Tag Archives: surrey restaurant

Duke of Wellington East Horsley

Blog, gastro pub, Restaurants, Reviews, , , , , , , , , , , ,

A re-imagined gastro pub with a creative menu and wine list, fantastic service and stylish décor, just a ten minute drive from Guildford. Expect delicious food, regular events such as live music, themed dinners and local socials for neighbours.

When I was invited to try the menu at this pub, which is part of the Peach Group I didn’t hesitate. With just two pubs in their growing collection in Surrey their portfolio includes another eighteen (many of them recently acquired) and all in market towns such as Oxford, Warwick and Birmingham. The other Surrey location is The Richard Onslow in Cranleigh, and it’s a favourite of mine .

Since I have lived in Guildford this pub had been crying out for new lease of life. It was a pretty run down and then it was reinvented with a BBQ themed menu. Poor reviews and a very American BBQ menu kept most of us away. Then in 2016 Peach took over. This is a business with a solid understanding of what ingredients you need to make a pub successful. They set to work and with a refurbished interior, creative menu with a mix of traditional and contemporary dishes on the seasonal menu and customers started to roll back in. Add to this a mix of local and imported beers, wines, spirits and real ales and the customer magnet has been switched back on.

What really sets this business aside is the staff, welcoming, helpful and professional its a totally refreshing element of the on site experience. In addition they all seem to really enjoy their jobs in an industry that is well known for long hours and low pay. Its no surprise that out of the ten awards on their website that five are for their employment practices. The Sunday Times ranked them at forty-five in their top 100 companies to work for last year.

The food here is fresh, beautifully presented from ingredients sourced locally and nationally. Head Chef Nic Baba embraces the seasons and although I ate from the spring menu the current summer menu ticks all the boxes too. They share the same core values of healthy eating (an important ethos on the menu) so expect to find plenty of fresh vegetables with your meal too. Sharing boards, hearty salads, extras to add to customise your plate and daily specials form the menu style here. Meat is from top butchers Aubrey Allen who also supply free-range chicken, Cornish lamb and free-range pork from Jimmy Butler. Known as the butcher to the stars you know that poultry, beef and pork here is going to be top notch.

We kicked off our meal with a modern take on a retro prawn cocktail and some ham croquettes served with a spiced tomato chutney. The cocktail was layered for effect and the combination of guacamole, prawns, tomato salsa and crunchy lettuce paired with some crunchy tortilla was delicious (an idea I have since copied for entertaining). The croquettes arrived piping hot with a spicy tomato chutney and local Secretts salad leaves. Crunchy on the outside and creamy and smoky in the middle it was the perfect start to our meal. Mains included pan-fried sea bass on a generous stack of new potatoes and tender stem broccoli and a super food salad with a extra of poached salmon. The fish was fresh and crispy ( source from Brixham day boats) and the accompanying vegetables and sauce without fault. The salad had a deliciously lemony zingy dressing and the perfect balance of pulses, leaves and grated vegetables. No feeling there that you were a second rate diner by choosing a salad plate so this gets a high score in my book.

Deserts had to be the lemon tart, a staple on menus in the 1990’s and an intriguing apple panna cotta. The lemon tart had a caramelised top, which gave way to an intensely lemony creamy filling on a light short buttery pastry – stunning. The panna cotta was really unusual with an apple jelly layer on top of the cream element. Freshly poached apple was served as a garnish. It felt lighter and good for you than I would have expected which is always a plus. We ended with fresh mint tea.

The food here is excellent and a credit to the Peach Group for creating another venue in Surrey that should be on your go to list.

01483 282 312

Guildford RD, East Horsley, Leatherhead, KT24 6AA

www.dukeofwellingtoneasthorsley.co.uk

 

Redber Coffee

Blog, Coffee Shop, Craft coffee roaster, Local producer, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Merrow Depot, Merrow Lane, Guildford, GU4 7BQ

The upside: Expertly sourced green coffee beans roasted to order in Surrey to buy direct or online

The downside: The on-site cafe is very small

The flipside: Buy an online coffee subscription for a gift that keeps giving (you choose how long for)

I often rave about delightful journeys down leafy lanes to access great producers hidden away in Surrey but this is different. To get to this coffee roaster it’s a six-minute drive from my house near Stoke Park in Guildford. Arriving at a trading estate next to the railway it’s a complete surprise to find an independent coffee business thriving here. Of course once inside it makes complete sense, as it’s a warehouse, roaster, packing and retail unit all housed under, one roof. As you enter to the left there is a seating area in front of a counter where you can order coffee. Choose from any of the current range they have roasted that day. Have a chat first about the style of coffee you prefer and nothing is too much trouble to match your drinking preferences with your final brew. Beyond the counter where drinks are dispatched lay sacks of open green beans ready for roasting. Beside this are four coffee roasters, which including the first two kilo machine this start-up invested in five years ago.

Founders Graham and Petra had a strong interest in coffee and after completing a coffee-roasting course in Scotland they decided to start their own business. With just one two kilo, capacity machine they honed their craft in a cold, reclaimed shed in their first Merrow Depot site in 2012. Perfecting their skills they started to sell coffee online and direct to a constant dribble of informed customers. Their growing list of single origin coffees were it seemed of interest to many consumers looking for delicious coffee which hadn’t lost its identity in commercial style processing. Large roasters provide large quantities of beans to their retailers by blending beans and subjecting them to a single roasting recipe. The resulting coffee lacks personality and is often quite bland plus as a money saving exercise they use a smaller weight dose for each drink. Smaller companies like Redber can avoid this and provide a customised roast for each new bean, which compliments its unique flavour profile rather than damaging it.

