Tag Archives: special occasion

Apple, Carrot and Pistachio Cake with Coconut Cream

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Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 14.43.07

 

I love making oil based cakes as they retain a moist melt in the mouth texture. By incorporating vegetables and fruit you create a denser texture but the oil ensures a lighter finish.I used duck eggs as I had them in the fridge and know that some bakers swear they make better cakes. Use hen’s eggs of course if you don’t have ducks readily available. Using a good quality stone-ground plain wholemeal flour here adds a deeper nutty texture to the sponge plus it just wouldn’t be the same with white. I usually leave the skin on eating apples when I grate them but go ahead and peel them if you prefer. This is the perfect way to use up slightly wrinkly apples from your fruit dish.

carrot apple pistachio

Makes 12 generous slices

Before you start line a 24cm round cake tin with silicone paper. Give the sides a bit of height with paper if the tin is not that deep.

Pre – heat the oven to 180°c / 160 fan° c
carrot apple cake

For the cake

3 ducks eggs, separate the whites and yolks

150g runny honey

125ml rapeseed or sunflower oil

2 sweet red eating apples, cored and grated

150g carrot, peeled and grated

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

225g fine stone-ground plain wholemeal flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

I lemon, zest and juice

75g chopped pistachio nuts

Topping

200g *Philadelphia light cream cheese at room temperature

Honey to taste (I used a teaspoon)

Lemon zest (see above)

25g coconut powder

Place the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and whisk until its stiff enough to form stiff peaks. If you are using a stand mixer transfer the whites to another bowl for later. Add the egg yolks, honey and oil to the bowl and whisk on high until the mixture looks creamy. Using the beater gently fold in the apple and carrot. Mix the spices, flour and raising agents together and fold into the batter with the lemon zest and pistachios. Finally stir in the egg whites. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared baking tin and place in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove when the cake is firm to touch. Remove from the tin after 5 minutes and cool on a rack. Now make the topping. Mix the cream cheese in a bowl and add the honey and lemon zest. Sieve in the coconut powder and chill until required. When the cake is cool remove the silicone paper and top with the cream cheese frosting. Decorate with ground pistachio’s. I also used some dried cornflower petals which you can buy in some specialist food shops or online here.

*I don’t usually specify brands but a lot of own label cream cheeses have stabilisers in them. As soon as you mix them they break down and make the icing runny. Very annoying. Philadelphia is more stable which means you can use the light version and keep the creamy texture. For vegans use coconut cream instead.

Ildiko’s Chocolates

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Artisan chocolate producers who excel in combining the unexpected!Tamas and Ildiko

Main Event: High cocoa solid chocolate bars studded with an inspiring array of gourmet ingredients.

Is it worth the calories? With antioxidants, calming endorphins and evidence that it protects again heart disease too (in moderation) it’s more than a value added treat.

Last summer’s fact-finding trips to food fairs yielded some local treasures, among them Ildiko’s chocolates. It’s hard to resist the allure of intensely red and purple berries nuzzling into white, vanilla speckled chocolate for long. The eye-catching tummy rumbling pull of gorgeously displayed slabs of dark, milk and white chocolate dotted with the familiar and unexpected led me, months later, to a little kitchen in Surrey.

Ildiko's chocolate_trio

 

When Ildiko was growing up in Hungary she used to bake with her grandmother. If there were any leftover ingredients she loved to create chocolate treats for her family. Studying science at university and stimulated by nature Ildiko became an environmental engineer. It never occurred to her that one day she would leave it all behind to help start an artisan chocolate company. After marrying Tamas they moved to the UK with their young family and he followed his career in hotel management. Not sure what to do and needing something to fit in with a young family Ildiko started to make confectionary and in particular, pralines. These didn’t seem to have the same appeal here as they did at home but when Tamas suggested chocolate slabs with freeze dried fruits and they decided to give it a whirl.

