Rooted in season

Rooted in Season

There’s something deeply grounding about cooking with the seasons.

I didn’t grow up in a house where food was the centrepiece. My mum cooked everything well-done - a subconscious habit, maybe, but one that meant flavour often took a backseat to function. Things were either burnt or boiled to death. And while I didn’t realise it at the time, that early experience probably planted the seed for why I care so much now.

Because somewhere along the way, I started paying attention - to texture, to timing, to what a plate could feel like when it’s done right. Now, food has become my way of creating what wasn’t part of my childhood — a sense of season, flavour, and the kind of table you want to linger at.

So as we open the doors at The Ship, our first menu lands in August, when the hedgerows are full, the sea is still giving generously, and the air feels heavy with the end of summer.

We wanted our launch menu to reflect that — to feel abundant, bright, and rooted in where we are. Not precious, not pretentious — just quietly confident food made with care and intention.

A Menu That Tastes Like Here

We’re opening with a menu that reflects exactly where we are — not just in place, but in time. August in Hampshire is generous: the hedgerows are heavy, the gardens are at their peak, and the sea is still offering up its best. Our first dishes are rooted in that moment, built around ingredients that are truly in season, and designed to feel both familiar and quietly surprising.

You’ll find fresh British crab paired with the last of the elderflower and young artichokes. Beetroot and rainbow chard arrive in vibrant layers, balanced by soft ricotta and sweet cherries. There’s wood pigeon with black fig — a nod to the richness that’s just starting to creep in — and tender hogget, cooked slowly and served with bitter leaves and warm flatbread. From the coast, sole comes with nothing more than a little butter, capers, and what’s growing now — because when the ingredients are this good, you don’t need to overcomplicate them.

This is food that tastes like here, like now — honest, seasonal, and made to be shared.

Not Just Local — Intentional

We don’t throw around the word seasonal lightly. It’s not a buzzword here. It’s a filter for how we cook, source, and serve.

We create menus that evolve gently, so what you see in August may shift by September. Our focus is on flavour, of course — but also sustainability, reducing waste, and honouring ingredients while they’re at their best.

You won’t find strawberries in winter here. You will find dishes that surprise you with their simplicity and generosity.

Come Eat With Us

Whether you’re joining us for Sunday Table, a midweek dinner, or just a drink and some snacks at the bar, we hope this first menu makes you feel something.

We want you to leave full — not just in the stomach, but in that quietly-satisfied, still-thinking-about-it-later kind of way.

This is food that’s rooted in where we are, and when we are. Food that belongs to this exact moment — and is better shared while it lasts.

We can’t wait to serve it to you.