Today the business in its larger unit is buzzing (the old site has been updated and is their storeroom for beans and supporting products). Currently the business has several strands which all fund their growing team of ten members of staff and bigger home. First there is the retail side of the business, which features sales direct to the consumer. You can drop into Redber, have a coffee and buy your beans whole or ground or purchase online. Roasting beans to order here for their online business means there will always be a few kilos available for drop in sales (highly recommended) and perfect if like me you live close by. It’s Redbers policy in terms of quality that beans are dispatched to their customers the day it’s roasted giving you a good month of life. After this the quality starts to decline. I was told quite clearly that freezing or refrigerating beans is not a good idea as it causes condensation, which damages the coffee. Storage should take place in an airtight tin in a cool dry location.

For retail customers coffee subscriptions are also a popular buy. There are various options for this and these deals make the perfect gift for Christmas, Birthdays and other events. I bought my significant other a ‘Surprise Me’ subscription for part of his Christmas offering. He loves the fact that it continues for 12 months and that every month a pack of carefully sourced and roasted beans arrive in the mail. We have tried an astonishing range of coffees from Redber so far that we wouldn’t have had the knowledge to choose ourselves or indeed access too if we had stuck to supermarket offerings. Other subscriptions include choosing your coffee by origin or blend and by roast profile. Going away? you can pause your next date or change frequency of delivery. This flexibility isn’t found with other similar services so it’s a great selling point here.

For those new to fresh coffee brewing at home they have a comprehensive range of coffee makers, which they will happily guide you through. To compliment these; grinders, storage canisters and filters are also on offer. In addition to this Redber also runs tasting and cupping courses. It’s a great introduction to the fine art of coffee and an insight to how coffee is tasted and graded by buyers before purchase. Important, as the taste of coffee varies so much between plantations, geographical locations, altitude, levels of light and shade it helps set the price the coffee will sell for.

For commercial customers there are a variety of options too. Larger bag sizes, bean to cup machines, maintenance products and expertise and advice. It’s clear from its small beginning this company has slowly grown to be a major provider of quality coffee in the area. There are other roasters in Surrey too and even more online so they have to stay competitive to survive. This they seem to do extremely well. Their ethos of roasting, packing and despatching in one day is admirable and gives them a unique selling point.

This is a welcoming enterprise that clearly loves their product and it’s really intriguing to see coffee from so many different countries all under one roof. Our last bag that arrived was a Brazil Santos described as being full bodied, sweet with low acidity with a smooth finish. Coming from the lighter range of roasts (our preference) it delivered on all counts. But on my last visit I could also see coffee from Panama, Sumatra, Columbia, Ethiopia and Uganda. Talia who was showing me around commented on the Redbers commitment to work with charities that are associated with coffee too particularly Ugandan Bukonzo.

It turns out that a local charity based in Shalford just outside Guildford was looking for a local roaster. Getting in touch in 2013 Alison the founder was looking for a company to roast her Ugandan Bukonzo coffee beans. Her charity ‘Seeds for Development’ helps farmers plant coffee on land shared with them. Each farmer gets half and acre to grown coffee on and a starter pack of 100 coffee seedlings. The project has already achieved some of its founding aims by building a school and a toilet block for the farmers children. The children have meals cooked for them on site and the school has 320 pupils and six teachers. Redber is proud to have been involved with this project buy giving a proportion of the sale price of each bag of Ugandan Bukonzo coffee to the charity.

 

This is a friendly coffee loving business with real expertise in their delivery of fantastic end product. Go for a first visit and you’ll be offered a 125g bag to take home and sample but its impossible not to go back for more. It’s a brilliant way to buy coffee as its open kitchen style presentation and intoxicating aroma of freshly roasted bean activity provides the perfect backdrop while you savour a fresh brew. My blog is all about independents and this is a perfect example of one that has got all the elements right.

Go and see for yourself its worth the trip!

This article first appeared in Essence of Surrey Magazine in March 2017 for whom I write a monthly column on local artisan food producers.

 

The Plough Inn, Brewery and Village Shop

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The Plough Inn, Brewery and Village Shop, Coldharbour, Surrey RH5 6HD

The upside: A historic pub bought back to life in a thriving community

The downside: Purely selfish; but its a hike from where I live

The flipside: A perfect feel good destination in the heart of Surrey

A 17th century Inn with its own brewery, a local food menu and a carefully stocked village shop, may sound too good to be true. But read on and be prepared to put this venue on your ‘to go to’ list.

The Plough Inn is located in Coldharbour, a small village with 250 residents; it has one bus a day, which leaves at 10am and the nearest shop is 5 miles away. Dating back to the 1700’s The Plough Inn had by 2015 had lost its shine and most of its reputation and was in dire need of some tender loving care. Put up for sale the pub was bought by local entrepreneur Richard Eshelby who used the pub regularly during the shooting season and didn’t want to see it close. Forming a company to manage his new asset he bought in John (an IT consultant and his wife Becky to run the business) a great plan as they are also shareholders and have a vested interest in making this business a success.

The new team started in mid September 2015 and traded whilst they formed a refurbishment plan. As part of that, they had, a vision to re-instate the village shop and keep the onsite Leith Hill Brewery open too. Today the inn has had a complete refit with six attractively furnished rooms, a new kitchen and landscaped garden and addition of a village shop. Its heart warming to see how much detail and attention has gone into the reinvention of this business, which today is central to village life.

