From September to December: good food, good company and plenty to look forward to

The first Harvest Night is behind us, venison is looking beautiful on the butcher’s counter, and new pieces have just arrived in The Vinery. September is drawing to a close, but there is no need to rush straight to Christmas. We have a lot to enjoy between now and December.

Last Friday gave us a fine start. Our first Harvest Night brought everyone together for Surf & Turf, and the evening was a huge success. We had beautiful weather, the smell of supper cooking, and a wonderful atmosphere as people arrived, found their tables and settled in. Seeing the space full of conversation was exactly what we had hoped for when we planned the series.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. If you have seen the photographs and are now wondering why you did not book, there is good news: that was only night one.

Five more Friday nights

Harvest Nights follows the food as the season changes. Each supper has its own theme, so you can choose the one that catches your eye or make a habit of joining us as the months go by.

Next up, on Friday 9 October, is The Great Taste Sausage Supper. Kerry will serve our sausages in a casserole with a cheese scone cobbler, followed by blackberry fool. It is the sort of menu that makes excellent sense in October: generous, full of flavour and well worth leaving the cooking to somebody else for the evening.

On Friday 23 October, Squash & Spice takes its turn. Expect a squash, date and shallot tagine with giant couscous, beef short ribs alongside, and citrus cheesecake to finish. It is a menu with plenty going on, and a good example of why we wanted each Harvest Night to feel distinct. The ingredients and cooking change as the weeks move on.

November brings two very different evenings. The Game Night on Friday 6 November will centre on game from the forest around us. The full three-course menu will be announced nearer the time, but it is a night we are particularly looking forward to. Then, on Friday 20 November, Pannage & Chestnuts puts our pannage pork at the heart of another three-course supper. These are foods with a real connection to the New Forest, and November is their time to take the lead.

Finally, on Friday 11 December, we reach The Christmas Table. It is the last night of the series, with three courses from Kerry and a menu built for December. There is something rather satisfying about starting with a September supper and gathering again, a few months later, for the Christmas finale. 

Each evening takes place here at Hockey’s in South Gorley, with a limited number of seats. You can see all the remaining dates, menus and booking details on the Harvest Nights page. If a particular night has caught your attention, it is worth booking your place now.

Venison has arrived on the counter

The Harvest Nights menus are one way to follow the season. The butcher’s counter is another, and this week the venison deserves a closer look.

We have some beautiful venison available, and it gives you plenty of options beyond the dish you might first think of. A steak can make an excellent supper without taking over the whole evening. Choose a cut for slower cooking and you have the beginnings of a weekend meal to share. It is a meat that rewards knowing what you want to make, but you certainly do not need to arrive with a recipe already decided.

Tell our butchers how many people you are feeding and what sort of meal you have in mind. They can show you what is on the counter, suggest a cut and talk you through cooking it. That conversation is one of the best reasons to visit a butcher: you can leave with something that suits your plans and the confidence to do it justice.

The venison also gives a taste of what is ahead at November’s Game Night. You can enjoy it at home this week, then come back and see what Kerry does with the season’s game when the supper series reaches November. The counter and the kitchen each have their own way of showing off a good ingredient.

New arrivals in The Vinery

There is plenty to see beyond the food this week, too. Beautiful new pieces have just landed in The Vinery, and it is well worth making time for a look while you are here.

The Vinery is full of work from local makers and producers, alongside gifts and pieces for the home. New stock gives you another reason to browse, whether you have somebody in mind or simply want to see what has arrived. Often the piece that catches your attention is one you would never have thought to search for online.

What makes The Vinery enjoyable is that sense of discovery. You can take your time, pick things up, look at the details and come across the work of someone making things close to home. There is plentiful stock to explore at the moment, including those recent arrivals, so do pop in and have a proper look.

Supporting local makers matters throughout the year. As thoughts begin to turn towards December, it also gives you the chance to choose gifts with a little more thought behind them. You do not have to leave that decision until the last busy week before Christmas. A visit now might help you find something you would be genuinely pleased to give.

Make the most of the weeks in between

We know Christmas is on the horizon. Our Harvest Nights series ends at The Christmas Table, and the final days of September also mean the end of our Christmas Early Bird offer. If you are planning to order from Hockey’s this year, a £20 deposit secures your order, comes off your final bill and includes a free Hockey’s gift. The offer closes on 30 September.

But there are still October and November suppers to enjoy, good things to cook from the butcher’s counter and local makers’ work to discover in The Vinery. That is the part of the year we want to make the most of. Friday’s first Harvest Night showed what happens when people take an evening out of their week and come together around a table. We would love to see you at one of the five still to come.

So visit us in South Gorley, ask the butchers about the venison, take a look at what is new in The Vinery, and choose your next supper night. September gave the series a wonderful start. Now we get to enjoy everything that follows.