Tom Kerridge

Chef, restaurateur, author and broadcaster

During winter, I’m a massive fan of slow cooking and braising.

The flavours from cooking a shoulder of lamb with the bone in for a really long time are amazing. Or a slow-roasted beef stew in the oven with loads of carrots — simple and delicious.

Soups and puddings are great in winter, especially steamed puddings and root vegetable soups. I look for comforting food that’s wholesome, hearty and filling, rather than light and refreshing. In winter, I think we all look for something more substantial — then we can fall asleep in front of the fire!

You can’t beat a typical British seaside town in winter. Wrapped up warm, walking on the beach with the dogs and a steaming hot chocolate, and the joys of tucking into hot fish and chips as the waves crash on the shore.

For Christmas, we do a traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, like everyone else. Turkey is always our go-to because it’s amazing as a cold meat on Boxing Day — my favourite day of the festive period. I love it with bubble and squeak and pickled onions while watching the sport on TV.

We always embrace British game in winter, including grouse, partridge and pheasant. But when it comes to winter-inspired dishes, I’ve got to mention our Hand and Flowers [Kerridge’s pub in Marlow] carrots; they’re cooked with butter, water, sugar and star anise, which gives them a buttery glaze. Delicious!

The role of the pub stays the same all year: it’s the beating heart of the community. In summer, you have barbecues, while in winter you have roaring log fires — it’s really about people coming together and enjoying themselves.

If I were hosting a large winter feast, I’d definitely do a large roast pork belly — slow-cooked with loads of crackling and then placed in the middle of the table for people to help themselves — or a big bowl of chilli with rice or mash.