This is a story of three parts; the Inn, Leith Hill Brewery and the village shop. Intertwined of course but each lending additional purpose.

The Inn was already on the radar of CAMRA who say this is the only pub in the South East who brew their own beer exclusively for their customers. Made on site in small batches twice a month they produce 10 firkins (around 400 litres). This process takes around a month to brew, ferment and condition in their cellars before its ready to sell. There are three beers made on site by Antoine Josser from Westcott and local resident Mark Chapman. Not all are available all year round but the day I visited Crooked Furrow and Surrey Puma (a seasonal stout) were on tap. They also have a an American pale ale called Smilers Happiness, named after a much loved local John Steele who died of cancer in March 2016. In dedication to him the Inn conceived the idea of a beer in his name.

In addition to their own brews, this free house sells beers from other local breweries such as Fools Gold from Tillingbourne and a selection from Hogs Back. Whilst as a free house they don’t have to buy any national branded beers they have found that lager drinkers are more fickle so you’ll find Carlsberg and St Miguel on tap plus one from a more local brewery Firebird. They also have an eclectic range of new wave local gins such as Silent Pool, Brighton & Gutsy Monkey (made in nearby Dorking).

On the pub menu the focus is on local and seasonal food. The core menu changes four times a year but is supplemented with a specials board. This John stressed, really is for specials and they often test run dishes here before placing them on the new seasons menu. Much of what is on offer here is made on site. What isn’t comes from suppliers such as local artisan bakers Chalk Hills of Reigate, and meat from award winning Rawlings of Cranleigh. Eating lunch with a friend recently we shared a starter of game, apricot and gherkin terrine served with home made chutney and warm (great attention to detail here) Chalk Hills fig and walnut bread (£7.50) .

For mains I went for local producer Ravi Ollies beetroot and feta ravioli pasta with a fresh cream and dill sauce (£10.95) while my dining partner opted for home made chicken pie, gravy, mash and vegetables (£11.95). We loved the food, it was full of flavour, carefully prepared and with sensible portions. The pie was served with a selection of fresh vegetables and we felt the food represented good hospitality at a fair price. Although we were fairly stuffed we felt it would be rude not to sample a dessert and chose the coffee crème brulee served with shortbread and Caroline’s Dairy chocolate ice-cream (£6.50). This combination was a huge hit and so delicious that we ate the lot. All made on site apart from the ice cream (from local producer Caroline’s Dairy)  this was a brûlée to remember for its presentation, taste and texture. After coffee from local roaster Coffee Real we went to take a look around the shop.

The shop, which was the final element of the business to open in October 2016, was envisioned for both locals and visitors alike. The last village shop in Coldharbour closed its doors in 1982 forcing locals to shop in nearby Dorking. Sadly over the last few years Dorking has become so busy that parking at certain times is a challenge if not impossible. This, locals say, makes having a shop on the doorstep again all the more appealing. It’s amazing how much stock a small shop can carry. Stocking a wonderful range of products from basics (toothpaste and washing up liquid) to gourmet artisan cheeses, chocolate and seaweed mayonnaise is all down to thoughtful curation.

Becky’s mum Sue, who clearly has, a natural affinity for food retailing, is at the helm here. Energetic, lively and clearly passionate about her new venture she has filled the shop with a superb range of complimentary food and ingredients. Surrey Cheese, Norbury Blue is here (and on the pub menu) as is Burwash Rose from East Sussex. In the freezer you will find ready meals from Surrey Spice, Pasta from Ravi Ollie and ice cream from Caroline’s Dairy. Gourmet pies come from Toms Pies in Devon and meat stuffed sausage rolls and pasties from Rawlings Butchers in Cranleigh. Bread comes from artisan bakery Chalk Hills and a craft bakery in Cranleigh.

For cyclists and walkers a couple of stools in the shop window are a great place to sip a Barista Coffee and enjoy a homemade cake if you don’t fancy a full meal in the pub. While I was sitting there a local smallholder arrived with a tray of free-range eggs from his chickens. I also met some walkers from Holland who were committed to coming back for another visit. The positivity that this business has given to the village and wider community is evident and another good reason to veer off the high street and into the Surrey hills.

www.ploughinn.com

This review first appeared in the March Issue of Essence of Surrey Magazine. I was invited to dine at the Plough by the owners on the understanding that I only publish reviews if I can really recommend the experience. I loved everything about it!

 

 

Bread making with Epsom Bakehouse

Bakery, Blog, Breadmaking, Cookery Courses, , , , , , , , , ,

The upside: Learn to bake bread properly, from a true baking expert.

The downside: Class sizes are small and sell out quickly so plan ahead.

The flipside: Rhiannon is super organised and a fantastic teacher!

Working in local government Rhiannon Abbot was in need of a new direction and ten years down the line, she made her move. Friends loved her baking and convinced her that she should create a new career in the kitchen. Attending a course at Four Gables Academy run by culinary local hero David Gilliat gave her the motivation to take it further.  After attending Jane Mason’s Virtuous Bread course   Rhiannon emerged as a fully fledged bread angel providing bread to local people within her community. Joining twitter to promote her new business and a setting up a stall at an Enterprise Market is Epsom I started to follow her. I was intrigued by the bread angel concept and went to Epsom find out more.

After meeting Rhiannon at the market I arranged to go and interview her in action at her home in Epsom. We chatted as she effortlessly made a perfect white loaf of bread. Three years down the line and a new addition to the family, Rhiannon no longer bakes for the community but has taken her training one step further to teach bread making. This she feels fits in better with her home life.

