Peter and Bridget Gladwin moved to West Sussex in the early 1990s to give their three sons a rural upbringing. More than 30 years later the family are still enjoying the fruits of their lifestyle choice, often literally. Together they have established Nutbourne Vineyard, a large farm and – latterly – a five-strong London restaurant business.
The family’s debut cookbook is arranged by seasons and months. Each season starts with a mini essay about wine production and of the 12 chapters begins with a list of key ingredients that are at their best that month before moving on to feature 10 or so recipes that make use of said seasonal bounty. Extra interest comes in the form of photos of the extended Gladwin family‘s bucolic lifestyle and paintings created by Bridget, an established artist.
The recipes are largely reflective of the seasonal food that is served in the family’s Local & Wild restaurant group, which is made up of The Shed, Rabbit, The Sussex, Black Lamb and The Pig’s Ear (the latter only launched last month) and is headed by Peter and Bridget’s two eldest sons Richard and Oliver (Gregory, the youngest of the trio, is a farmer and winemaker and “a man of the countryside” that avoids visiting the local town, let alone London).
Oliver – whose CV includes a long stint with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at River Cottage – oversees the food at Local & Wild and has had the biggest hand in the recipes, which are in general straightforward but are sophisticated enough to be of interest to other chefs. All royalties from the publication will go to City Harvest, a charity that redistributes food waste to people who need it.
An English Vineyard Cookbook: Seasons, recipes, wines and art
The Gladwin Family
Number of pages: 256
Must try recipe: Stuffed rabbit saddle with three-cornered leek; wild strawberry & elderflower posset
Publisher and price: GMC Publications, £25
