December: Our recommendations on the menu this month

What we’ve been eating: Our Christmas menu!

It’s official – our festive lunch menu has finally launched and my, have we got a treat for you. To start, you can select from brandy cured salmon, a smooth parsnip velouté or a pork shoulder terrine. To follow, as well as the classic turkey breast with duck fat roasted potatoes, we’ve got a Jerusalem artichoke and mushroom pithivier or sea bream with seasonal vegetables.

As for dessert, we’ve got a delicious dark chocolate and orange tart with praline ice cream, poached pear with mulled wine sorbet served with gingerbread, full of festive flavours – or if you’re more of a cheese fan, there’s a Colston Bassett stilton with your name on it.

Whether you’re celebrating with colleagues or family, catching up with friends or looking to book an extra-special business lunch, you can trust we’ll make it a delicious way to bring in the most wonderful time of the year.

What we’ve been drinking: 2020 East Bench Zinfandel, Ridge Vineyards, USA

Sonoma County is one of the USA’s most important wine regions. Vines have been grown here since the 1850s and, apart from the inevitable hiatus brought about by Prohibition, the county's relationship with wine has been prolific and unbroken.

The soil in this benchland vineyard is a blend of clay loam with ancient river rock – iron-rich, deep and well-weathered, ideal for growing wine grapes, especially zinfandel.

The wine has black cherry, fig and vanilla on the nose with notes of mint. It has medium to full body with rich raspberry on the palate and well-coated tannins and is beautifully balanced with a juicy finish.