Sitting in on one of Rhiannon’s bread courses just before Christmas I got to see first hand how this talented baker has grown and developed her craft. Held in a youth centre in Epsom I arrived to find a perfectly set up room. As soon as the session started it was clear this was going to be an informal and relaxed day. It was really carefully structured too, keeping the information flow engaging and production on target.

On this introduction to bread making course , you will make five types of bread and go home with a large bag of freshly baked treats that you have made yourself. Rhiannon demonstrated each step and explained why certain rules apply. Add the water to the yeast when it’s too hot and you kill its potential, knead in a certain way to stretch and work the gluten and carefully select your ingredients.

First up was a classic white flour bread dough which formed the introduction to the skills of bread making and set the scene. Leaving this to rise the group made sourdough rolls using a ferment or biga (sourdough starter)  that had been made in advance. Once made these were left to rise and baked became lunch served with some cheese and cured meats. Simple and delicious.

Next up was a soda bread which uses baking soda not yeast for the rise hence its name which was enriched with seeds and buttermilk. An effective loaf that tastes gorgeous eaten just cooled from the oven and which does not need to rise prior to baking.

Knocking back the dough made earlier after a rise it was formed into rolls and a small loaf. While these were placed for a second rise the final bread of the day was made. An olive oil infused focaccia with fresh rosemary.

For a five hour course, it was amazing how quickly the time passed. Summing up the course we agreed that we had enjoyed, great company, expert tuition and gained a new skill set.

If you want to learn how to make bread from an expert it’s a brilliant way to spend a day.

Tel 07761600030

For more information on courses and costs follow the link below.

The Epsom Bakehouse

Natter Cafe

Cafes, Coffee Shop, pop up cafe, Pop up Supper Club, Restaurants, Reviews, Take Away, Tea Shop, Vegetarian, , , , , , , , , , ,

67 St. Johns Street. Farncombe, GU7 3EH

 An award winning cafe where owner Kay has created a wonderful eating and meeting space, for the local community.

The Upside: Gorgeous coffee, freshly prepared traditional all day breakfasts, contemporary salads, savouries and freshly baked cakes.

The downside: This café is so busy you need to book in advance to guarantee a lunchtime table. It’s closed in the evening but they do run events.

The flipside: Buy tickets for one of their infamous supper clubs where you can BYO and indulge in some great food at prices that won’t break the bank.

Natter café is the type of success story I would wish for any new independent starting up in this challenging market. Winner of the Muddy Stilettos best cafe in Surrey award I can tell you why this business is making waves!

Kay is the creative force behind the Natter Café and her story starts with coffee beans. Her original foray into coffee was stall in Guildford’s North Street Market which she started with a business partner in 2002. They parted company but the stall was very successful and its still at the market today. Kay’s passion for coffee retailing saw her start a coffee van service and a kiosk at Farncombe station. Her standards of service are legendary. Ring the kiosk from your mobile and they will have a latte and a bacon butty ready to pass to you on the platform as your train passes through.

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Adoring customers always asked Kay when she was going to open a café. It wasn’t she says really on her radar, but when friend and estate agent John suggested a property he had would be perfect for this purpose it was a defining moment. Going on holiday the next day she had time to think it through and the rest is history. Kay is really pleased she took the plunge. Its clear she has really invested in this business the premises have been refurbished to a high standard and the result is a really lovely comfortable space.

Coffee comes from a roaster in Winchester and Kay uses single origin estate for filter coffee, which is brewed at your table. You can choose from single or double shots (from £1.50). Teas are from Canton teas known for their delicious blends many of them from Taiwan (from £2.50).

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Food is also freshly prepared on site apart from some of the cakes, which are made by local producers. Since opening Kay has never had to advertise for staff. She has she says been lucky enough to have lots of locals (mums, students, teenagers) regularly popping in asking for work. In addition she also has lots of expert cake makers offering to supply her too! I expect the welcoming warm space Kay has created has everything to do with this.

Food is prepared by two chefs in a compact kitchen hence the need to buy in cakes but also because this café is always busy. Come late for lunch and expect to wait for a table. Kay and her team have the formula just right here. A core menu with breakfasts and sandwiches are complimented by seasonal specials. Expect soup in the winter and salads in the summer. A full English breakfast with local butcher Wakelings sausages is £8.75 and a generous plateful. For smaller people or appetites you can go for a half size portion at £5.75 (I wish more eateries did this). Smoked salmon bagels are also on offer at £5.00.

specials-board

Arriving for lunch I ordered a salad of the specials board. It was a warmish autumnal day so it was a toss up between that or roasted carrot and butternut squash soup. The salad won as my favourites were featured here; beetroot, rocket, pine nut and feta with salad leaves and a light tasty dressing. I have a pet hate of salad leaves served naked (read my article here) but these were perfectly dressed. My plus one had bacon muffins with melted brie and salad, which he said was tasty, light and gooey. I didn’t really get a look in there but I trust his judgement.

natter-cafe-savouries

We were too full for cakes but we did have coffee, which was full flavoured and served really hot. We watched the other customers around us being served equally good-looking plates of food.

natter-cafe-and-cakes

 

I love this café its got good coffee and food at its core. Kay supports other locals by procuring her stock from them wherever possible (produce from the local greengrocer and meat from Wakelings and Black Barn)  and she provides local employment too. Her staff recently for her birthday treated her to a day spa when she thought she was just going to work. I think that says it all!

Go and give Natter a whirl – opening hours and menu on the website- link below.

