I’ve often said that the minute the clocks go back in October, I turn into a modern-day hobbit adopting old-world sensibilities. We may be surrounded by modern conveniences, but the primal urge to store up, strip back, and hunker down to hibernate still kicks in, regardless of our access to 24 hour shopping. Part of that urge is certainly a mixture of necessity—there are a multitude of practical reasons why we, like our ancestors before us, have learned to adjust our routines and habits to align with the changing seasons. For me, however, that genuine need for sensible solutions in anticipation of colder, wetter months is also combined with a huge dose of pastoral romanticism.

For instance, as a garden lover, the act of pickling the late autumn remnants of my vegetable garden spoils provides a pleasingly wholesome pursuit, reducing waste and extending the joy of the growing season. Similarly, I make sure my pantry is well stocked with nourishing store-cupboard essentials that will see me through days when I’d rather remain indoors; pulses and grains to form the basis for soups and stews, oats, pasta, rice and, of course, nuts—the underrated nutritional powerhouses packed with healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Winter is all about those versatile and inexpensive items that can quickly become hearty meals, prepared in a variety of ways as needed. And yes, alongside the practical, I like to make my pantry look attractive and as coordinated as possible, like an updated version of a pantry Elizabeth Bennett might have been familiar with—except she probably didn’t have a self-adhesive label maker! It’s comforting rituals like these that mark the change of the season. For me, familiar patterns are an integral part of getting organised to make the transition into winter as easy and cosy as possible.

I live in a house filled with fireplaces, so ensuring that the outside log store is full to the brim and that each room has a basket filled with logs, kindling and firelighters is one of the most reassuring of seasonal comfort tasks. This includes remembering to book a visit from the local chimney sweep, cleaning the log burners (a wet rag with added ash is a weird but effective way of cleaning the inside glass), and the satisfying act of clearing out old ash from the open fire grates.