As the nights draw in around Petworth and Midhurst, the kitchen at the Three Horseshoes Inn, in Lickfold, shifts with the season. That means that by December, our festive menu is in full swing. Whether you’re in need of a hearty autumn dinner after a countryside walk, or planning ahead for a Christmas gathering with friends, family or colleagues, this is the time of year the pub really comes into its own.
A Kitchen Built Around The Seasons
Good pub food, done properly, follows the calendar rather than ignoring it. Our autumn menu leans into the kind of dishes that suit a table near the fire on a dark evening: a cider braised belly of pork with potato terrine, butternut squash puree, sauteed wild mushrooms and crackling, a hand crafted steak and ale pie with thyme infused mash and seasonal garden vegetables or pan fried calves liver with crispy bacon, thyme infused mash and a button onion gravy. There’s a butternut squash orzotto with vegan feta and pickled radicchio for something a little lighter, and once the weather turns, it’s hard to finish with anything other than a sticky toffee pudding. It’s the same seasonal approach that carries us into the festive season, just dressed up a little for December.
The Festive Menu 2026
From 27 November to 24 December 2026, we’re running a dedicated festive menu at two courses for £40 or three courses for £48, built around the sort of dishes that feel right for the season: seasonal, generous, and made for sharing good company.
To start, there’s a roast butternut squash and sweet potato soup with sage oil and a crusty roll, smoked salmon with fennel and clementine salad, beetroot carpaccio with toasted walnuts and balsamic glaze, or a ham hock and prune terrine with pear chutney and garlic crostini.
For main course, the classic roast turkey ballotine comes with sage and onion stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, maple glazed root vegetables, red cabbage and sauteed sprouts. There’s also a braised chestnut wellington with spiced maple roasted carrots and parsnips, kale, colcannon mash and a charred red pepper sauce for those after a vegetarian option, roast loin of halibut with samphire, potato anna, prawns and a bouillabaisse sauce, and a braised feather blade of beef with bourguignon sauce, creamy potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
To finish, expect a traditional Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, a Black Forest meringue roulade with cherry sorbet, a white chocolate and spiced orange creme brulee with a spiced gingerbread biscuit, or a mulled wine winter pudding with creme fraiche.
A Cosy Place To Celebrate Near Petworth and Midhurst
Part of what makes this time of year suit the Three Horseshoes Inn, in Lickfold, so well – is the setting: an historic country pub tucked between Petworth and Midhurst, with a fire, low beams and the kind of warmth that doesn’t need much dressing up. For anyone searching for a Christmas menu near Petworth or festive dining near Midhurst, it’s a good fit for a family lunch, a pre-Christmas catch up with friends or an office celebration before the year winds down.
Something For Everyone
The festive menu is marked clearly for dietary needs, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options throughout, including the vegan-friendly butternut squash soup, the vegetarian wellington and several gluten free choices among the mains and desserts. If you have any food allergies or intolerances, do speak to a member of the team before ordering, as the Three Horseshoes Inn is not an allergy free establishment.
Booking Near Petworth and Midhurst
A quick note if you’re planning ahead: the festive menu runs up to and including the 24th of December – we’re closed on Christmas Day itself. For tables of eight or more, a discretionary service charge of 12.5% applies. To book your table at the Three Horseshoes Inn, Lickfold, book online now. Alternatively you can call: 01798 422070, or email: bookings@three-horseshoes-inn.co.uk. The weekends leading up to Christmas are always the first to fill, so it’s worth booking sooner rather than later.