01483 421303
and also at Farncombe Station on Platform 1 GU7 3NF / 07531 018190

 

Cellar Wines

Blog, Deli, event caterer, functions, wine merchant, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Old Cellar, High Street, Ripley, Surrey, GU23 6BB

The upside: A truly inspiring wine and cheese shopping experience!

The downside: Only open 5 days per week, but until 8pm.

The flipside: Fantastic tailor made and off the shelf events!

When Cellar Wines opened in Ripley it was impossible to predict what an impact this unassuming new wine retailer could possibly have on our wine loving community. Ripley itself has emerged over the last few years as a bit of a culinary hotspot. Drakes a Michelin star restaurant is opposite, Pinnock’s an award winning coffee shop has been pivotal too, plus a fantastic farm shop at A. Luff & Sons at Ripley Nurseries on the outskirts of the village. In addition, local community leaders set up a monthly farmers market (second Saturday of the month) which has gained a dedicated following! That said it was a good bet that a wine shop would also be well received.

shop-and-manager-andy

Cellar wines is housed in a historical fifteenth-century building which during the second world war was purchased by a pharmacist Kenneth White. He is revered for being the first producer of penicillin for civilians and the shop now has a blue plaque to commemorate his contribution. So with a listed building and a mission for excellence this little shop opened quietly.

cellar-wines-blue-plaque-trio

When one of the founding partners left, the original investor took the helm and really unique elements started to unfold. Originally focused on French wines the shop now embraces the globe bringing in superb South African wines from the likes of rebel wine makers the Kloof Brothers, Galician artisan producer Benito Santos (I love the labelling on this wine) and award winning wines from Surrey itself. If you have ever stood in a supermarket staring at dismally at same old display of wines then this shop is for you. A bottle of ‘The flower and the bee’ costs only £12.80 here from an artisanal Spanish producer with vines growing on organic soil while in contrast, a bottle of High Clandon Cuvee Reserve Vintage will set you back £45.00. In fact, all the bottles of wine have an interesting story and I would be proud to take any of these to any wine and food event.

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If you like advice on what to buy then Manager Andy Walton and assistant David Hefford are on hand to help. What I love about the staff here is their brilliant customer service. There is no wine snobbery at play just a desire to share their knowledge of their truly eclectic and interesting selection of wines and spirits with their customers. Prices here start at the accessible for all and rise to aficionado status and this is for some a special occasion retail experience. Guided by knowledgeable staff, a great selection of tasting samples plus a fantastic range of expertly curated options, creates an exciting retail experience. Judging by the rave reviews of the shop it’s a shared opinion.

Local vineyards are featured and celebrated here too. It’s been a hugely important decade in England for winemakers and we have several award winning vineyards in Surrey. Greyfriars and the Albury Estate, for example, are within 10 miles of the shop as is Clandon. In addition to wines you will find local superstar craft gin Silent Pool and newcomer Mews too. Craft beers are also on offer such as Hop Art based in Farnham. A collaboration by native Belgian and Italian beer makers whose products are gaining a large following. Stylish labels and a catchy name help here too but it is delicious beer with four core styles.

hop-art-andmews

To support the wine here they also have a delightful cheese counter with a range of local and imported cheeses. To compliment a range of Cornish charcuterie including a fantastic smoked chorizo. Local cheeses include Surrey’s famous Norbury Blue and Dirty Vicar from Michaela Allum in Box Hill. A goats cheese cheddar and a delicious Italian cheese named 3 Latti (made from a combination of cows, goats and ewes milk) also feature. A supporting range of interesting cheese biscuits, Millers Damsels, Mondovino cheese crackers in packaging that oozes 60’s glitz and cocktail bar culture, choose from wild mushroom plus other equally tantalizing flavours. These compliment the cheeses on offer.

cellar-cheese-and-bisuits

But the icing on the cake here is the range of interesting accompaniments they stock to create the perfect cheeseboard. This I discovered when I attended a tasting of South African wines. Cellar wines calls itself a boutique and here’s why. It’s a shop, a bar, a lounge and an event venue it even has a small outside terrace at the back. Book a private party, supper club, buy a ticket for a wine tasting or design your own event. Anything is possible here and that’s surprising in what is a relatively small space. In a lock up down the road, they keep a range of chairs tables, linen-ware, wine glasses, crockery, in fact, anything you need really for a stunning evening of food and wine.

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Arriving at the wine tasting evening it was amazing to see how the shop had been transformed into an intimate venue. We were greeted on arrival with a glass of our first wine of the evening from the Waterford Estate (Sauvignon, Blanc) delicious and crisp is set the tone. Now I have to be honest here I was not sure what to expect as other wine tastings experienced have been boring, fusty and bit highbrow for me. Our tutor for the evening was a breath of fresh air. Easy to talk to and a walking encyclopedia of wine it was impossible not be in awe. She led us through the six wines of the evening embellishing each with interesting stories of the vineyards, their geographic locations and how this affected the resulting wine. It was an interesting political history too as for a long time South African products were restricted because of Apartheid.

cellar-wines-cellar-and-seating-areas

Now this was the best wine tasting I have been too because not only was our tutor a brilliant speaker but also because she wasn’t too prescriptive about how you drank your wine, more advisory. This meant you could drink at your own pace and we weren’t forced into naming fruit/nut/food notes and other associations that I have felt under duress to do with previous events. But one of the highlights of this wine tasting was the addition of cheese and charcuterie nibbles that were in perfect harmony with the wine. Whoever put this together knew what they were doing. For example Keens Cheddar on olive oil crackers with Piccalilli was served with my favourite wine of the evening Mullinex Kloof Street Red 2014 (£17.50). Stichelton Toast with Kileen Goat Gouda and Pickled Cherries were stunning with the Mullinex Straw Wine our final tasting and a dessert wine which made a perfect finish. The pickled cherries were fabulous and now on my list for Christmas day offerings. My absolute favourite though was Wyfe of Bath on water crackers with Acacia Honey & Truffle which was served with a Chenin Blanc.

