August: What’s been on the menu recently
What we’ve been eating: Green Tomato Gazpacho
Our gazpacho recipe starts with a raw, hand-blended base of tomatoes and vegetables, chosen to bring out their natural sweetness without any cooking to dull the flavour. We build the soup around cucumber, spring onion, courgette, green pepper and jalapeño, finished with dill and parsley for a fresh, herbal lift in every spoonful.
This cold tomato soup has its roots in southern Spain, where it was traditionally made to celebrate ripe, seasonal produce during the hottest months of the year. We've kept that spirit alive in our version, letting the natural flavour of Isle of Wight tomatoes and the crunch of raw vegetables do the talking.
We chill the soup and serve it over a tomato-and-cucumber salad, dressed with lime and olive oil for a bright, zesty finish. To top it off, we add fine strands of red pepper, delicate brioche flowers and fresh fennel tops, a finishing touch that brings colour, texture and a light aromatic note to the dish.
What we’ve been drinking: 2019 Ramón Bilbao "Lalomba" Finca Valhonta
This month, we're pouring the 2019 Lalomba Finca Valhonta, a Tempranillo wine our General Manager Margriet tasted first-hand on a recent trip to Rioja, Spain, and one we're thrilled to bring back to share with our guests.
This structured, elegant red is made from 100% Tempranillo, grown on the high-altitude, chalky-clay soils of Finca Valhonta at the very edge of Rioja Alta. On the nose, expect notes of ripe plum, red apple and cherry, layered with subtle spice and a gentle earthiness shaped by the vineyard's cool, windswept conditions. The palate is soft and juicy yet well-structured, with fine tannins carrying through to a long, refined finish.
The wine is hand-harvested and fermented in concrete tanks built exclusively for the Lalomba project, before spending 14 months in French oak. It's a slow, considered process that allows the site's unique blend of Mediterranean, Atlantic and continental influences to really come through in the glass.
We're serving this Rioja alongside our Quarr Cross duck breast, with crapaudine beetroot, English cherries and a duck-Callebaut sauce, a duck breast pairing built to match the wine's depth and rich fruitiness.