October saw the launch of our latest seasonal menu across all the restaurants with some really cracking additions including, amongst others, pappa pomodorro - a hearty Tuscan peasant soup, an amazing pumpkin risotto finished with amaretto breadcrumbs and the old Naked Chef classic - fish in a bag!

We're also proud to introduce English Wild Boar salami to our Artisan meat board which is supplied by The Real Boar Company.  This has proved to be by far the most popular of all the cured meats on the menu and is absolutely flying out of the restaurants!  The Real Boar Company was set up a few years back by Farmer Simon Gaskell and his wife Louisa on the family farm in Wiltshire.  His Boar live in groups called 'sounders' and each sounder will have an alpha male, in this case it's Julian (pictured!)  Julian is 180 kilos of pure muscle and testosterone and comes complete with 4 very sharp tusks and plenty of attitude!  Simon explains - "within 15 minutes of his arrival I knew I was in trouble when I found myself caught with him in the middle of a paddock.  When he put his head down and ran at me there was only one thing I could do: I put my head down and charged right back.  Fortunately we both stopped."

Despite Julian's feisty streak these really are happy, contented boar.  They wander about in the forest foraging on acorns, berries, seeds, funghi and lots of tasy earthworms and grubs and their happiness is reflected in the quality of their meat.  The salami is cured in red wine and then peppercorns are added to give it a real depth of flavour.  Traditionally it's the trim and the belly only that goes into the salami but Simon uses the best cuts too which is why it's so utterly delicious.  The salami is just one of many offerings from the Real Boar Company but definitely one of Simon's favourites.  "I can't stop eating it" he admits, "Breakfast, lunch, dinner......"

To find out more about The Real Boar Company go to www.therealboar.co.uk