We Bought a Farm: Introducing Hip Peas Farm and Our True Farm-to-Table Vision
We Bought a Farm: Introducing Hip Peas Farm and Our True Farm-to-Table Vision
This July, Dan Lagueux and Valerie Vanasse — owners of New England's Tap House Grille — took a step that most restaurant owners only dream about. They bought a farm. Hip Peas Farm, a 5.5-acre property along the Merrimack River in Hooksett, NH, is now the agricultural backbone of everything we serve. When we say farm-to-table at the Tap House, we mean it in the most literal way possible: the food on your plate was likely growing just down the road this morning.
What Is Hip Peas Farm?
Hip Peas Farm is a 150-year-old property at 191 West River Road in Hooksett, NH. The historic farmhouse sits on 5.5 acres alongside the Merrimack River, surrounded by working greenhouses and growing fields. Dan purchased the property in July 2017 with one goal: to give the Tap House direct control over the quality, freshness, and provenance of its produce. The farm grows spring and salad mixes, microgreens, swiss chard, arugula, baby kale, tomatoes, squash, strawberries, and the pea tendrils that have become a menu signature. With two working greenhouses already in place — and two more on the way — we have year-round indoor production capacity exceeding 6,000 square feet.
We also heat those greenhouses using reclaimed cooking oil from the Tap House's fryers, and we compost food prep scraps from the restaurant back into the farm's soil. It's a closed-loop system, and we're proud of it.
What Hip Peas Grows for Your Plate
When you order a salad at the Tap House, the greens may have been harvested the same day. The pea tendrils on your appetizer, the kale in our flatbread pizza, the fresh herbs in your cocktail — these are all grown at Hip Peas Farm under certified organic practices. The farm is working toward full USDA certified organic status, using no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Every crop decision is made with the restaurant menu in mind, creating a direct and intentional connection between field and fork that very few New Hampshire restaurants can claim.
What Comes Next
The 150-year-old barn on the property has potential that we're already beginning to explore. In the near term, we're focused on expanding production, adding more greenhouse capacity, and supplying not only the Tap House but eventually a farm stand open to the public. There's a lot more to come from this property — and we can't wait to share it with you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hip Peas Farm
What is Hip Peas Farm?
Hip Peas Farm is a 5.5-acre certified organic farm at 191 West River Road in Hooksett, NH, owned by Dan Lagueux and Valerie Vanasse, the same owners as New England's Tap House Grille. Purchased in July 2017, the farm supplies the restaurant with fresh produce including salad greens, microgreens, baby kale, pea tendrils, tomatoes, and seasonal vegetables.
Is New England's Tap House Grille truly farm-to-table?
Yes. New England's Tap House Grille sources fresh produce directly from its own Hip Peas Farm in Hooksett, NH. The farm grows certified organic produce specifically for the restaurant's menu, and food scraps from the kitchen are composted back into the farm — creating a genuine closed-loop, farm-to-table system.
Where is Hip Peas Farm located?
Hip Peas Farm is located at 191 West River Road, Hooksett, NH 03106, alongside the Merrimack River. The 150-year-old farmhouse property sits just a short drive from New England's Tap House Grille at 1292 Hooksett Road.
We're proud of this next chapter in the Tap House story. When you dine with us, you're supporting not just a restaurant but a small farm, a local ecosystem, and a team of people who care deeply about where your food comes from. Come see us at taphousenh.com.