Chef Mike Robinson on everything you need to know about venison — plus a superb wild venison recipe
Chef, restaurateur and deerstalker Mike Robinson talks venison, and shares one of his favourite recipes using this superb meat.
Food and Drink
Discover the latest in food and drink news, try our delicious and easy recipes using fresh seasonal produce and read our pub and restaurant reviews.
Here at Country Life we love to cook and we love to eat. Seasonality is important, whether you’re growing your own or visiting the farmers’ market for your ingredients – but we love to cook seasonally. Whether it’s our brilliant collection of elderflower recipes in the summertime, our ultimate sloe gin recipe in autumn or gorgeous roast goose recipes in the winter, we have collected the best seasonal recipes by ingredient on dedicated pages
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Eight perfect pancake recipes for Shrove Tuesday
Enjoy our foolproof pancake recipe - and eight enticing ways to make them better than ever.
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Why is pancake day called 'Shrove Tuesday'?
Martin Fone investigates how Shrove Tuesday got its name — and also unveils the history of the day that precedes it, Collop Monday.
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How to use oranges to brighten up your February food, by Tom Parker Bowles
It may look a little dull compared with other fruit, but the zingy orange was once the preserve of kings and nothing beats its sweet and sharp magic when it comes to brightening up a dreary winter day, says Tom Parker Bowles.
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How to make mustard and Parmesan chicken with parsnip rösti
Kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson shares a winter warming recipe — a chicken dish which really zings.
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Curious Questions: Can you trust expiry dates on food?
Best before and use-by dates claim to show us when our food is likely to have gone off — but how are they figured out, how did we do without them, and do we really need them? Martin Fone investigates and finds a tale of dodgy food, dodgier dates, and an unlikely side-hustle run by the legendary gangster Al Capone.
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Who invented the fork?
Once viewed with suspicion, forks remained the preserve of royalty until nearly 200 years ago. Matthew Dennison takes a stab at the king of cutlery, which changed the way we eat.
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Six weird and wonderful vegetables you should be growing in your garden
Whether you are looking for new flavours to tickle your tastebuds or something different to grow in your garden, little beats obscure — and sometimes strange-looking — vegetables, says Mark Diacono.
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How to make butter chicken with broccoli
‘Broccoli is an exciting green at a time of year when the kitchen garden feels a little sparse,' says our kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson as she shares this recipe.
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Do Brussels sprouts come from Brussels in Belgium?
As healthy as they are divisive, Martin Fone takes a look at the humble Brussels sprout. Why do we eat them at Christmas? Does anybody eat them during the rest of the year? And do they really come from Brussels?
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Soup: The universally-adored comfort food, offering reassurance, consolation, succour and delight
Whether it’s a laborious bouillabaisse, a sophisticated French consommé or a citrusy avgolemono, no dish is as comforting or democratic as soup, says Tom Parker Bowles.
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Seven of the best non-alcoholic spirits to help get you through Dry January
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How to eat seasonally in January
Throughout the year, Tom Parker Bowles will be sharing his advice on how to eat seasonlly, month-by-month. We kick things off with his tips on January — which include an outstandingly enticing recipe for blood orange sorbet.
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Conger eel for Christmas, or how an eccentric laird's plans went horribly wrong amid a shower of blood
Joe Gibbs recounts a dinner party which he will never forget. And neither will you.
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Hangover cures from some of Britain's greatest writers
From Hemingway to Wodehouse, we reveal the hangover remedies of literary greats.
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How to make a sticky toffee pudding that's as foolproof as it is mouthwatering
Melanie Johnson on how to get sticky toffee date pudding right.
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How to cook a goose if you're having one for Christmas, by Tom Parker Bowles
They may be notoriously vicious and loud, but, once cooked, geese promise succulent dark meat and delectably tasty fat, especially at Christmas, says Tom Parker Bowles.
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The best Christmas food in Britain — including 'the Rolls-Royce of turkey' — as chosen by Tom Parker Bowles
Christmas offers a chance to celebrate all those great food producers who work so passionately to ensure that our feast is as ethical as it is delicious. Tom Parker Bowles applauds some of the very best.
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Curious Questions: Is there a 'right' way up to use aluminium foil?
As we prepare to embark upon the season of wrapping leftover foodstuffs, Martin Fone answers a question that's been bugging us for years: is it dull side up and shiny side down, or the other way around?
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Perfect roast goose recipe from Mark Hix
Cooking the perfect Christmas goose, with delicious gravy, is a fantastic way to celebrate Christmas. Mark Hix explains how it's done.