ildiko_chocs_9x6

First they sourced their chocolate experimenting with a few suppliers until they felt they had the base for their eclectic toppings. With high cocoa solids quality chocolate perfected, they started to experiment with flavours. To differentiate they searched out ingredients that flirt and tease the chocolate giving it a quirky edge. Starting with freeze dried fruits Ildiko soon found that strawberries, raspberries and blueberries were a hit with their growing customer base. Later they added dried goji berries, coconut and pomegranate seeds combining them with smoked sea salt wasabi peas, rose, violet and mint leaves. Their product list demonstrates their devotion to ‘out of the ordinary’. My current favourite is a sultry, sweet caramelised chocolate with raw cocoa nibs and smoked salt. It has texture, a subtle salty crunch offset by the sweetness of the chocolate and a bitter note from the raw cocoa nibs.

ildiko choc trio

When I visited this artisan producer at home in Walton-on-Thames they had just started to make a batch of caramelised white chocolate which is achieved by slowly baking the chocolate in the oven for several hours.  It must be stirred regularly so it doesn’t split and is cooked evenly. We did a blind tasting of their product against Vahlrona and it’s simply better in every way. Creamy, mouth meltingly smooth, it has a delicious caramel note taken to the exact point of no return. Ildiko’s preparation methods are precise – she says her science background has helped. The slabs are crafted from expertly tempered chocolate left plain or flavoured and coloured with natural extracts (strawberry, lime, orange and vanilla). Once poured into waiting moulds they are hand decorated with precision.

Wrapped, labelled and packed freshly for each order or event Ildiko and Tamas run stalls at farmers markets and supply some independent shops in Surrey. These Chocolatiers constantly have a keen eye out for new ideas. Their fascinating store of blackcurrant pepper, chocolate-coated goji berries, dried organic pomegranate seeds and Himalayan pink salt is, I hope, just the tip of this creative culinary iceberg.

Available at:slabs_16x9

  • Farmers markets
  • The Naked Grocer in Walton-on-Thames
  • The farm shop co-operative at the Medicine Garden in Cobham
  • On-line – click here to visit their shop
Text and images Shirlee
Text and images Shirlee

Sally Iddles Fabulous Food

Catering company, corporate events, event caterer, Food producers, functions, Restaurant consultant, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A food consultant and caterer who teams creative prowess with exuberant energysally and suke

The Main Event: Restaurant menu development and gorgeous food for events.

Tips: Need a forkful of inspiration for your menu? Give Sally a call!

Sally and I first met at Sainsbury’s when she was a development chef in the late 1990’s. After we both relocated to Surrey we often bumped into each other at events where Sally was catering. Her food is always beautifully presented but also scores on taste because she has a knack of teasing the most out of simple high quality ingredients. She achieves this by adding seasonings such as dukkah, sumac, infused oils and freshly roasted spices, nudging her food up the scale. Her style is unique and it makes you realise how many eateries are happy to go along with ‘safe’ offerings that fail to impress. Sally proved that with tweaks here and there a menu can be transformed from simple into special. Her ability to come up with new menu items is impressive too and her background (Waitrose and Sainsbury’s) also means that she has a keen eye on profit margins. Keeping up with new food trends is essential and her knowledge of new openings, current food writers and supermarket product development helps immensely.

elizas breakfast trio

I got to see Sally at work first hand this week. Suke Wibaut from ‘Butter and Cream’ cakes has recently taken over Elizas’s Tea Room at Secretts in Milford. A busy lady with a shop in Milford, a long list of private orders and a market stall at North Street Guildford, Suke realised she needed a hand. Sally just happened to pop in and the result was a ‘brief’ to revamp the menu for Elizas’s. The menu, loved as it is by regulars, doesn’t reflect the area’s changing demographic and Suke also wants to cater for a younger more discerning clientele. I went to take the photographs for Sally and afterwards Suke and I had, unexpectedly, learnt so much I felt privileged to have been there.

elizas_soups

The brief doesn’t end in Sally’s kitchen. As part of the service she offers to go and work with restaurant teams in-house. This helps them to feel confident in delivering their new dishes consistently. There is nothing worse than eating a delicious meal that isn’t the same next time around.

