The Txuleton gastronomic time of year is upon us: Sagardi have once again created a special menu featuring a selection of Basque seasonal dishes. Expect the likes of enormous marbled rib-eye steaks from grass-fed cows and produce from the milk of free-range Latxa sheep, handmade by shepherds. To kick things off, tuck into txistorra sausage, a smoky offering served with top-notch sourdough from Little Bread Pedlar and a hearty bowl of slow-cooked Tolosa black beans: creamy and comforting, try them first on their own, before adding in the array of garnishes, including rich black pudding and dinky pickled peppers. As we wait for the main event – sipping on a smooth and quaffable glass of Malbec from the Uco Valley in Argentina – our expert server ushers us over to the open kitchen where our hunk of meat is searing on the huge grill. Arriving at the table a short time later, we dig into thick slices of rare, full of flavour beef: the ruby-hued centre gives way to a layer of pink followed by a charred well-salted outer crust. Accompanying hand-peeled red piquillos add sweetness and balance. To round off the meal there’s Aralar mountain cheese and decadent chocolate truffles. Hop on this seasonal journey while it lasts.

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