CORD by Le Cordon Bleu is a very interesting place – nestled in a Grade II listed Lutyens-designed building on Fleet Street, it is the UK flagship for the legendary and world-renowned culinary institution Le Cordon Bleu.
Awarded three AA Rosettes in 2025, CORD also encompasses a Parisian-inspired café, private dining and event spaces, cookery courses and corporate culinary experiences, CORD is led by Executive Chef Karl O’Dell and his team of accomplished professional chefs, with seasonal, ingredient-led menus that combine precision, creativity and a sense of discovery.
So for anyone with any curiosity about the extraordinary tradition of French culinary arts this is somewhere you should have on your wish list.
And perhaps the best way to do so is at one of their special events, the upcoming one of which is an absolute corker. As for one night only, on Friday 16 October, CORD’s Executive Chef Karl O’Dell will be joined by leading Chef Joshua Hunter, Head Chef at Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds in Northwood, for a special five-course dinner celebrating British game at the height of the season.
Whether you are already passionate about game or discovering it for the first time, the dinner is designed to offer something unexpected – a chance to explore its incredible variety, flavours and textures in new and exciting ways.
A favourite ingredient for both chefs, game will take centre stage throughout the evening. Rabbit liver parfait, game consommé, red-legged partridge, Yorkshire grouse, Highland venison and game black pudding will all make an appearance across the five courses, showcasing just how varied, distinctive and delicious British game can be. Karl and Joshua will each take the lead on different courses, bringing their own personalities and cooking styles to the table, while creating a menu that flows naturally from one chef to the other.
Karl approaches it through the lens of CORD’s contemporary, ingredient-led cooking, combining the precision and creativity that underpins his food and says how much he’s looking forward to collaborating with Josh: “He brings so much experience and expertise. The whole team is excited to learn from his skills and techniques.
“For one of my dishes, we’re featuring venison – a venison loin raviolo. The venison has been hung for two weeks to mature the flavour. It’s mixed with black pudding and spices; sage, onions, cayenne pepper and paprika and served with a sherry sauce.”
For Joshua, that passion for game extends well beyond the kitchen. Alongside his role at Holland & Holland, his experience as a deer stalker has given him a close understanding of game, its provenance and seasonality, and a particular respect for the ingredient and how it should be treated.
“For me, as a chef, it represents the pinnacle of working with wild food. You see the animal in its natural habitat, observe its life and behaviour, and help to manage the wildlife in a way that creates the best possible environment for the game, as well as ensuring the meat is in the very best condition for consumption.
“Chefs have an important role to play in preparing and presenting all game in a refined and accessible way, allowing people to experience it very differently from how they may have encountered it in the past. It does not need to be heavy, strongly flavoured or intimidating; it can be treated with delicacy and used in an enormous variety of dishes.”
Bluntly, we should eat a lot more game. It offers wonderful complexity and richness and is a part of our own culinary heritage that many have overlooked. It also nestles wonderfully with an ecologically responsible way to care for our wonderful countryside. So do everyone a favour and eat more venison I say… and what better way to start than at this excellent evening!
Tables are available for booking now through the CORD website:
Holland & Holland Game Dinner at CORD | 16 October
The Menu
Canapés
Tartare of Woolman’s wood muntjac, onion jelly
Rabbit liver parfait choux
Game consommé baby Guinness
Cooked by Joshua Hunter
Starter
Pithivier of red legged partridge
Smoked bacon • Crab • Apple
Cooked by Joshua Hunter
Main Course
Yorkshire grouse
Parsley root • Stuffed shallot • Roasted ceps • Preserved fig • Game jus
Cooked by Joshua Hunter
Main Course
Highland venison raviolo
Black pudding • Blackberry • Beetroot
Cooked by Karl O’Dell
Dessert
Black Forest
Kirsch mousse • White chocolate • Amarena cherries
Cooked by Karl O’Dell
Price: £125 per person, plus service charge.
Wine pairing available on the night.
cordrestaurant.co.uk
david@greencastlemediagroup.com