Sally also gets involved with lots of different event work in Surrey and a few months ago I met her at a fundraiser where she donated her skills to Disability Challengers. This pop-up dinner and auction successfully raised over £16,000 for the charity. Many of the events catered for are weddings but Sally also does corporate work such as a launch for the new vintage sparkling rose wine at Greyfriars Vineyard here in Surrey.

eliza_salad_tea

In our work we go to many restaurants and cafes that seem happy to offer the same food as elsewhere. Given that many of the residents of Surrey have either moved from London or work there, it would be really good to see more of the Capital’s creative cuisine filter into this area. We love local food especially if it is creatively cooked and well presented with original dressings on salads plus innovative use of herbs and seasonings. The new menu at Eliza’s incorporates all those elements and I am looking forward to the launch.

If you know of a menu out there that needs a hoist into this decade, Sally’s contact details are listed below.

http://sallyiddles.co.uk/

07702 224873

 

The Lakeside Restaurant

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School of Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH

A training restaurant that is open to the public and part run by studentsdessert trio

The upside: Delicious healthy food competitively priced between 12-2pm Monday – Friday

The downside: Ring in advance before you visit; the restaurant sometimes hosts special events for the university and is closed to the public

The flipside: Holding an ‘eat out, eat well’ award from Surrey County Council means health is top of the bill here.

Teaching at Surrey University this academic year has involved an occasional lunch with speakers in the training restaurant.  It is fair to say the Lakeside’s professional team could give any local restaurateurs a run for their money. Lakeside provides a valuable experience for students learning the mechanics of how a real restaurant operates. Supported by three full time chefs, a manager and academic staff it provides support and confidence to students at the beginning of their careers. You might find the service a little shaky at times but it isn’t so different some of the experiences you can have had in the ‘real world’. Here, at least, students will be guided and mentored. By graduation they will have a good grasp of how to work in this challenging and growing industry. All students spend time at front and back of house and in their final year get to run the restaurant for the day. Menu planning, profit margins and service quality are all part of their assessment. These students aren’t training to be chefs but managers of the future. Hands on both in the kitchen and front of house experience, are essential to this.

The menu, which changes regularly, includes light bites at £5 a plate, a two-course lunch menu at £10.00 and à la carte (starters from £3.75 and mains from £9.25). Side orders such as steamed tender stem broccoli are a snip at £2.50 and portions are perfectly sized. Everything is made in house including bread, ice cream, biscuits and chocolates. Food is seasonal and locally sourced too; meat from Conisbee, salad leaves from Secretts and fish from sustainable sources.

lakeside_triostarters_

Visiting recently with colleagues, Lakeside proved how creative the food can be. Starters included prawn, avocado and red pepper tian (£4.75) a frisky combination of perfectly ripe avocado, sweet chargrilled red pepper with a tangy sauce. My colleague chose brandy flamed Catalan style clams in a tomato broth (both authentic and flavourful). The pomegranate and feta salad with sprouting seeds, honey balsamic and pumpkin seed dressing (£4.25) was crunchy, fresh and healthy even though the nutty sweet-and-sour dressing made it feel indulgent. The effort that goes into the dressings and added extras elevates and inspires.

For mains the fragrant Chinese pork with aubergine with vegetable fried rice (£11.25) reminded me of eating the best Asian street food. The aubergine was cooked to melt-in-the-mouth perfection. Pheasant supreme wrapped in bacon and served with vegetables coated in hazelnut and shallot vinaigrette (£12.50) was artfully served to my colleague and I was assured by the empty plate that this was as good as they claimed. The poached chicken with mango stuffing (£10.75) didn’t have the same presentational ‘wow factor’ but this creative combo of tender chicken breast and a delicate sweet stuffing worked well.

mains_lakeside

rasberry_icecream6x9We couldn’t resist the pudding menu and between us chose a zingy intensely fruity raspberry  sorbet and a rich vanilla icecream (both £3.75) and a dessert of the day, a combination of poached and fresh fruit with fresh cream and berry coulis (£4.75).

In addition to special events in the university the venue can also be booked for weddings and other special events out of term time. When I went to meet the team they were getting ready to give a chefs demonstration of modern smoking methods. This was part of a menu including deconstructed dishes such as beef wellington and apple pie. The creativity here gives the full time chefs a chance to shine too.

lakeside_chefs

Don’t be put off by the location of this restaurant. It serves innovative food at competitive prices with a menu change every month and it’s open all year round.

