Inspiration, bite-size news, reviews & great stuff to do
What a carve up!
Pick-your-own pumpkin patches are becoming ever more popular. At Kilduff Farm near Edinburgh, owners Lucy and Russ Calder don’t just put the emphasis on carving, but also encourage visitors to cook with culinary varieties. Find homegrown crown prince, kuri, tractor and festival pumpkins at their annual celebrations from 15-30 October – alongside a hay bale maze, dahlia-picking and the chance to buy honey, apple juice and bread flour produced on the farm. Visit kilduff.co.uk soon and buy tickets (from £6 per car) in advance. Not in Scotland? Visit dayoutwiththekids.co.uk and search ‘pumpkin picking’ for a location near you.
WHAT’S GOOD NOW New in…
Celeriac, chicory, jerusalem artichoke, parsnip, pumpkins, salsify, swede Still wonderful… Beetroot, broccoli, butternut squash, celery, chestnuts, chillies, fennel, garlic, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce & salad leaves, marrows, radishes, rocket, runner beans, shallots, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms, apples, medlars, pears, quinces, nuts, truffles, figs, grapes Going out… Tomatoes, sweetcorn, elderberries
WHEN LEAVING A TIP SAVES LIVES
Dine out and help do some good this month with Action Against Hunger’s annual Love Food Give Food campaign. Until the end of October, you’ll have the option to add £1 to your bill at over 200 UK restaurants, including YO! Sushi, Hawksmoor and The Pig group (left), to fund the charity’s work supporting the millions of children and families worldwide affected by malnutrition and life-threatening hunger. actionagainsthunger.org.uk
PUB OF THE MONTH
THE KING WILLIAM IV, MICKLEHAM, SURREY
PUBBY CREDS
If you’re planning an autumnal ramble around Box Hill’s celebrated circuit, the ‘King Bill on the Hill’ is an essential stop for lunch or a pint en route (though if you’re not a walker, it’s not a place for easy access). If it’s still clement, take in the views over the Mole Valley from the leafy beer garden. If it’s not, there’s a crackling log fire waiting inside. It’s like a pub of old, right down to the patterned carpet.
THE BOOZE
A friendly, family-run freehouse, the pub is at liberty to serve local beers from the likes of the excellent Surrey Hills and Tillingbourne breweries. A good selection of wines by the glass too.
ANY FOOD?
The Surrey farms that supply the meat, fruit and veg are listed on a chalkboard. The egg and chips with homemade treacle-glazed ham takes some beating, but they also do a mean fish and chips.
thekingwilliamiv.com
Fireside read
Swiss-French writer Sylvie Bigar was living in New York in 2008 when she visi
