Something exciting is growing at Newton Hall Holiday Park in 2026 as new Head Gardener Conrad Bunday plans to transform the popular Partington’s holiday park into a glorious green space of sustainability that will feed the soul and the dinner table.
Conrad came to work for the Lancashire-based family business in September 2025 with a mission to build a deeper connection between all their holiday parks and the natural world, and he’s already well on the way with his bold vision to turn Newton Hall Holiday Park near Blackpool into a completely edible landscape with a thriving kitchen garden that will supply fresh, seasonal produce directly to its popular dining spot Café at Walterz.
Conrad, 30, is originally from Hythe in the New Forest and feels his career path into horticulture was almost destined: “I learned to love gardening from my father. He has been working with the land all his life and has passed down not just his many practical skills, but also his deep respect for nature.”
That early grounding has shaped Conrad’s working philosophy ever since, and after tending gardens across the country, he made the move to Lancashire last year and is now firmly putting down leadership roots at Partington’s Holiday Parks across Lancashire, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales to preserve habitats, encourage biodiversity and ensure that all their green spaces don’t just coexist with nature, they actively support it.
For Newton Hall Holiday Park this means collaborating with Café at Walterz chef Nathan Shaw to develop a ‘garden to fork’ initiative where Conrad is growing a rainbow kitchen garden that will feature ten to fifteen different varieties of vegetables each season with great flavours and a colourful twist – from white, red and purple carrots to multi-coloured sweetcorn, purple peppers and black tomatoes.
“Nathan and I are constantly in conversation about what we can grow that’s most sustainable for the land and the season and which will complement his extensive menu,” says Conrad.
“As well as the multi-coloured vegetables we are currently looking at red and white onions, orange tomatoes, spring onions, broad beans and four different types of basil.
“Nathan is big on sauces and tastes so fresh herbs are very important to him, and so Newton Hall gardener Jack Kimberly is also creating a ‘living wall’ of herbs with twenty to thirty varieties that will sit in 450 small pots, with everything grown here from seed.”
And it’s not only the plants that Conrad is encouraging to grow and flourish – as well as helping to bring Conrad’s new garden to fork vision to life, Jack is currently also undertaking a Horticulture and Landscaping Apprenticeship at Myerscough College after being inspired by his new boss!
First planting from the Newton Hall team began in January with the first full pick available for this summer season meaning lucky Walterz diners are already enjoying the fruits of his labours, with delicious dishes such as Nathan’s glorious Garden Soup now featuring Conrad’s freshly picked vegetables and herbs.
“Everything will be super fresh and will change according to the seasons. It’s really important these days for people to know where their food comes from and that its more sustainable for the environment, “says Conrad. “Even the kitchen waste has become an opportunity, with the used coffee grounds from Walterz now being repurposed as natural fertiliser to enrich the soil!”
Conrad also firmly believes that gardens shouldn’t just look good they should give back, and he is bringing that ethos blossoming to life with an ambitious five-year plan to turn Newton Hall into a fully-fledged edible park.
He explains: “The idea is for every single flower bed to become completely edible with hundreds of varieties of herbs and shrubs, with signs for visitors saying what the plant is and this is what it tastes like. Myself and my team are currently working on an exchange system of taking up the ornamental plants and replacing them until the whole of the park is edible except for the trees and the hedges. We are also introducing as many fruit trees on the park as possible for people to pick themselves. It will look gorgeous and it’s great for the bees too. The team has such incredible knowledge that we share between us and it’s so inspiring.”
The next generation are also being inspired to get involved with nature with plans for little visitors to plant seeds during their stay and receive updates as their plants grow, with the hope it will spark a lifelong appreciation for nature.
Conrad and his busy team of seven are now looking at creating further sustainability for the other Partington’s parks with plans to enhance the natural environment at each site – including growing wildflower turfs and introducing a wetland mix to bind the land together and make the area much more eco-friendly for birds and animals at Windy Harbour; introducing hedgehog houses, bug hotels, wild planting and more insect coverage to increase the biodiversity and endangered animal species at Tarn House in Skipton, and increasing the diversity of all the colourful plants and bulbs at Black Beck in the Lake District for this year’s Cumbria in Bloom submission.
With Conrad Bunday at the helm, the future of Partington’s Holiday Parks is looking greener, richer and far more engaging for all.
Partington’s Holiday Parks – sustainability and community growing side by side.
For further information on Partington’s Holiday Parks please visit www.partingtons.com and take a virtual tour of the parks at www.partingtons.com/virtual-tours
