Tom Massey, the Garden Designer
TOM AND THE EGG
The appeal of a Big Green Egg goes far beyond food. It’s about quality time spent outdoors, enveloped by the natural world. In the buildup to RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20 – 24 May), three of the country’s leading garden designers have spoken to us about their craft, offering tips on creating an outdoor kitchen and sharing their favourite fire-cooking recipes.
This week it’s Tom Massey, founder of Tom Massey Studio. Eating outside is “such a magical experience – nourishing yourself, but also spending time surrounded by a natural environment,” says Tom. “I’d say nearly every private residential client we work for asks for somewhere to cook outside, Big Green Eggs are a big part of that”.
A CHAT WITH TOM
Tom took time out from prepping for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show to chat to us about the importance of nature connection, his love of alfresco cooking, and why encouraging biodiversity is so essential.
ROASTED MUSHROOM & FIG FLATBREAD WITH GOAT'S CHEESE
For his Chelsea garden, Tom has constructed a pavilion using the bonding power of mycelium, the mass of root-like filaments generated by fungi, and is growing edible mushrooms inside it. He’s shared with us a potential use for some of those mushrooms: a recipe for homemade flatbreads topped with roasted mushrooms, fresh figs and melted goat’s cheese.
Tom's testimonial
EGGSPAND YOUR HORIZONS
For his mushroom flatbreads recipe, Tom used a Large Big Green Egg with an EGGspander System, which increases the EGG’s capacity and allows for the simultaneous use of different heats, surfaces and cooking modes. This enabled him to roast the mushrooms over indirect heat and grill the flatbreads over direct heat without having to change the setup partway through.
TOM’S CHELSEA GARDEN
Tom is a designer with some serious Chelsea pedigree. Last year, he and his team were the recipients of a much-coveted RHS Gold Medal. This year, they’re returning with the Avanade Intelligent Garden, a forest garden that uses AI technology to help protect and preserve its trees. It also incorporates an array of edible plant species, from berries and flowers to roots and fungi.
Big Green Egg @ RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025
For years now, we’ve been showing Big Green Eggs at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, either on our own stands or in partnership with our dealers. We’ll be there again this year to answer your questions and let you see the EGG in its natural habitat, surrounded by amazing gardens. You’ll find us with Oaktree Garden Centre, part of our amazing country-wide network of trusted dealerships.
ABOUT TOM
Tom is the founder of Tom Massey Studio, based in southwest London. His studio has designed award-winning gardens for private and commercial clients, as well as for festivals and shows in the UK and overseas. Central to his approach is the belief that gardens aren’t just for humans – they also have to consider, and ideally enhance, the local wildlife.
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