BOOKCLUB NOTES: May We Feed The King by Rebecca Perry

THE BOOK: This gathered lots of momentum since we announced it - with a Booker Prize shortlisting on top of the Waterstone’s Debut Prize as voted for by booksellers. Our closing scores increased on both nights - and we ended up on 4.1 stars, a very strong score for 2026!

The book felt different and it sparked some fascinating discussions around how we create stories and shape our own narrative from history. Multiple storylines were left open-ended and up to the reader to make assumptions - many of us found this to be freeing and thought provoking, but some less sure without a clear plot.

Many found the writing to be meditative as we observed the fastidious narrator. Historical information was presented as a collection of rumours and we had varying versions of the truth. Ultimately, the author showed us the importance of our own interpretation and the magic that can come with ambiguity - it’s in these grey spaces where the characters came to life.

THE WINE: Although the location is never explicitly mentioned, many of us felt transported to medieval England and so an English sparkling wine felt like an obvious pairing. Throughout the book, nature is used to detail the changes of the seasons and the unique perspectives of the stories unfolding. The most recent cuvées from Ham Street depict nature in such a beautiful way that we had to choose a wine from them that we have not yet drunk at RBTW. Col Fondo Meunier 2024 (perhaps a one off cuvée from Jules and Lucie) was our pick and turned out to be the popular choice on both nights.

Secondly, a wine fit for a King. Records show that Pineau d’Aunis was the favourite grape of King Henry III. He first brought barrels of it to England from the Loire Valley in 1246! If Henry loved it perhaps our reluctant Monarch might too. We picked La Cane 2025 from Delmee. In this light, electric chilled red, Pineau d’Aunis is blended with Grolleau, Grolleau Gris and Chenin Blanc, offering the much loved peppery note of our king’s favourite varietal, balanced with ripe fruit notes.

The next book will be announced any moment now - to be read for spooky season!!