Autumn at Blenheim Palace
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The Blenheim Palace grounds are a sight to behold: 2,000 acres of oak woodland, fertile farmland and beautiful gardens, shaped by the great Georgian landscape architect Capability Brown. For centuries, these magnificent grounds have played host to shooting parties. The game season, which runs through the autumn and winter, provides a vital income stream for the estate and a steady supply of pheasant, grouse and partridge for local butchers.
Big Green Eggs are used to feed the participants on fire-cooked dishes that capture the essence of Blenheim. The estate’s chefs shared with us the recipes from one of their autumn shoots, made with stunning local ingredients: a spit-roasted duck, a warm autumnal salad of dirty cooked beetroot, and a tomahawk steak with a classic peppercorn sauce.
Blenheim Palace and the EGG
For Jack Butler, head of catering operations at Blenheim Palace, the Big Green Egg isn’t just a summer tool. “We can move with the seasons, work with fantastic local produce and create completely different styles of food throughout the year,” he explains. He sees it a natural extension of the estate’s high-quality food offering, with the added benefit of its inherent sense of theatre: “The EGG allows us to take the kitchen outside and create great food in front of our guests.” He particularly appreciates its versatility and control. “Whether we’re slow-cooking, roasting, grilling or cooking over really high heat, we can get exactly the result we’re looking for,” he says.
Jack on the EGG
Watch Blenheim Palace Recipe reels
About Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace has been home to the Dukes of Marlborough for more than 300 years. Built between 1705 and 1722 in the rarely seen English Baroque style, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Large parts of the house and gardens, including the ornate Palace State Rooms, the vast Long Library and the famous Marlborough Maze, are open to the visiting public. Winston Churchill was born and raised at Blenheim, and the palace is home to many of his personal items and original paintings.
