree produce for The Table Colaba Today it doubles up as a space to host farmtofork meals The menu focuses on going back to the farmrsquos roots in Alibaug and has a Maharashtrian influence with spreads comprising a Malvanistyle cucumber and coconut salad a beetroot pachadi amaranth sabzi and local prawn curry paired with indigenous ricesourced from farms around the arealdquoA lot of the groups we host are young school children who may be studying about farming and nutrition and get to see the range of herb flower fruit and vegetable varieties and how they growrdquo points out founder Gauri Devidayal ldquoIf guests are willing to get their hands dirty theyrsquore encouraged to harvest their produce or make planter bedsmdashwhich is hard work It brings an awareness of how much effort goes into putting a dish on the tablerdquo From scarecrow and pestomaking to art and writing workshops therersquos also an accompanying activity planned each time for all age groupsgtgtgtWHERE The Table Farm AlibaugPRICE Rs 4000 per head onwardsCALL 9819710855Fernandes WadiDesigned by architect and urban planner Charles Correa this idyllic familyrun boutique stay located in the middle of a coconut grove is the perfect driveaway for a truly authentic farmtofork meal ldquoWersquore located in an offbeat coastal village and our home is a homage to a simpler rsquo80s bungla lifestyle with laidback vintage family furniture So it felt fitting to serve seasonal retro preparations wersquove grown up eatingmdashstraight from our farmrdquo shares Jharna Thakkar of the space she runs with her husband Rohan FernandesPractising hyperseasonalitymdasheating fish vegetables and fruits of the seasonmdasheach lsquotable of the hostrsquo spread comprises dishes made from family recipes from the western coast of IndiamdashKutchi Gujarati Marathi and Goan Guests can book the entire villa or a single roommdasheven bringing along their petsmdashtaking in a slower pace of life here where theyrsquore encouraged to witness the propertyrsquos farming and pick produce for their meals A typical spread includes Marathi handrolled bhakri roasted over a woodfire served with freshly harvested vegetables alongside Goan meat or fish curries paired with locallygrown vada kolam rice and grannystyle Kutchi pickles and coconut ladoo for dessertgtgtgtWHERE Fernandes Wadi UranPRICE Rs 6500 onwardsTO BOOK airbnbcomProperty imagesFabien CharuauThe Chlorophyll EstateldquoThis is a love letter to eating healthy growing organic and sharing the fruits of labour with likeminded folkrdquo shares Keyur Barad when describing his threeacre organic farm which was once barren barring a single tamarind tree and today boasts over 800 fruit trees flowering plants and spicesldquoWe are selftaught farmers who have been growing organically for the last 15 years Our home is built to allow nature to be the hero of our story finding its way in and around the interiors and our land has never experienced chemical fertilisers insecticides or pesticides making our produce more fragrant flavourful and nutritious than what one would get in regular marketsWhat we cannot grow we seek from nearby farms that follow similar traditional methods of farmingrdquo With a mix of Indian Asian and Italian cuisines we loved the homestyle fare curated for our staymdashthe kurkuri bhindi and Thai carrot soup being our favourite gtgtgtWHERE The Chlorophyll Estate ManorPRICE Rs 30000 onwards for groups of eight to 16CALL 9326358158YETOThis intimate retreat spans two lush acres enveloped in fruit orchards vegetable gardens and a verdant canopy of coconut and teak trees meticulously built by husbandwife duo Gaurav Shah and Simrata Oberoi Their passion for art music and gastronomy echoes through every detail in YETOrsquos modern duplex villa influenced by Scandinavian styles where the living area seamlessly connects to the lush gardens and a large community picnicstyle table outside Here the couple hosts their guests with the warmth and familiarity akin to visiting family during summer vacationsExpect a slow leisurepaced fare with long conversations about just about anything under the sun Curating hyperlocal menus harnessing the bounty of their land with ingredients ranging from freshly plucked herbs and greens to vibrant edible flowers guests can savour traditional Konkani delicacies local bombil marinated and fried to perfection ramen infused with farmfresh bok choi which is a love letter to comfort Japanese food or a fivecourse fusion tasting menu that harmoniously marries global influences with local produce Guests are encouraged to explore the gardens handpick their produce and even be a part of gin workshops for adults or potting plant lessons for the kidsgtgtgtWHERE YETO UranPRICE Rs 8000 onwardsTO BOOK me_yeto InstagramMohraan FarmsSurrounded by streams wild grass and rice fields Mohraan Farms in Shahapur offers traditional local and seasonal Maharashtrian cuisine made with ingredients sourced from their lush property that include 15 leafy greens 30 fruits native rice legumes and beans 80 wild vegetables and freerange chicken The most special dish on their menu is Popatimdasha traditional winter speciality in which chicken fish tubers beans bananas and other produce are layered in an earthen pot with bhamburdi and blumea leavesThe pot is kept upside down and slowcooked on a wood fire Describing how guests get to stay in sustainably built cottages and camping tents within a forested area by a stream brothers and founders Sameer and Sachin Adhikar share a fascinating story of moving from city life to dwell on the property with their family ldquoMohraan is a place where one can connect with jal jungle and jameen through the farm and wild food tours and outdoorsy activities such as kayaking cycling and swimmingrdquo say Sameer and Sachin Adhikari the twins who run the placegtgtgtWHERE Mohraan Farms Shahapur ThanePRICE Rs 2500 per person per night onwardsCALL 98690428655Oleander FarmsAlong with a few farmtofork eats across their cafes the highlight of Oleander Farms in Karjatrsquos menu is their farmtobrew ciders and lagers on tap made in their inhouse microbrewery from the abundance of rice that grows on the property Our favourites were the berry and guava ciders both of which we recommend bottling in growlers to bring back home for laterEven the cocktails here are farmfresh incorporating herbs and ingredients such as rosemary turmeric and seasonal fruits in each tipple While Saltt is their more popular multicuisine restaurant with a twoweek wait list once upon a time we were most spoilt for choice with comfort food and grills at their microbrewerycumcafe Common HousegtgtgtWHERE Oleander Farms KarjatPRICE Rs 12500CALL 50022222Villa by ChandralokldquoIf your dog can vouch for you yoursquore welcome toordquo says Heta Ganatra the welcoming force behind the fourth generation running Chandralok Villas nestled amidst the enchanting landscape of Lonavla ldquoWersquove been making Gujarati thalis for over six decadesmdashfood has been a multigenerational forte in this family My sister and I have started to localise it more together and the planttoplate idea came about from the lack of produce during the pandemic which we needed for our heavy footfalls So we converted half our lawns into a wholesome selfnourishing vegetable gardenMany groups who are our regular visitors prefer sowing their produce and coming back between a fortnight to a month and harvesting it again They often even replant some of it hererdquo From Maharashtrian to Gujarati delights like bharli vangi every dish is prepared with locallysourced ingredients including methi cherry tomatoes lilu lasan green garlic bhindi Italian basil guava mulberries chauli drumstick bhindi carrots radish and beetroot Each villa is a haven of comfort alfresco dining and a mindful shopping space along with curated experiences such as picnics cycling fishing hiking yoga and paraglidinggtgtgtWHERE Villa by Chandralok LonavlaPRICE Rs 12000 onwardsCALL 9765608585