Rocket menus: Autumn Winter 2026

At Rocket, cooking with the seasons has always been fundamental to the way we approach food. Our new autumn–winter menus explore the deeper, more savoury flavours of the colder months while retaining the freshness, balance and precision that define Rocket’s food. 

From Jerusalem artichoke prepared several ways in a single dish to Cornish hake with a Gusbourne English wine beurre blanc and coriander and buckwheat cake with blood orange, we take a closer look at some of the dishes shaping the new collection. 

“Autumn–winter is such a good season to cook in because you naturally get those deeper, richer flavours. The trick is making sure they still feel fresh — using acidity, texture and lighter elements to keep everything balanced. We want the food to feel comforting and seasonal, but still elegant, considered and exciting to eat.” 

— Anna Søgaard, Head of Tasting & Development 

TO START: DEPTH & cONTRAST

At the heart of the collection is an exploration of depth: taking ingredients synonymous with the colder months and finding contrast through texture, acidity and freshness. 

Jerusalem Artichoke Tortellini 

Winter truffle velouté, artichoke crisps, pine nuts, aged Parmesan, fresh truffle 

Few ingredients signal the change of season quite like Jerusalem artichoke and truffle. Here, the focus is as much on what can be drawn from one ingredient as it is on the richness of the finished dish. 

Fresh pasta is filled with Jerusalem artichoke and mascarpone, with the artichoke cooked lightly to retain a brighter flavour. Around it, the ingredient appears again in a creamy velouté, roasted until deeper and more savoury, and fried into crisp shards for texture. Winter truffle, aged Parmesan and toasted pine nuts complete the dish. 

“When we’re building a menu with clients, it’s often about creating the right balance across the whole meal. If the main course is meat or fish, a vegetable-forward starter can be a really beautiful way to begin, while still feeling every bit as indulgent and occasion-worthy.”  

— Holly Cruz, Head of Venues 

Salt-Baked Celeriac 

Caramelised celeriac purée, compressed pear, toasted hazelnuts, celery 

Celeriac may be one of the season’s more understated ingredients, but its substantial, almost meaty texture makes it a particularly satisfying centrepiece for a plant-led dish. 

Salt-baking gives the celeriac savoury depth while intensifying its natural sweetness, complemented by a silky caramelised celeriac purée and toasted hazelnuts. Alongside it, juicy Mouneyrac pear is compressed in quince vinegar, its sweetness balanced by a sharpness that cuts through the deeper flavours. Fresh celery brings a final clean, vegetal note. 

At first glance, the plate is deliberately restrained, almost monochromatic; beneath that simplicity, there is a surprising amount going on in flavour and texture. 

Sea Bass Crudo 

Winter radishes, lime dressing, nasturtium leaves 

Autumn–winter doesn’t have to mean abandoning lightness. Sea bass crudo offers a deliberately fresh counterpoint to the richer flavours elsewhere in the collection. 

The delicate fish is surrounded by a striking mix of winter radishes — watermelon, purple and green — their colour and crispness bringing the plate to life. A bright lime and kumquat dressing adds acidity, while peppery nasturtium leaves provide a final savoury edge. 

The result is one of the collection’s brightest dishes: visually vibrant and fresh to eat, while still rooted in ingredients that belong firmly to the colder months. 

TO FOLLOW: A SENSE OF OCCASION

As the year moves towards dinners, parties and winter celebrations, the collection embraces ingredients and dishes with a natural sense of occasion. Across the main courses, British produce sits alongside classic technique and considered touches of luxury. 

Roasted Cornish Hake 

Pomme purée, Gusbourne beurre blanc, kohlrabi, Exmoor caviar, sea herbs 

There is a quiet confidence to this dish. At its heart is a beautifully cooked piece of Cornish hake, served with pomme purée and a beurre blanc made with Gusbourne English sparkling wine. Exmoor caviar adds salinity and richness, while kohlrabi and sea herbs bring freshness and a mineral quality that complements the fish. 

Gusbourne is a longstanding feature of Rocket’s wine list, regularly poured across events and tastings. That relationship extends into the kitchen too: once bottles of sparkling wine have been opened and can no longer be served to guests, the remaining wine can be used in the beurre blanc, offering a thoughtful way to make use of an exceptional ingredient that might otherwise be wasted. 

It feels entirely in keeping with the dish: luxury through provenance and restraint, with good ingredients treated thoughtfully from beginning to end. 

