Our First Feast of 2024, our First Foray into Substack, and our First Fire Schools...
We got our first daff at High Grange last week.
Now you can either worry yourself to death that mid January is ridiculously early for daffodils and that we are all going to be purified by fire in a man-made climate apocalypse OR you can praise be that this interminable bloody Winter that began in November 2022 is drawing to an end.
The first feast of 2024 - Friday 23rd February
To celebrate that and the onset of a glorious Devon Spring, we have our first official High Grange Feast of the year on Friday 23rd February. February is a funny food month, the roots that sustain throughout the winter are starting to turn a little woody yet the first shoots of Spring greens and new potatoes are some way off - but there is still bounty to be found. The boats will be out more as the weather improves with plenty of Lyme Bay seafood coming in - a celebration of that perhaps? A Lyme Bay bouillabaisse rich with crab, saffron and whatever Sam catches - we can hope for a grand turbot but we'd settle for bass or brill. Maybe a scallop or 2?
I want to cook my favourite wild mallard too, before we say goodbye until September. This majestic bird was on the menu for our first ever High Grange Feast and I love it so. We've grown some horseradish this year which (lucky for you) means that I'll have to speak to Oli at Meat Matters and get some ex-dairy beef. We'll cook it pink directly on the embers with that horseradish freshly grated and bone marrow enriched crispy spuds.
I'm looking forward to getting my Spring on - the asparagus, the lightness, the SUNSHINE, but come and join me at the end of February as we say goodbye to warming broths, stews and wild game of Winter.
Complimentary cocktails and firepit canapes
Smoked cauliflower, maple-cured pork
Lyme Bay bouillabaisse, Cornish saffron
Smoked and seared mallard breast, confit leg pastilla, blood orange
Ex dairy charcoaled fillet & smoked rib, Bone marrow confit potato, horseradish
Burnt sugar tart, spiced pear, bay cream
Avoid the crowds and do a romantic (albeit delayed) Valentine’s supper at High Grange instead! You can book in here.
We’re now on Substack
Luke and I love writing - Luke has written for publications including the Guardian, the Borough Market magazine, BBQ Magazine and Devon Life, and I wrote blogs on happiness in the days when blogging began, and we’d love to share more with you all.
Luke will be sharing recipes, “how to” videos and blogs, and his musings on all things food and fire related. I’ll be writing about wellbeing, life in the country and chickens, and we’ll both be sharing more about our journey to High Grange.
Fire Schools
Our first Fire School of 2024 in April is SOLD OUT but we have lots more to book and we’ll shortly be announcing all our August dates. We have a new updated course and some surprises up our sleeves - we can’t wait to welcome you back!
You can book in here.
We look forward to welcoming you soon!
Luke and Sara xx