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As Winter is firmly locked in, the more resilient foods flourish. Those hard root vegetables are at their best, parsnips, celeriac, sprouts and turnips all benefit from the cold snap. Guinea fowl and rabbit are available for the well wrapped up hunter and some deer are just coming to the end of their season. Firm white fish are optimum; monfish, halibut and turbot. If you like to chew on what has to be the closest relative of the hairbrush, try conger eel for it’s firm delicious meat and the unfathomable volume of bones. Some of the real gems are the shellfish; cockles, mussels, clams and winkles for those buttery, creamery, hearty bowlfuls. Oysters will be fantastic at this time of year and certainly keep at their peak until after Valentine’s Day.

Much of the food used at this time of year would have needed to be stored, preserved or immediately available to the cook. Some of the shellfish and game were gathered through foraging or hunting, vegetables stored in cold, dark places and other ingredients dried, salted or pickled. Perhaps it is no surprise that game seems to go well with a rich fruit sauce, as jam making may have been one way of keeping the produce for longer.

Our latest seasonal menu is available by clicking here