She was treated to a tankard of dark ale and a thick slab of red cheese with beechnut and rosemary, with a small farl of hot chestnut bread.

A large platter of carrot and leek flan stood steaming in the center of the board, surrounded by spring salad with carrots, radishes, celery, watercress, leeks, and scallions, along with hazelnut and buttercup cheese and sage-crusted bread.

Gurrbowl arrived with two pottery beakers of freshly brewed coltsfoot an' comfrey tea and a platter of warm acorn and chestnut scones.

See that liddle keg yonder—aye, that un. Well, that's the best peach'n'elderberry brandy ever fermented in these cellars. That big tun barrel at the back now, that's horse-chestnut beer. Very good of a winter's night with toasted white cheese.

I'd have a wedge of cheddar cheese, the one with roasted chestnut flakes in it, and one, no two, of Friar Cockleburr's fresh nutfarls, straight from the oven.

You a-comin' in for summat to eat? There's apple turnovers, cranberry tart, an' cold plum beer.

They tucked into mushroom stew, strawberry flan, and some cold elderflower an' bilberry cordial.

Candle and lantern lights twinkled against spotless white linen. Friar Alder's great pear and plum pudding dominated all; it stood above the fresh loaves of wheat, oat, and barley bread, golden brown crusts glowing.

The most spectacular single offering on the table was Carp Capitale. Fish marinated in a mixture of cider and dandelion extract, grilled on a spit, and slow-cooked in a mixture of cream, mushrooms, and hotroot pepper. Garnished with flaked almond, mint leaves, and chopped greens.

Loaves with shining fresh crusts—seeded, patterned, farls, cobs, and batons—ranged between cheeses of white and yellow. Pies and tarts, apple, blackberry, pear, and strawberry, latticed or open, twinkled as their fillings caught the candle and lantern lights.

Tea in the orchard was extremely pleasant. Friar Glisum provided them with some fruit an' honey cake, thin honey sandwiches, and hot mint tea.

A large honeynut tart with arrowroot sauce graced the centre table, surrounded by small bowls of apples and cream, Great Aunt Lollery’s raisin teabread, and apple flans. Servers went around with large jugs of mountain pear cordial, specially brewed by Brownspike O'Quill, the old cellarkeeper.

From end to end the trestle tables groaned under the array of fresh breads, salads, cheeses, and dumplings at the outer edges. Further in, there were platters of scones, tarts, cakes, and pies, each with a different filling, most topped with whipped honey or whiterose cream.

Soon everybeast was tucking into arrowroot and almond biscuits, oatbread, hazelnut and chestnut cheese, and one of Friar Bibble's spiced apple puddings. There was rosehip an' mint tea or cowslip cordial to go with it.

Onion soup provided by the otters; a large flagon of blackcurrant wine; Friar Dubble's famous apple 'n' greengage crumble; shortbread biscuits; strawberry syllabub; and cask of elderflower cordial brewed by the hedgehogs.

From end to end the trestle tables groaned under the array of fresh breads, salads, cheeses, and pasties at the outer edges. Further in, there were platters of muffins, tarts, cakes, and pies, each with a different filling, most topped with whipped honey or whiterose cream.

Mmmm! I smell hot plum pie and plumcake, and scones, fresh from the oven too, with meadowcream spread on them.

Mushroom'n'gravy pasties, celery'n'chestnut bake, or maybe some freshly-baked crusty barley bread? Heat up some of that mushroom and cauliflower soup we had for dinner last night.

Food was served on the open decks, hogcooks bustling in and out of their huts, carrying pans of thick porridge flavored with cut fruit and honey, the staple diet of Waterhogs. This was accompanied by hot cheese an' leek flans and mugs of golden cider.

Food was served on the open decks, hogcooks bustling in and out of their huts, carrying pans of thick porridge flavored with cut fruit and honey, the staple diet of Waterhogs. This was accompanied by hot turnip an' parsley flans and mugs of spiced cider.

Here, matey, how's that for dandelion'n'burdock cider? Try some of this hot root punch. How d'you like orchard fruit cake? Have a wedge. D'you reckon you'd get the better of one of these honeyed plums? Come on then.

Hot rose-petal and plum-flower tea, a flagon of cold burdock cordial, some freshly-baked blackberry tarts, and a plate of toasted scones with cheese.

For afternoon tea in the Great Hall, they ate warm acorn scones topped with butter.

I want a slice o' that big cake, the one with honey an' sugared hazelnuts all over the top!

Lattice-topped fruit tarts sat alongside damson pies and damson'n'greengage pudding. To refresh the palate there was damson cider, mulled nettle ale, cellar-cooled borage an' rosehip tea, fizzy honey an' blackberry cordial, and gooseberry cup.

Partway into their journey through the woods, they stopped to unwrap warm gooseberry preserve scones topped with redcurrant sauce.

Don't start talkin' about scoff, you'll have everybeast goin' on about feasts they were at seasons ago. All that ripe fruit an' crumbly cheese an' woodland salad, aye, an' mint an' buttercup cordial. Look, you've got me at it now!

Minted potato and leek turnovers, served with beechnut-studded yellow cheese, and a loaf of freshly-baked cheesebread. Washed down with a flagon of blackberry an' sage cordial.

What time is it? Just past noon, wot. I'd normally be sittin' down to me post-luncheon snack now. Mintcream wafers, scones with strawberry preserves an' comb honey, with a nice pot o' rosehip an' dandelion bud tea.

Hot leek and chestnut soup was being served with large flat oatcakes, there was quince pie and coltsfoot an' honey cordial to follow.