Welcome To
What is Brasserie?
Our Brasserie range is a collection of our most indulgent dishes yet. It’s food that calls for candles, the good plates and a nice bottle of wine. Who says you need to go out for a restaurant quality experience? Our Brasserie dishes are hand crafted with restaurant ingredients such as prime centre-cut beef fillet. Our chefs use restaurant level techniques to deliver the most delicious results, such as expertly hand-wrapped Wellingtons. With our Brasserie range you can enjoy showstopping food in the comfort of your own home.
Beef Wellington
About
A centre-cut fillet of prime beef fillet starts off with a basting of Dijon mustard and thyme. It is hand rolled in a rich chestnut mushroom duxelles lifted with silky chicken liver and porcini which is then laced with Pedro Ximénez sherry and tarragon. The duxelles coated fillet is enclosed in golden puff pastry and finished with a delicate lattice. This Wellington is the ultimate centrepiece.
Sommelier Chosen Wine Pairings
Classic Pairing: Rhone Red
Suggestion: Guigal Cotes du Rhone
A classic Rhone red blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre from one of the most famous names in the region with layers of black fruits, spice and supple tannins. Perfect for a showstopping dish like Beef Wellington.
Alternative Pairing: Australian Shiraz
Suggestion: The Hedonist Shiraz
An altogether fruitier take on the Shiraz grape from one of the leading biodynamic producers in South Australia’s McLaren Vale region, loaded with blackberry fruit flavours.
Charlie's Tips
- Cook Beef Wellington straight from the fridge, this will help keep the pastry crisp while keeping the beef pink
- For a gorgeously glossy finish, brush your Wellington with a beaten egg wash before cooking
- For an expert presentation, cut your Wellington using two knives: first, a bread knife to cut through the pastry, then once you get to the duxelles, swap to a sharp carving knife.
- For the perfect cook use a meat thermometer to measure the internal
temperature – and never skip the resting time:- Medium rare: take out of the oven after 30-35 minutes, rest for
15 minutes or until 55-58 ℃ - Medium: take out of the oven at after 35-40 minutes, rest for 15
minutes or until 60-62℃ - Medium well: take out of the oven after 45 minutes, rest 15
minutes or until 67-70℃ - Well done: take out of the oven after 50 minutes, rest for 15
minutes or until 70-73℃
- Medium rare: take out of the oven after 30-35 minutes, rest for
Suggested Side
Savoy cabbage with buttered chestnuts
1 large Savoy cabbage
100g unsweetened shelled chestnuts
40g butter
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Cut the cabbage in half and trim off the woody stalk and any manky outer leaves. Slice the cabbage about 1cm thick and steam or cook in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender (4-5 minutes).
Meanwhile, crumble or chop the chestnuts into smallish pieces.
Once the cabbage is cooked, drain in a colander, then put the butter, chestnuts, a pinch or so of salt and a generous amount of pepper in the pan and heat until the butter begins to sizzle.
Return the cabbage to the pan and toss well together. Serve immediately.
Salmon Wellington
About
A pin-boned fillet of sushi-grade salmon, hand wrapped in a rich chestnut mushroom, porcini and Pedro Ximénez duxelles is topped with a fresh velouté of spinach, leeks, and capers. To finish, it is encased in golden puff pastry with a hand-finished lattice. Light yet indulgent, our Salmon Wellington is a celebration of the modern bistro.
Sommelier Chosen Wine Pairings
Classic Pairing: White Burgundy
Suggestion: Louis Latour White Burgundy
The flavours in this dish call for a white with ripe, round flavours and freshness to cut through it and this White Burgundy from renowned producer Louis Latour is spot on. Stylish, elegant and balanced, the pairing brings out the flavours on the plate and in the glass beautifully.
Alternative Pairing: Rosé
Suggestion: Chapel Down English Rosé
A refreshing take on rosé from the award-winning Kent-based producer, a pioneer on the English wine scene. Fresh and crisp with red fruits and a streak of citrus, it pairs perfectly with salmon.
Charlie's Tips
- For a gorgeously glossy finish, brush your Wellington with a beaten egg wash before cooking.
- For an expert presentation, cut your Wellington using two knives: first, a bread knife to cut through the pastry, then once you get to the velouté, swap to a sharp carving knife.
Suggested Side
Citrus green beans with hazelnuts
500g green beans, with stalks snipped off
100g blanched hazelnuts
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon or orange
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Half fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Toss in your green beans. Cook for 5 minutes, then tip into a sieve or colander. Immediately run under cold water until the beans are stone cold. Leave to drain.
Meanwhile, toast the hazelnuts in a frying pan, tossing occasionally until lightly browned. Tip on to a work surface and roughly chop or bash with a rolling pin.
Transfer the beans to a serving dish, toss with olive oil, lemon or orange zest and juice, salt and pepper. Finally, sprinkle over the toasted hazelnuts.