I thoroughly recommend a visit to this enterprising wine Boutique. It is one of the most creative businesses I have been to recently. Why not take it one step further and attend one of their tasting events because it’s an education not only in wine but food pairing too! Be warned they are not open on Sundays or Mondays but they do have an online shop.

01483 610610

www.cellarwines.co.uk

 

 

Platform 3 – The smallest pub in Britain

Articles, brewery, Local producer, Products, Pubs, Take Away, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Brightwater Brewery, Platform 3, The Parade, Claygate, Surrey, KT10 0PN

The upside: Lovingly crafted small batch beer available to drink in or take-away!

The downside: This pub is really small with short opening hours

The flipside: This really is the smallest pub in Britain selling a range of their own unique beers

If you turn into the parade towards Claygate Station in Surrey you’ll get a welcome surprise. As you venture forward independent retailers are on either side with traditional butchers, a fruit and veg shop, a top end traditional fishmongers, wine shop, deli, bakery and café. To top it all, right at the end next to the station is a tiny pub. Platform 3 has just enough standing room inside for two people, so when it is open guests rely on some outdoor tables with umbrellas to protect against the elements. This doesn’t stop the constant flow of customers coming to take a pint to drink straight away or take out for later. Everyone who comes in seems to know the owners and a strong sense of community is evident.

platform-3-sign-9x6

Alex started making beer with his dad when he was a teenager. Not, he says emphatically, with kits but from scratch with proper ingredients. He carried this on as a serious hobby during his IT career. When he was made redundant is 2012 he took six months off to recharge his batteries assuming he would just find another similar role to the one he had left. Economic turndown and age he suspected were not on his side. After six months he felt ready to attach himself to the world of work again and this time it was to start his own business. It seemed natural to him that a serious hobby that he had lots of expertise in and loved could become a full time job.

claygate-trio

First he set about equipping his brewery a huge research project but worth it to get it just right. This is housed in his garage at home with stainless steel professional equipment and is an official bonded warehouse. This is a government requirement for anybody who produces alcoholic drinks where duty is payable. Alex makes five beers on rotation from different recipes that produce golden, amber or dark ales. He lists availability on his website and these are available to drink in or take away. He reckons his beers are at their best at 3-4 weeks old and will only sell when they are in peak condition. To maintain this he brews batches to meet demand and as I discovered is a stickler for maintaining the drinking quality.

pub 9x6

Alex is the perfect landlord, chatty a beer aficionado plus he is extremely personable. In fact it would seem that this is the perfect career for him. He runs the business with his partner Sue (a business buff) so it’s a symbiotic combination of creativity and business acumen here too. The fact that all the beer he sells in the pub is his own brew is a real pull. Not just for the pints he serves but because he wouldn’t serve anyone a duff pint and he knows the stuff he sells from hops upwards. Whilst I was in the pub there was an endless stream of customers buying a pint to drink outside or to take away a firkin to share with friends later. Everyone is on first name terms and there is a sense of excitement that they are buying into something really unique.

Each of the beers on the menu currently in production have been through diligent recipe testing from the ambient temperature at which they are made to the type of hops and the ferment period. Beer, Alex confides is temperamental and there are many competing factors in getting each batch right such as your local water supply. No two batches will taste exactly the same because this is craft beer made by hand and each brew varies slightly with time of year and the affects of temperature, the raw ingredients and natural yeasts. This is part of the fun and like wine some brews are better than others but probably more so (I suspect) to an expert palate. Alex says that managing beer production is like bringing up a ‘petulant child’.

beer-trio9x6

Of the beers Alex makes, ‘Daisy Gold’ is the best seller (he named it after his dog who is apparently as ‘good as gold’). This light golden flavour packed beer is like others on his menu at around 4% volume. Alex specializes in what he calls session beer. It’s healthier and means you can enjoy a few pints in an evening and still walk home! This is particularly good for older drinkers and in line with current drinking advice from health professionals. In addition these beers are worthy of a more considered drinking session and deserve as such to be slowly imbibed.

Although golden ales are the most popular Alex also produces ‘Top Notch’ an amber ale which he makes with 2 different malts and dark-beer-claygateanother variety of hops. Citra is Brightwaters other golden ale, which gets its name from the hops used to make it. Known for its fresh lemony finish to beers ‘Citra’ has a zingier finish to ‘Daisy Gold’. This brewery also produces a rather unusual dark stout type beer called ‘Wild Orchid’. The use of black malt gives this its dark colour but by putting Madagascan Vanilla pods in each cask its also has a subtle hint of vanilla which doesn’t dominate but adds a lovely finish to the overall taste.

 

If you are a fan of craft beers I highly recommend a visit to Platform 3 it’s in a class of its own. With guest beers also on offer and other drinks for non-beer fans it’s a great afternoon out. Take-out, delivery for parties and ready bottled beer for gifts are also available. Go for the beer but also for the novelty value because this is the smallest pub in Britain!