Just make sure you check availability in advance!david_chocolate-SCULPTURE

Lakeside website

01483 68 9655

Mushroom paté

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We served this rich meaty vegan paté at our pop-up café last June on our vegetarian Surrey Platters. Much lower fat than meat based paté makes it a healthy option too. Providing you use some field mushrooms in your mix you will achieve the rich coloured mix shown here. Use a low salt yeast extract at it develops the meaty flavour without escalating the sodium content.

Ingredientsmushroom_pate_6x9
2 tablespoons olive oil
100g butter or vegan margarine
2 red onions, finely diced
4 cloves crushed garlic
500g field mushrooms, finely diced
50g mixed dried wild mushrooms, soaked in enough boiling water to cover
1 teaspoon low salt yeast extract, mix with the mushroom water
2 dessertspoons fresh chopped mixed herbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g fresh brown breadcrumbs
Some fresh herbs to garnish

Heat the oil and butter in a large pan with a lid. Sweat the onions and garlic until softened and ever so slightly browned. Add the diced fresh and dried mushrooms to the pan and cook with the lid on stirring occasionally for 5 minutes over a low heat. Mix the yeast extract with the reserved soaking water from the dried mushrooms, add to the pan with the herbs and cook gently for a further five minutes.Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Allow to cool, then pulse the mixture in a food processor for a few seconds. Mix thoroughly, adjust the seasoning and place in a serving dish. Garnish with fresh herbs and chill until required.

If you don’t have a food processor just very finely chop the ingredients before cooking.

Serve as a starter or light lunch with salad or use as a sandwich filling.

Download the  recipe for Mushroom Pate

mushroom pate

Text and images Shirlee
Text and images Shirlee

Luscious lemon and courgette cake

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(makes 12 generous portions)

This moist veg packed cake is adaptation of Flora’s famous courgette cake featured in Nigella Lawson’s ‘How to be a domestic goddess’. I added lemon zest to the cake mix to give it a citrus kick and tweaked some of the ingredients to fit our food ethos for the Pop up Café we ran in June. This is a great way to use a glut of courgettes when you have run out of savoury ideas and freezes beautifully (un-iced). We sourced our courgettes from Village Greens in Ockley who grow their own. I wanted a more substantial layered cake than the original recipe so increased the amounts given. You can bake this in three tins to give you an extra filling layer if you prefer. Courgettes release water when they are grated so make sure you squeeze them as dry as you can on kitchen towel otherwise it will make the cake mixture too wet. I used some dried cornflower petals to decorate this cake which Jane had bought me as a gift from a range on offer at Secretts farm shop in Milford. A healthy and natural alternative to sprinkles they look stunning.

Ingredients Courgette and lemon cake

185ml sunflower oil

3 free range eggs

225g castor sugar

350g self-raising flour

1 tsp of baking powder

The zest of 2 organic un-waxed lemons (juice for the icing)

90g  raisins, soaked overnight in water

375g courgettes, topped tailed and finely grated

For the icing

400g full fat cream cheese (beware low fat doesn’t work here as it breaks down and goes runny)

200g icing sugar

Juice of 1-2 lemons

Dried cornflower petals to decorate and freeze dried raspberry (optional)

Lemon Curd to fill about half a 350g jar

Method

Pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 4/ 180°c /fan 160°c. Line or grease 2 or 3 round 22cm baking tins.

  1.  Place the oil and eggs and sugar in the mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer or use an electric hand whisk and beat until pale and creamy.
  2. Combine the flour and baking powder and fold into the egg mixture.
  3. Now fold in the lemon zest, courgettes and raisins. Divide the mixture between the three lined tins and bake in pre-heated for 30 minutes.
  4. Leave for 5 minutes then remove from the tins and allow to cool on a rack.
  5. Meanwhile make the icing by combining the ingredients until smooth, chill until required.
  6. Place the first layer on a serving platter and spread with lemon curd. Repeat this with the second and third cake leaving the top un-iced.
  7. Using a palette knife spread the cream cheese icing on the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the top with petals or a decoration of your choice.

cornfower petals _duo

Text and images Shirlee
Text and images Shirlee

At Home Catering

Blog, Deli, event caterer, functions, Products, Take Away, weddings, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

40 High Street, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3EB

Deli and outside caterer selling top-notch, freshly made food.at_home_jeremy_6x9

The upside: Doorstep sandwiches, ready-made family meals and delightful party food.

