On the first day of Christmas Lady W gave to me… a meal amongst friends at Hotel du Vin.
The fondest memories are made around the table and on the first of December the Eyes of Lady Wimbledon met to enjoy a Christmas meal together. With everyone in their finest sparkly attire and cosy jumpers we sat in the sunlit orangerie and had a wonderful three course meal.
The wreaths and Christmas tree, created and decorated by Gardenia in the Village, were so welcoming and festive. One of the reasons I love Cannizaro House so much is the feeling of stepping out of London to a country retreat every time I visit.
Spending the time with the writing group in the festive setting was a wonderful treat and start to December.
On the menu included Jerusalem artichoke and chestnut soup, hazelnut crusted goat’s cheese or duck liver parfait with plum and figgy chutney for starters.
The Christmas main meal of course had to include roasted free range turkey with all the trimmings but also had a roasted almond sea trout with cannellini bean and tomato soup which I was tempted by as an alternative to turkey.
For pudding there was the choice of Christmas pudding, chocolate and chestnut pavlova and a stunning selection of biscuits, chutneys and cheeses.
From the menu I chose the Christmas Cured Smoked Salmon for my starter, it tasted rich and there was hints of pine tree which had been used to smoke it. Smoked salmon has such a connotation to Christmas for me. It’s always what we have for breakfast and having it before the big day was a real treat.
As much as I love a proper roast turkey it was the Beef Bourguignon that caught my eye for mains. The rich and slow cooked beef was incredible. The tender beef fell apart as I ate it. It truly was one of the best dishes I’ve had and Hotel du Vin.
Falling back to traditional Christmas food how could I not have the Classic Christmas Pudding to finish off my meal. The fruity and boozy pudding had rich spices and beautifully hot and sticky.
The fondest memories are definitely created around the table for me and getting to spend time with the group in this foodie way only reinforces how uniting food can be.
Merry Christmas… it’s the first of December, I’m allowed to say it now!
About The Author
Sisley White
Renowned food blogger and Wimbledon resident Sisley’s motto is ‘Eat, drink and be merry’ – she encourages everyone to explore their senses and get a taste of different cultures through food.