Grande Lakes Orlando, a 500-acre resort, recently expanded its sustainable dining offerings with the opening of Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen and The Brewery. The new venue emphasizes farm-to-table cuisine and house-brewed beers produced on site.
Designed with a rustic aesthetic and a variety of seating options — including communal tables, high-top counters, sofas, outdoor seating, and a bar area — The Kitchen pairs seasonal, sustainably sourced dishes with brews from The Brewery, a nano-brewery on the property that produces small-batch beers served throughout the resort.
The menu focuses on snacks, small plates, sandwiches, charcuterie and cheese boards, and flatbreads, all highlighting ingredients from the 7,000-square-foot on-site garden at Whisper Creek Farm. The farm also supplies fresh eggs daily from a newly added chicken coop, ensuring that many menu items feature hyper-local produce and proteins.
Signature dishes include house-pickled vegetables, hop-salted pretzels served with ale cheese fondue, seasonal flatbreads, and a smoked ham sandwich topped with a Whisper Creek Farm fried egg and served on a house-made honey pecan roll. The ham sandwich pays homage to a classic item from the original 1927 Marriott Hot Shoppe menu while showcasing ingredients grown and prepared on the property.
The Kitchen’s six taps offer a rotating selection of five seasonal beers brewed at The Brewery plus a year-round Surplus honey citrus ale. Surplus is the resort’s flagship beer, naturally infused with honey sourced from Grande Lakes’ on-property apiaries.
Located just off the JW Marriott lobby, The Kitchen seats approximately 100 guests indoors and 50 on the outdoor terrace. It operates nightly from 5–11 p.m., with the bar open until midnight, and the space can also be reserved as a social meeting area for daytime group functions.
Grande Lakes’ commitment to sustainable dining extends beyond The Kitchen. The resort created Primo Garden to supply produce and herbs to Chef Melissa Kelly’s Primo restaurant at the JW Marriott, and it operates multiple apiaries and an in-house bakery. Whisper Creek Farm’s chicken coop, which recently welcomed 30 hens, contributes fresh eggs for daily use. The property also supports farm-driven menus at other outlets, such as The Ritz-Carlton’s Highball & Harvest, which features Southern-inspired dishes that incorporate Whisper Creek Farm ingredients.
Situated at the headwaters of the Florida Everglades, Grande Lakes Orlando comprises the 582-room Ritz-Carlton and the 1,000-room JW Marriott. The resort also features an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman and a 40,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa that offers wellness treatments and a rooftop eco-space.