The downside:  Food that is hard to resist – you have been warned!

The flipside: This business will bend over backwards to meet your individual needs.

Tips: Take your own dish to fill with lovely home-cooked food; no-one need know you didn’t make it yourself.

This impressive business was started Marilyn Newman over thirty years ago. An experienced caterer, who spent time in the USA saw a gap in the UK market for expertly prepared take-home food; three decades later this business is thriving. Today Marilyn has stepped back from the business but has left a tight management team in place.

at_home_cheese_6x9The team have created a winning model, surviving several recessions. At Home’s base is in Cobham but it has a London office and a list of iconic catered events under its belt (the Brit Awards for starters) and lots of high-profile clients. Every event, from a dinner party for 10 to a marquee wedding for three hundred, is catered for with equal attention to detail.

Chef/director Jeremy took me into the kitchen where a gluten-free canapé buffet for 30 was being created. All the items on the menu were prepared in the kitchen and finished at the venue. Delicious savoury toppings were sealed in piping bags and chilled; baby meringues were being packed, tiny bread rolls were being filled.

at_home_collage

At Home offer modern-style catering alongside old-fashioned service and hospitality.  The three directors run all aspects of their business, updating their menus to keep on trend and stop their clients getting bored. They produce comprehensive catalogues of their food twice a year so you can easily build your perfect menu.

They make some extra portions of their catered dishes to sell in the deli, so there’s always something different on offer. I sampled a rich,at_home_salads_6x9 satisfying spicy seafood stew and a wild rice salad with green beans. Both were tasty, hearty, healthy and worth going back for. Jane’s chicken breast in a creamy wild-mushroom sauce was rich and tender. Jane and I shared a ham and coleslaw sandwich. We agreed it was a classic: overfilled with an American portion of ham and homemade slaw with proper mayonnaise. At lunch times large queues form for these legendary sandwiches. The date and apple loaf was moist, fruit packed and perfect with afternoon tea. Other cakes include a classic Victoria sponge and lemon drizzle.

at_home_breadThey carefully source their products from local and London producers: you’ll find Norbury Blue cheese in the deli counter and artisan sour doughs from the Bread Factory in London. Pastries come from La Patisserie in Stoke D’Aberbon, who stone-grind their flour every day. To complement the fresh food they have a selection of artisan and gourmet oils, vinegars, mustards and other relishes. They also stock handmade chocolates and some select crockery.

Next time you cater for a big crowd pop into At Home and see what they could do for you. You won’t be disappointed.

www.athomecatering.com
01932 862 026

Iain a butchery expert

Rawlings of Cranleigh

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Rawlings of Cranleigh, Devon House, 70 High Street, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8AG

One of the best free-range butchers in Surrey.

Go there for: Award-winning beef, sausages with history, perfect cured bacon and expertly prepared cuts of meat.

Avoid: Supermarket meat: support local traders like this one!

Is it worth the calories?: Ask Dr Atkins!

Tips: The pork and lamb noisettes are works of art, so prepare to be impressed.

Pork noisettesThis is a serious butcher’s shop. Not only does it have a loyal following in the community, it also supplies 35 Surrey restaurants. Innovative and competitive, last March they won a staggering 28 awards for their product development at a road show for butchers in the South of England. Not content with preparing traditional cuts of meat for their customers, they also make a fantastic selection of rolled, stuffed, wrapped and seasoned delights to cook at home. And don’t get me started on the fabulous sausages displayed . . .Rawlings sausages

Have a chat with the staff at Rawlings and you’ll get a quick education in butchery. Cured, corned, boned, sawn, filleted or rolled: nothing is too much trouble. They cure their own bacon: when I cooked a sample not a drop of water emerged, just the gentle sizzle of proper bacon in the pan. Crushed thyme leaves, black treacle, brown sugar and molasses can be found in their ‘secret bacon’ cure and those rashers made a cracking sandwich. Iain has been in the trade since he left school and Gary (a chef) joined the team more recently: his cooking authority has been essential to new product development and he offers expert culinary advice to customers.