Tel: 01372 462 334

Mob: 07802 316 389

Twitter @SmallestPubinUK

This review was originally published in Essence Magazine in February 2016

 

 

Tante Marie Restaurant

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For the well-heeled young in post war Britain who weren’t suited to academic life it was often a choice (for young ladies in particular) of learning secretarial or cooking skills. On the cooking front selection usually came down to two venues in England, the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London or the Tante Marie Culinary Academy in Woking. Nowadays Leith’s and other great colleges have joined the party and there are a wealth of courses to choose from. Recently Tante Marie’s move to a new purpose built venue means they are topping the leader board again. The academy (the first of its kind in the UK) is famous for its professional chef courses, celebrity graduates as the incredible skill set that students leave the school with unlocks many doors into the foodie world. Being part of the local community is also high on the agenda for Tante Marie Management and with a new restaurant and plethora of short courses open to the public they are gaining loyal following. Want to do a season cooking in a ski chalet or luxury yacht then this could be your passport too.

tante-marie-interior-

Tante Marie has changed ownership three times since opening in 1954 under the tutelage of cookery writer Irish Syrett who died in 1964. Today former chef and deputy principal Andrew Maxwell and Gordon Ramsay Holdings own the academy. With a new lease of life and investment the school moved from an old red brick Victorian building to a new purpose built site in central Woking in 2015. In addition to the culinary academy there is also a modern European restaurant, staffed by graduates of the Cordon Bleu Diploma. Here they work for one year to gain a Level 5 Diploma in Culinary and Hospitality Management. I have dined here twice now and have been impressed by the delightful service, innovative and professionally dispatched menu. The attention to detail in the food and service is faultless as overseen by tutor manager Marco Di-Michele.

amuse bouche trio

The restaurant food is fresh, seasonal, locally sourced where possible, skilfully prepared and presented. To give staff the full range of food service skills, Amuse-bouche accompanies menu selections as does hand made bread (orange and thyme or caraway last visit). Appetising nibbles on offer include smoked mackerel pate on melba toast or shot glasses of leek and potato soup with truffle oil.

starters-trio

Starters on the seasonal menu may include scallops and black pudding (£10.50) or crab rarebit (£7.25). For mains we chose beef fillet anchovy butter served with creamy mash (£19.95) and pan-fried sea bass (£15.95). The fish was served on a bed of pearl barley risotto intensely green from the addition of baby spinach with contrast in taste and texture of spicy chorizo.

tante-marie-mains

Both dishes arrived swiftly from the kitchen on stylish hot plates and were cooked and seasoned faultlessly. Desserts (£6.50) included pear and frangipane tart with clotted cream (light and buttery) and a rhubarb fool with hand made biscuits. The food is so good here it’s hard to believe the staff are all new graduates.

desserts_tante_marie

 

Well run and managed; the space is modern, clean and comfortable. Wine is reasonably priced (starting at £20 per bottle) and offered by the glass too. It was good to see local gin Silent Pool on offer here and some English wines. We started with a glass of Prosecco each at £7 each.

Located centrally in Woking in a newly regenerated area Tante Marie and other newcomers have really started to put Woking on the map as a foodie destination. This is in part due to incentives from the council to make this a reality.

With so many gastro pubs churning out the same predictable menus its refreshing to to find a menu that really is a bit different!

Tante Marie Culinary Academy
57-61 Commercial Way, Woking GU21 6HN

01483 726957

www.tantemarie.co.uk

I was invited by Woking Shopping’s PR company to review this restaurant. Having already been once I was keen to return. The food and standard of service was as good as it was on my first visit. I am looking forward to doing one of their 1 day cookery courses on Indonesian food in late May.

Tea

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56 High Road, Reigate, RH2 9ATcarolynne migh tea

The upside: One of the most interesting loose-leaf tea menus in Surrey!

The downside: Closed on Sundays

The flipside: A lovely independent selling a menu that embraces single blend teas with locally produced food

This café is as its name suggests is all about tea. Carolynne Farrer (a former HR specialist) always dreamed of owning her own tea business. Made redundant a few years ago she chatted with her sister about her idea. Convinced she was all talk her sister remarked that she would never actually do it. This was the challenge that Carolynne needed and TEA is now 1 year old.

Located in historical Reigate, on the High Road the interior has been playfully created to give a vintage retro feel. The counter is painted red and decorated with old knitting patterns. These are so evocative to me of childhood especially if you had a knitting crazy granny like me.

Tea Reigate kintting patterns

Here you will find that all aspects of the small but delightful menu have been carefully devised. The kitchen is very small so the menu reflects this. Tea (some organic) Organic coffee (from Beanberry) and proper hot chocolate dominate the drinks menu. On the food side its doorstop sandwiches featuring local cheeses. High Weald for Sister Sarah goats cheese and Sussex Charmer from Bookhams are just 2 examples.

Tea is the specialty here so I chose a pot of Chinese Jasmine Silver Needle. All teas are loose-leaf and placed intotea at migh tea an unbleached filter to brew. Each variety needs different times to infuse so are served with a timer and brew time advice. You can find a full description of all the teas on the website but staff here are keen to share their knowledge and discuss options. Tea comes from an independent tea merchant in Winchester who share their knowledge and passion for this unique drink with Carolynne. The tea menu is divided into normal (£2), special (£2.50) and superior (£3.75) for a generous pot. My tea was deliciously aromatic and soothingly smooth to drink.

