What’s on our autumn menu, and why

Every autumn the kitchen changes pace. The long, bright plates of summer give way to roasting, braising and a lot more butter. This year’s menu arrives on the first of October, and here is what to expect.

Chanterelles from the coast range

Our forager, Mae, brings us chanterelles twice a week from the hills west of the city. We serve them simply, with a spoon of cultured cream and a slice of grilled sourdough.

The first duck

We age our ducks for fourteen days in the cellar. The skin dries, the flavour deepens, and the fat renders into something close to glass. It returns with cherries we preserved in July.

The best menus are written by the farmers. We just decide the order.

Late plums and brown butter

Amara is working on a plum tart with brown butter frangipane that has already disappeared from staff meal twice this week. It will be on the dessert menu from mid-October.