The nights may be drawing in, but one good thing about that is that it heralds the return of Forza Winter. This year's event sees them combine all their projects to date to create a communal Italian Winter feast in Hackney.
"It's a KILLER menu," Forza Winter's Bash told Hot Dinners exclusively, "and we're really excited. We've managed to get Tim at the Ginger Pig to supply us with a certain type of pig (younger than average slaughter but not suckling) and we'll be the only place in London that it's available. It makes for a much sweeter meat and crackling and we'll be using shoulders spit across Kentish Oak (supplied by London Logs) alongside all British grown seasonal vegetables and fruits (with the odd Italian one thrown in for good measure)."
As with any of their events you can be sure there'll be plenty of good things to drink. "We've also got a new wine list," says Bash, "and this one is seriously special - small with some bargains, but awesome and from very, very small growers. There's fizzy reds, orange wines and a couple of top notch bottles that we've worked extremely hard on finding. Also, we've been working with Dan Scott, of totem, to develop a hot spiced beer for the hot cocktail bar. I tried it yesterday, with a Limoncello cream head. We'll be serving it hot in a 3/4 pint glass and it is going to rock worlds. "
Tickets to Forza Winter are £35 which gets you a hot Italian Punch on arrival followed by a communal Italian feast including Minestrone (verde for vegetarians), Porchetta served to the table whole for guests to carve, on a bed of polenta roast potatoes, with salads of kale, chestnut, anchovy and lemon and then we round it all off with smoked ricotta and seasonal poached fruits. ""We've also wrestled the pizza ovens down off the roof and on them we shall be cooking all things vegetarian, so veggies are welcome too."
Tickets go on pre-sale this coming Monday to those who've attended events before or are on the Forzawin mailing list and officially on 28 October, but if you email bookings@forzawin.com from Monday you should be able to get your hands on tickets too.
Forza Winter takes place in the old pickle factor at 12-14 The Oval, London E2 9DX