“When you’re planning an event, you want food that feels memorable without ever feeling overcomplicated. This dish strikes that balance beautifully. The hake is fresh and elegant, with wonderfully delicate flavours, while the Gusbourne adds a subtle depth and richness that really elevates the dish and brings all the elements together. We’re huge fans of Gusbourne, so it’s particularly lovely to see their English wine playing such an important role in the dish.”  

— Molly Cox, Head of Sales & Planning Team 

Creedy Carver Duck Breast 

Spiced duck breast, brown sugar-glazed endive, potato terrine, red wine sauce 

Creedy Carver duck breast moves further into the warmth of the season. Coriander and fennel seed bring aromatic spice to the duck, complemented by a deeply flavoured red wine sauce. Endive provides welcome bitterness, softened by its caramelised brown sugar glaze, while a crisp, layered potato terrine brings texture and precision. 

“The Creedy Carver duck is one of my favourite dishes on the new menu — it captures all the beautiful flavours and tones of autumn. Succulent, spiced duck paired with caramelised endive and a rich, glossy red wine sauce. It’s a beautifully balanced dish, and one I absolutely love. Definitely try it with our Barbera d’Asti — the perfect pairing.” 

— Charlie Grant Peterkin, Managing Director 

Aynhoe Park Venison Loin 

Braised venison bonbon, quince purée, winter greens, clove butter jus 

Perhaps the collection’s most quintessentially autumnal main, wild British venison is a natural choice for the season, sourced through HG Walter. It is presented in two forms: a beautifully cooked loin alongside a braised venison bonbon. 

Quince purée brings gently tart fruitiness to the richness of the meat, while winter greens add freshness and a clove butter jus introduces subtle warmth and spice. Familiar autumn flavours are brought together with a lighter, more contemporary hand. 

TO FINISH: NOSTALGIA & sURPRISE

For pastry, the season moves between the reassuringly familiar and the unexpected. Longstanding favourites sit alongside playful reinterpretations and less conventional flavour combinations, giving the final course plenty of range. 

Pear & Almond Tart 

Calvados custard, vanilla ice cream 

Some desserts never really need reinvention. Rocket’s Pear & Almond Tart is one of them. 

A shortcrust tart is filled with sweet frangipane and topped with poached pear before baking, then served over Calvados custard with vanilla ice cream, crumble and a fine sliver of vanilla bean. It’s a deceptively simple combination, beautifully composed on the plate. 

“The Pear & Almond Tart has been appearing on Rocket menus since our early days because it’s something people genuinely want to eat at this time of year. Beautiful seasonal Comice pear, sweet frangipane, custard and ice cream — it doesn’t need much more than that. We’ve made very few changes to it over the years. Sometimes, with a classic, you just shouldn’t mess with it.” 

— Michael Symonds, Co-Founder & Director, Rocket 

Black Forest Gateau 

Dark chocolate brownie, cherry compote, mascarpone 

Black Forest Gateau provides another moment of nostalgia, reworked as a contemporary plated dessert. Dark chocolate brownie is balanced by sharp cherry compote and creamy mascarpone, creating a playful nod to a classic rather than a literal recreation. 

“For events, you want a dessert that feels special but that people are still genuinely excited to eat. Chocolate is always a favourite, and the cherry and mascarpone stop it feeling too rich. It’s a really lovely way to finish a meal — familiar flavours but done in a much more refined way.” 

— Victoria Kalirai, Director of Events 

Coriander & Buckwheat Cake 

Coriander cake, fresh blood orange, vanilla and orange ice cream 

Then comes something altogether less expected. 

Buckwheat gives the cake an earthy nuttiness, while coriander brings aromatic spice. Fresh blood orange and vanilla and orange ice cream add acidity, fragrance and freshness, creating a dessert that feels unmistakably suited to winter without becoming heavy. 

“It’s one of those combinations that sounds surprising on paper, but it’s insanely delicious. You still get those spiced, nutty flavours you expect from an autumn–winter dessert, but the blood orange makes it so bright and zesty. It feels like winter, but it’s fresh and uplifting at the same time.” 

— Anna Søgaard, Head of Tasting & Development 

A MENU FOR THE OCCASION

These dishes offer only a glimpse of Rocket’s new autumn–winter collection, but together they capture its character: deeper seasonal flavours balanced with freshness, exceptional produce treated with precision, and moments of familiarity sitting comfortably alongside the unexpected. 

Explore our Food & Drink collection or speak to our events team about creating a menu for your autumn–winter event.