The shop displays a huge range of products, including traditional cuts of meat for roasting, stewing and braising. Large free-range chickens (approx £12) make a substantial family meal, with plenty of leftovers for risotto or a creamy pie. We roasted ours: the meat was full of texture and flavour that I remember from childhood, before chicken was industrially farmed and lost its special status. You’ll also find the chicken and pork cushions that have been on the menu since 1999 and won many awards. Expertly trussed, these are a firm favourite on the Cranleigh dinner-party circuit. Iain also prepares cuts like Jacob’s Ladder, making good use of his skills and expertise in butchery.

Iain preparing jacobs ladder

On the deli side they produce a range of award-winning pies and sausage rolls. They also cook their home-cured hams on site. Free-range hen and duck eggs are offered, as is prepared rabbit, pheasant and other game in season.

Not always on the counter but available to those in the know is Blue-Cheese Beef Wellington. Iain cleverly makes a dried spinach paper to seal in the beef juices and protect the pastry from getting soggy during cooking. The man is a genius and his celebrity customers think so too. But they don’t just deal in top-price cuts:  Rawlings are famous for their faggots (a mixture of liver, pork, carrots, apples and onions with their special spice blend), which won a gold award at the British Pig executive recently. At 80p each they are an absolute bargain and perfect, Iain told me, with a pile of creamy mash and gravy – I believe him.

Rawlings shop front

Rawlings of Cranleigh

01483 274321

Text and Images Shirlee
Text and Images Shirlee

The Olive Tree

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The Olive Tree, Sutton Green Road, Sutton Green, Surrey, GU4 7QDOlive Tree interior

A haven of comfort and good food just a short drive from Guildford

Go there for: Local meat and fresh seafood in the stylish dining room or bar food on comfy sofas around an open fire.

Avoid: Vegetarian options: not always a good choice here.

Is it worth the calories?: The desserts are excellent so consider raising the bar on your recommended daily intake.

Tips:  Close to Guildford with a decent car park and good food, this pub is popular so book at weekends.

Stepping into this pub is like visiting a friend who really knows how to accent their home. It’s comfortable, welcoming and professionally run. In addition to a full bar and a la carte menu they offer bowls of olives and nuts (from Olives et al) to complement their carefully selected drinks catalogue – what a great idea.

This is Gill and Rupert Ponsonby’s third pub in Surrey and they feel they have made their mark here. Rupert heads up the kitchen and Gill manages front of house. Food can be ordered from the dining room à la carte menu or from a less formal blackboard with daily specials. They source their meat locally and fish comes in daily. They like to follow the seasons and game was just about to hit the menu. Rupert said regulars often order lobster and seafood platters for two in advance. A sharing platter of mixed shellfish including scallops, lobster and prawns is £40.80; the Côtes de Boeuf, a double rib of beef with trimmings, is £45.00. A beef platter arrived for our neighbours: impressive, but what a lot of food!

I was a little surprised when my grilled lamb and Greek salad (£14.95) arrived: the generous pile of meat had been unceremoniously plonked on top of the salad leaves. As this was served in a bowl I would have expected the lamb to be more thinly sliced.

Lamb salad, blueberry and lemon cheesecake and fishcakes

However, the meat was tender and delicious (although a little awkward to cut) and the salad with feta a great match. The salmon fishcakes (£10.50) were a hit, with the right balance of mash to the fresh pink salmon and the chunky chips piping hot and crisp. The blueberry and lemon cheesecake (£5.80) was creamy and intensely citrusy, balanced by the fruitiness of the blueberries; a swish of cream gave just enough moisture for the perfect mouthful.