Seafood Pie
About
For this truly indulgent take on our classic fish pie, we’ve elevated every element - layering lobster, wild scallops, king prawns, salmon and hake beneath a smoked-haddock sauce, then finishing it all with crushed potatoes and a Parmesan brown-butter crumb that bakes to a golden, irresistible crust.
Now it’s over to you to dim the lights & light a candle.
Sommelier Chosen Wine Pairings
Classic Pairing: White Chablis
Suggestion: Chablis Louis Moreau
This indulgent seafood pie calls for a fresh white with enough elegance to let the lobster, scallops, prawns, salmon and hake shine. Louis Moreau’s Chablis is just the thing: vivid and fruity with a floral nose, white apple and pear notes, plus the mineral balance that makes it such a brilliant match for rich seafood. Its clean freshness cuts through the smoked haddock sauce and Parmesan brown butter crumb, while its polished texture brings everything together beautifully.
Alternative Pairing: Chenin Blanc
Suggestion: No.1 Cederberg Chenin Blanc
From high in South Africa’s Cederberg mountains, this Chenin Blanc has a lovely purity of fruit, with notes of ripe peach, pear and citrus carried by a crisp freshness. That combination makes it a brilliant pairing for the pie’s smoked haddock sauce and Parmesan brown butter crumb, while the wine’s rounded fruit brings out the sweetness of the lobster, scallops and prawns.
Charlie's Tips
- Add a touch of lemon zest to the dish just as it comes out of the oven for a lovely aromatic finish.
- If you're feeling extra cheeky, a good dollop of caviar works a treat to elevate the dish to its highest level!
Suggested Side
A light, leafy salad with a mustard vinaigrette keeps the dish lovely and fresh for the spring/summer weather.
For the salad:
2 large handfuls mixed British salad leaves (little gem, watercress, lamb’s lettuce, rocket, spinach — any combination works)
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
6–8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Small handful fresh herbs (chives, parsley, or dill)
For the Dijon vinaigrette:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or cold-pressed rapeseed oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey (optional, to balance the acidity)
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Whisk the oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey/sugar together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and lightly toss.
Find Charlie Bigham's
Brasserie in your nearest store
Brasserie in your nearest store
Desserts fitting of a Brasserie
And if you’re looking for a sweet treat to finish off your Brasserie experience, this recipe from Charlie’s cookbook is the perfect choice to round out the evening without too much fuss.
Poached Pears
There’s something rather special about finishing a hearty Brasserie meal with these poached pears. Slow-cooked until rich, dark and full of flavour, they’re the perfect accompanyment to one of our Brasserie dishes. A little sweet, a little spiced, they round off the evening beautifully, especially with a spoon of crème fraîche or a scoop of ice cream.
How to turn your home into a Brasserie
3. Add finishing touches
Place a short stem of your favourite flower (unscented or very lightly scented) in a vase or cup at the centre of the table - low enough to allow easy eye contact. Light a candle in the middle of the table (not too close to the flower!) and dim the lights to complete the ambience.
2. Set the table
Drape a tablecloth over your table, aiming for a 30 cm drop from the edge. Place a large plate in front of each chair. Fold thick napkins that complement your tablecloth and tuck the cutlery inside, using the heavy cutlery for a premium feel. You don’t need to buy a new set! Charity shops are a great place to find premium cutlery. Position the water glass to the top right of the plate and the wine glass at a 45 degree angle to the bottom right of the water glass. Repeat these steps for each setting around the table.
1. Prepare the atmosphere
Open a bottle of red wine and let it breathe for about 15 minutes. Start the specially curated Brasserie playlist to set the mood.
Brasserie FAQs
Our Brasserie range is exclusively stocked in Waitrose and available in selected stores only. To find your nearest Waitrose location for this range please use the store locator on this page.Brasserie Store Locator
Charlie Bigham's Brasserie dishes are handmade by our chefs so you can enjoy an extra special meal to make your evening together truly memorable. As you would find across top Brasserie restaurants, our chefs hand roll the wellingtons for a perfect pastry finish.
We have sourced restaurant quality ingredients for our dishes; for example Sashimi grade salmon fillets. Our chefs use butchery skills you’d find across restaurants to trim beef fillet from the UK to deliver an easy, clean eat. Our range of vegetables also mirrors top notch ingredients you’d find in your favourite Brasserie style restaurant, for example Chantenay carrots, Borettane onions and browned buttermmashed potato.
What cut of salmon do you use in this dish?
We use sashimi grade salmon fillets that have been carefully trimmed of skin and pin-boned to remove as many bones as possible.
Is the salmon in this dish wild caught or farmed?
We use farmed Atlantic salmon sourced from Scotland & Norway and these farms are Global GAP certified.
How do I serve/carve your Salmon Wellington?
For the cleanest serve, cut into the pastry with a bread knife, then continue with a carving knife.
What cut of beef do you use in this dish?
Our Brasserie Beef Wellington is made with beef fillet.
How do I carve/serve the Beef Wellington?
For the cleanest serve, cut into the pastry with a bread knife, then continue with a carving knife.