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At least 48 hours before cooking, but ideally 3-4 days before cooking, make the brine for your chicken. Add your salt, sugar, bay leaves, rosemary, and whole peppercorns to a small pot, and cover with 250mL of your water. Bring to a boil, just until the salt and sugar is fully dissolved.
Transfer your brine base to a large non-reactive container. Whisk in your 250g of ice to cool down the mixture. Add your remaining 1.5L of cold water. Add the juice from your ½ lemon, and throw the lemon in as well.
Place your chicken into the brine, ensuring it is fully submerged. You can do this by placing a small plate on top of the chicken to weigh it down. Leave your chicken in the brine, refrigerated, for 1 hour per lb of chicken (approximately 4-5 hours depending on the size of the chicken).
When your chicken is finished brining, remove it from the brine and place it on a small tray with a wire rack. Pat your chicken dry, and make sure you drain out any liquid in the cavity.
Leave your chicken to dry in the fridge, uncovered for at least 24 hours, but ideally 2-3 days before cooking.
1 hour before cooking your chicken, remove it from the fridge to come up to room temperature. While doing so, truss your chicken using approximately 6ft of butcher's twine.