Sheep

Seasonality is a great thing for the kitchen but I don’t have to be told by my butcher when spring lambs arrive because I’m lucky enough to see them in the back field at The Pipe and Glass. When they appear, it’s a true sign that a fresh season has begun, bringing with it English asparagus and tender young vegetables. Soon after that, it’s time for braising and stewing lamb with root vegetables and wild mushrooms. I like to wait for a couple of months into the lamb season to allow the meat to develop its true flavour, which is when lamb is at its best. Different cuts and cooking methods allow me to showcase the full flavour potential of hogget and mutton which are really underrated in the UK as they’re not to everyone’s taste; however, they’re both becoming fashionable again in the country’s top restaurants. I often garnish dishes with mutton, whether it’s a mutton and kidney faggot or a crispy mutton belly, because it gives the strong earthy flavour of the meat without overpowering people’s taste buds and it gives a fantastic texture to any dish.