May: Our recommendations on the menu this month

What we’ve been eating: Pan roasted Cornish gurnard with crab, carrot and coriander

Head chef James thrives off cooking with underused produce, and we know our discerning guests also enjoy exploring and learning about lesser-known ingredients.

On our à la carte menu this month we have gurnard, a sadly underused fish despite how delicious it is. We pan roast the fish, finish it in butter, and pair it with a crab cake. The bones from the crab are also used to make a bisque.

The dish is then completed with a classic combination of roasted and puréed carrots, adding sweetness, and dressed with a coriander oil.

What we’ve been drinking: Château La Tour de By Rosé

We recommend pairing the warmer weather with a 2021 Château La Tour de By Rosé, which contains beautiful notes of bright red fruit – strawberries and raspberries – and has a long, delicious finish.

Cousins Frédéric Le Clerc and Benjamin Richer des Forges have 94 hectares under vine at La Tour de By and the location of their vineyards is quite stunning, overlooking the Gironde estuary.

But it’s not just gorgeous to look at. The gravelly soil forces the vines to set down deep roots and the wines are extremely consistent, with quality fruit being the key to the great taste of their wines.