The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 19-23 May in the UK. So now seems an apt time to discuss the merits (or otherwise) of adding flower cuttings to our food.
‘Edible flowers’ (presumably as opposed to toxic ones such as atropa belladonna or ‘deadly nightshade’) appear with increasing frequency on restaurant dishes. The likes of Lyle’s, Fera at Claridge's, Spring, Petersham Nurseries and The Ivy are big name examples of restaurants using petals to populate their plates – more often than not to stunning effect. But you’re also likely to see borage flowers, pear blossom and violas at a low-key local restaurants too.
Are petals really more than pretty decoration, though?