On a return visit we sampled a steak with salad (£14.95) and a vegetarian dish. The steak was tender, tasty and faultless and the salad fresh and well dressed.  However the cashew-nut roast from the blackboard menu had huge potential but was distinctly underwhelming. It was served with roasted vegetables on a gorgeous orange red pepper sauce but the roast was modest in size and lacked both personality and cashew nuts. It just wasn’t great and at £10.50 a bit cheeky. Luckily we had room for pudding. The fresh red-plum crumble with vanilla ice-cream (£5.80) tasted of late summer, was comforting, warming and redeemed our spirits. It was a Greg Wallace moment: he would have loved it too.

Steak, plum crumble and smoked haddock risotto

The couple on the next table were tucking into a smoked haddock risotto and beef stroganoff. They had just moved to Guildford and found the pub by chance. They thought their food was delicious and we agreed that that the pub, the setting and food are good enough for a return visit.

The Olive Tree

01483 729999

Text and Images Shirlee
Text and Images Shirlee
Croissants chalk hills

Chalk Hills Bakery Shop and Cafe

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 75 Bell Street, Reigate, RH2 7ANChris & Rosie owners of Chalk Hills Bakery

A bakery and café delivering artisan bread and pastry magic to the lucky folk of Reigate.

Go there for: Handmade artisan bread, gorgeous pastries, tarts, and a bacon sandwich to shout about.

Avoid: Trying to resist anything in this café; it’s futile.

Is it worth the calories?: I should say so: this is the ultimate good food experience!

Tips: The sandwiches on the menu are fantastic but if you want a bespoke combination just ask.

Walking into Chalk Hill Bakery on a rainy autumn day to the smell of toasting bread and aromatic coffee is a truly uplifting experience.Chalk Hills Bakery shop front

Chris and Rosie Robinson sold their gastro pub, The Stephen Langton in Abinger Hammer, to start a proper artisan bakery. Coincidentally, Priory Farm had a kitchen to rent in the old tractor shed and in November 2010 the first loaves were sold in the Priory Farm shop.

Chris and his team make sour-dough bread by hand the old-fashioned way and let it rise naturally over a 2-day period to develop flavour and texture ­- don’t think of muttering Chorley Wood, dough improvers or high-speed mixing here. Sourcing fine ingredients such as Shipton Mill organic flour gives added provenance to their products. The long fermentation process means the bread stays fresh for longer and is easier to digest.

Chalk Hills Bakery produce 17 different loaves, including fig and walnut sour dough (£3.65), large rye (£2.75), and other classics such as ciabatta (£2.50) and focaccia with a selection of toppings (£3.95). They also make a Surrey bloomer (£1.75) and Italian sticks (£2.10). Even the yeasted breads have a flavour boost of sour dough starter and are slowly proved in a refrigerator. The full range of products is on sale at Priory Farm and at Chalk Hills Bakery every day. They sell wholesale to a handful of local businesses.

Artisan bread selection at Chalk HIlls

Chalk Hills Bakery has definitely got the X factor (but with classier music). It’s modern yet rustic, charming and friendly, and has a simple but innovative menu. They cleverly match their bread to the sandwich fillings so you get the best texture and flavour combination. In addition they make croissants, scones, sausage rolls (with free-range sausage meat from Bowles farm in Ewhurst). Ham and beef for their sandwiches are cooked in the bakery; meat comes from Robert and Edwards of Reigate. In fact everything on the menu is made at the bakery, even the soup.

The bread menu, sweet tarts and bacon sandwich on white bloomer

I tucked into their classic bacon sandwich made from Gloucester Old Spot free-range bacon on toasted Surrey Bloomer (£3.95). What a triumph! Crisp, salty bacon, sweet herb jelly and perfectly toasted bread. The Sage Jelly from local producer PickleCake Parma ham and mozzarella with sage jelly (produced locally by Picklecake) also caught my eye – next time! I rounded this off with a pot of Barry’s Irish tea. I’ve never heard of it but apparently if you are from Southern Ireland it’s the only tea to drink and Chris (who’s from Dublin) won’t sell anything else. Coffee comes from Union, a craft roaster in East London, and soft drinks from Luscombe organics in Devon.

Business has been booming ever since the bakery opened and they plan to open another shop. Just make a wish that it’s on your doorstep: I have.

www.chalkhillsbakery.com

01737669116