A Taste of the Season with Chef Lilly Hemmings
Marketing Manager
Keep up to date with the latest properties, rural business insights, market commentary and events:
Join mailing listAs the nights draw in, temperatures drop and the clocks go back, the cravings for winter comfort foods begin to form. Cottage pies, Sunday roasts, and hearty casseroles are sure to be go to meals in the coming months. However, now more than ever, shopping locally and using in-season produce should be a top priority in every household, not only to support British farmers and reduce food miles, but also because it can have a positive impact on your budget.
As we move into November, there’s an abundance of seasonal produce that can keep our winter menus full of flavour and variety. For example, try adding apples to a pheasant casserole, or give classic roast parsnips a twist with honey, parmesan, and mustard. Pictured is a classic sweet potato and parsnip soup, an ideal starter or lunch dish that makes the most of what our beautiful countryside has to offer.
When creating a show-stopping main course this November, there are also several winter meats readily available. To name just a few: venison, partridge, and pheasant will be fully stocked at your local game dealer and often at the local butcher’s. These offer a delicious alternative to the all-season meats so easily found in supermarkets. Pheasant or partridge can be a fabulous substitute for chicken, not only for their nutritional benefits but, most importantly, for their flavour.
Having spent much of my career developing and producing recipes featuring game, I can recommend several crowd-pleasing dishes: partridge Thai green curry with jasmine rice, partridge quesadillas, and venison bao buns. But one dish I’d particularly suggest trying is a partridge or pheasant schnitzel, a twist on a classic and a true crowd-pleaser. Serve it with a lemon and thyme sauce, which cuts beautifully through the richness of the schnitzel, on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes.
Finally, the course many look forward to most is pudding! It’s easy to stick to familiar favourites such as sticky toffee pudding or bread and butter pudding, but after a rich main course, I’d recommend something lighter and more seasonal, such as poached pears. Those lucky enough to have a pear tree will know they’re in their prime right now, often carpeting the garden. While you can go for a classic red wine poaching liquid with spices, I’d suggest a lighter version using vanilla, sugar, and warming spices, served with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a crisp biscuit on the side.
At LCH Catering, we believe every season deserves to be celebrated through exceptional food. Our menus are inspired by local ingredients, from game and root vegetables to orchard fruits, and crafted into dishes that elevate any event. Discover how we can bring the taste of the season to your table at www.lchcatering.co.uk or contact us directly to discuss your upcoming celebration.
Written by Lilly Hemmings
Contact: Hemmingscatering@gmail.com
Telephone: 07500332900
Follow: lch_lilly_hemmings_
January Market Comment
January has seen us firmly up and running across the Cotswolds. Activity has been encouraging, with positive levels of interest and a busy start to the year. We have already agreed a good number of sales across our three offices in a range of different price points, which is a positive indicator of buyer intent following what was a very cautious 2025, with low confidence and many delays.
January Market Comment
Three Quintessential Cotswold Cottages – Full of Character & Charm
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, there’s something undeniably romantic about the idea of escaping to a cosy Cotswold cottage. Think honey-coloured stone walls, crackling log fires and soft lamplight spilling across plush sofas - perfect for long conversations, shared glasses of wine and slow, unhurried mornings. In winter, the Cotswolds reveal a quieter kind of beauty, with misty lanes, frosted fields and snug village pubs just a gentle stroll away. It’s a setting steeped in charm and warmth, and utterly quintessential in its British appeal.
Three Quintessential Cotswold Cottages – Full of Character & Charm
EPC Regulations - UPDATE
The government has made the decision to delay the introduction of the new EPC Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for rental properties. Originally scheduled to change in 2028, the government have now delayed this until 2030.
EPC Regulations - UPDATE
Snowdrops in the Cotswolds: A Winter Highlight at Painswick
As winter begins to loosen its grip on the Cotswolds, one of the most uplifting signs of the changing seasons quietly emerges, snowdrops. These delicate white flowers, often pushing through frost-hardened ground, bring a sense of hope and renewal, and nowhere is this more beautifully displayed than the snowdrops at Painswick Rococo Garden.
Snowdrops in the Cotswolds: A Winter Highlight at Painswick
