Banyan Tree to open farm, restaurant in Thailand with The Boutique Farmers

BANYAN Tree Group has formed a joint venture with Thai sustainable growers The Boutique Farmers to develop a gourmet organic farm and restaurant in Chiang Mai.

Named ORI9IN, the farm will be officially open to the public in October this year, with ticketed options for different "journeys" such as a maize maze and a first-hand look at crop-planting and jam factories.

There will also be venues suitable for weddings, meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions, the mainboard-listed hospitality group and The Boutique Farmers said in a joint press statement on Wednesday night.

Set on 350 acres (141.6 hectares) of land, the farm will feature rental spaces to grow specific ingredients as well as to test and plant overseas products for more than 15 Michelin-star chefs from Thailand's restaurants and hotels.

"Families can also rent land, bond over farming and enjoy the harvest of vegetable and fruit salad, delivered to their home weekly," according to the joint statement. The farm's community garden grows a variety of vegetables including kale, chillies and green beans, and provides complimentary vegetables harvesting to villagers daily.

ORI9IN partners a network of restaurants and hotels to focus on import substitution and a lower carbon footprint, championing local procurement and sustainably sourced food, Banyan Tree said.

It will also feature an innovative fine-dining experience, with a zero-waste kitchen and almost all ingredients coming from the farm itself or from local cooperatives within a 30 kilometre radius.

Shares of Banyan Tree were flat at S$0.26 as at 11.26am on Thursday.