In Season - Elderflower

Last week the Bovingdons team threw themselves (literally!) into the hedgerows of Ripley and picked three huge sacks full of elderflowers. Chef David has since made bottles and bottles of syrup (about 102 litres!) and the office smells distractingly of English summertime.

Our syrup recipe is secret but you can find plenty online, it’s a very similar process to making homemade lemonade. You’ll need about thirty to fifty perfect heads of flowers (no brown ones), a kilo of sugar and some citric acid (find it in Waitrose or health food shops) plus any variety of secret ingredient depending on the chef. Once made, here are some ways to use your syrup:

- Make Bovingdons signature Apple Fez, cloudy apple juice, ginger ale, elderflower and mint sprigs.
- Whisk with creme fraiche, gooseberry compote and lemon zest for a perfect Fool
- Suspend summer fruits in elderflower and prosecco jelly
- Flavour pannacotta and serve with raspberries garnish with the flowers
- Fritter the flowers in the lightest tempura and serve beside strawberries
- Elderflowers can also be used in pork and duck recipes but I would proceed with caution here! It can be very, very sweet.
- Or simply add a drop to champagne, pink gin, vodka martini’s, Pimms … sip and enjoy...

Waitrose Magazine - The Professionals

Five experts come to the aid of the party - yours. It's a big once-a-year occasion and you'll want to get it right.

(I was asked for my opinion for their Christmas season edition magazine, here it is)

When organising a party, think "less is more". People often try to get clever and complicated - and then can't deliver. Concentrating on quality elements is key. With drinks, don't offer too much choice, but be sure to have something for everybody.

Soft drinks should reflect the alcoholic drinks in every way: colour, look and glass - so it isn't obvious who is not drinking. With mulled wine, make a separate batch by the same method, but with low-alcohol wine, it should taste the same. Find a low-alcohol alternative beer too.To make a soft cocktail, mix Bottlegreen Ginger and Lemongrass cordial with sparkling water and a stick of lemongrass to stir. Schloer also does a lovely sparkling red grape, elderberry and clove drink.