Introducing The Keeper’s Kitchen – no zoo ticket needed!

Exciting changes are coming to Marwell Zoo! We’re about to embark on an ambitious plan to transform the zoo’s entrance into a brand new plaza, featuring a 100-seater café, outdoor terrace, and space for special events. The plaza and café will be open to everyone all year round – no zoo ticket needed.

The zoo’s entrance will be relocated further back next to Penguin Cove, allowing guests to enjoy the new plaza and its facilities without a zoo ticket. 

The project will also see the demolition of Marwell’s original 1972 admissions buildings. Future phases will focus on landscaping, new admissions gates, a community garden and a new guest services hub.

Introducing The Keeper’s Kitchen

Food lovers can look forward to a delicious new dining destination celebrating the best of locally-sourced fresh produce. The Keeper’s Kitchen will serve breakfast, brunch, and lunches, alongside a selection of speciality hot drinks and tempting sweet treats.

Visitors will be able to soak up the stunning surroundings from the new outdoor terrace, whether enjoying a morning pastry and coffee to the sounds of gibbons calling or sipping a glass of Hampshire wine overlooking Black Swan Pond in the early evening.

And it’s not just human guests who will be well catered for – The Keeper’s Kitchen will be fully dog-friendly, offering treats such as puppuccinos and dog ice cream, ensuring four-legged companions feel just as welcome.

A hub for events and activities

The new plaza area will become a vibrant hub of activity, hosting a variety of events and experiences throughout the year. From seasonal food markets and festive celebrations to children’s storytelling sessions, the space will complement Marwell’s already exciting calendar of events.

A vision for the future

Laura Read, Chief Executive of Marwell Wildlife, said: “This project is the biggest investment that Marwell has made into our guest facilities since 2011 when Café Graze was opened. Not only that, but by opening up this beautiful setting to the public we will be able to engage more people with Marwell, connect more people to our landscape and also give friends new and old an exciting new venue to explore.

“We look forward to welcoming guests to enjoy some of the fabulous local produce that Hampshire has. We are working closely with our friends at Hampshire Fare to source the best products for our new menu and our designers at Total Design have done a wonderful job at helping us achieve our goals. We cannot wait to see this project take shape.”

Work on The Keeper’s Kitchen will begin on Monday 10 February. Coffee Corner will close from Sunday 9 February but the Gift Shop will remain fully accessible, offering cold drinks and ice cream for visitors to enjoy. From Friday 14 February, guests will be able to buy drinks and snacks from a temporary catering pod next to Penguin Cove.

Admissions will be open as normal until Monday 24 February when demolition work will begin. There will be ticket check points in place for members and pre-booked guests, while on-the-day tickets will be available to buy from 9.45am in the Gift Shop. The membership cabin and tombola will remain open throughout this phase. The Keeper’s Kitchen is expected to welcome guests in May 2025.