To eat I selected a Welsh Rarebit made with one of my favourite cheeses Sussex Charmer (£3.75). The cheese here is combined with herb mustard and Worcester sauce and was deliciously satisfying. Bread is from the Chalet Bakery an independent business in Tadworth. My companion Sarah from ‘Little Spice’ had a doorstep sandwich with Sister Sarah goats cheese. This was served with a salad garnish and vegetable crisps (£5.25). The sandwich menu changes weekly featuring local produced ingredients. Other menu items include home-made soup (changing daily) with bread (£4.75) or a Ploughmans served with pickles, local fruit chutney and oatcakes (£6.75). Generous portions make this a value for money destination too!

food trio sandwiches

tea timer_migh tea

To finish Sarah chose a pot of Organic coffee and a rich chocolate brownie. So although this is a tea room coffee drinkers won’t be disappointed served in a cafetiere (my favourite style) as Carolynne didn’t want the aroma of coffee to dominate the venue. With coffee you get to choose your roast too! I had a slice of gluten free orange and polenta cake. It was rich, moist and intensely orangey. Made by a local baker the cakes change during the week and are displayed tantalisingly under glass cake stands (£2-£3.50) .

cake trio

If you like me get mightily fed up with predictable high street chains, Tea in Reigate will give you a refreshingly different experience.board outside shopFresh locally produced food, fabulous tea menu and lovely people, it is well worth a visit.

www.migh-tea.com

For high tea reservations call 01737246251

Thanks to Sarah from ‘Little Spice’ for introducing me to this great tea-house!

Simply Scones Tea Room & Walled Garden Shop

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The Grange Centre, Rectory Lane, Great Bookham, Leatherhead, Surrey KT23 4DZ

Cream teas, yummy fudge and home grown produce for sale!

The upside: A changing menu of innovative scones and proper pots of tea!

The downside: The tea-room is only open on Tuesdays.

The flipside: Having tea here is a real treat with the added bonus of visiting the Walled Garden Shop too!

Sitting in an ornate Victorian conservatory sipping fresh brewed tea accompanied by a freshly baked scone, home-made berry jam from the garden with a dollop of fresh cream is my idea of work. Even the freak hail storm rattling onto the glass roof couldn’t dampen the feel good aura of the afternoon. It was pure chance that I was introduced to this tea room and confirms the ethos of my blog that some of the best places to eat out in Surrey are hidden away and definitely not on the high street!

Going to an annual social media event in Guildford each year to update my skill set is also a great networking opportunity. This year was no exception as it was here that I met the Grange marketing manager Gill Caldwell who thought I might be interested in how food education is used to help residents at her workplace learn valuable life skills. Open to the public for just one afternoon a week she invited me to ‘Simply Scones’ a pop-up tea room set up and run by residents with disabilities. Under the guidance of support staff, residents learn a range of food service and productions skills. So here everything is made fresh on the day apart from the jam! However this is made with fruit grown in their acre walled garden which also houses a shop. In season you can buy fruit, vegetables, garden plants and even their own honey. Running these enterprises provides much needed confidence-building and self-esteem raising experiences. In turn this enables for many, future employment opportunities.

grange flowers and produce

During tea I learnt more about The Grange and its fascinating story. Set up in 1927 by a pioneer of training provision for the disabled Julia Sweet (originally for nurses injured during the first world war to continue to earn a living) as the School of Stitchery and Lace in Leicestershire. The charity moved to its current home in Bookham in 1938. While needlework and crafts skills are taught here the charity has modernised and developed into an educational centre for men and women living with disabilities. Whilst the activities of the original charity has a more contemporary outlook the philosophy and aims of providing vocational training is very much in tact.

A social enterprise that uses food production as part of its curriculum is such a brilliant concept. All you have to do is book a delicious home-made cream tea in their weekly pop-up tea room, buy home-made fudge online or visit their walled garden shop for home-grown produce and garden plants. By default you will also be supporting the work of this community and provide much needed footfall and experience in customer relations.

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Getting back to the cream tea (regardless of the venue) this menu can hold its own. Fresh and delicious from steaming pots of tea to light oven warm scones the eating experience is faultless. The scones change regularly as innovative new recipes such as New York Cheesecake and even gluten free lemon and sultana scones (to order) are available. Popular recipes are even published on their blog for you to reproduce at home. Slices of fresh baked cake are also on sale such as coffee and walnut and classic Victoria Sandwich (tea and cake or scone £3.50). In addition to the food the service is friendly and welcoming and it’s just a pleasure to support such a great project.

SIMPLY SCONES COLLAGE

A few weeks after my visit for tea I returned to visit the walled garden. By now the first crops of lovingly tended fruits and vegetables were winging their way into the shop to be sold to the public. As well as being used in the kitchens of the Grange for on site meals and being sold to residents who self-cater excess produce is up for sale. I bought a bag of red-currants, a few courgettes and some freshly dug spuds.

grage flowers

This was just a glimpse of what they grow in the gardens here but of course it’s seasonal. I had just missed the blackcurrants and first show of raspberries and the green beans and sweet corn weren’t quite ready to harvest. Luckily Gill posts a list of produce on the website each day to let customers know what will be in stock. Last time I looked Swiss chard, runner beans and carrots were being harvested.

Grange collage

In addition to horticulture and running the tea-room there is an online fudge business and a craft shop selling handicrafts such as tea cosies in shop price listtheir gift shop in Dorking. For a full description of what the Grange has to offer make sure you visit their website. To visit for tea on a Tuesday afternoon bookings must be made in advance. The walled garden shop is open every day during the week for produce and plants.

Book for Simply Scones 01372 452608

Walled Garden Shop (check the website for produce for sale prior to visiting)

www.grangecentre.org.uk