Tag / Pub food

by Stuart Mills

Meat Wagon at the Rye

Having missed out on the legendary Meat Wagon when it was at its original home in New Cross I decided I must sample it when I discovered they had set up a kitchen down the road at one of my locals, The Rye on Peckham Rye Common, and find out whether the rumours were true and whether it is the best and meatiest burger around.

The Rye itself had a very relaxed atmosphere and on entering we were greeted by friendly staff at the small bar. The décor was certainly going for the ‘shabby chic’ look with purposeful distressed wallpaper on the walls and rubbed down paint surfaces on the bar and floor. There was a mixture of styles with the table and chairs, which were quite crammed together but this gave it an intimate feel. There is a massive beer garden at the back, had it not been a cold day we would have been out there but the roaring fire inside was more appealing.

I thought I should try a local ale and was instantly attracted to one called the Beaver. The bartender was kind enough to let me sample some and I was sold on it straight away. It definitely had a fruity flavour to it, which is probably why I was a fan. I should probably comment here that I am not an experienced ale drinker just like the occasional dabble. I discovered that this beer was brewed locally in one of their sister pubs The Florence, in Herne Hill. It was described on the pump as ‘fresh, floral, slightly spicy and a little satsumery,’ it was certainly refreshing and was a good accompaniment to wash down the burger.

I was not very adventurous in my choice of burger. I went for the bacon cheeseburger and my boyfriend went for the ‘Dead Hippie,’ which is apparently their take on the ‘Big Mac.’ I have to admit I was a bit feeble in that I ate it with a knife and fork but I wanted to sample every layer together. The meat was thick and tender and cooked perfectly for me being red in the middle. It crumbled and melted in the mouth. The cheese was properly melted to the burger. I did struggle though to taste the bacon. My boyfriend seemed to enjoy his ‘Dead Hippie,’ as it was quickly demolished, although apparently it was not as good as the original ‘Big Mac’ (I hope he was joking).

We ordered chips and coleslaw on the side. The chips were just the way I like them, thin and crispy and were a generous portion, unlike in other Burger joints. The coleslaw was delicious and was crunchy and mustardy.

Overall was definitely one of the best burgers I have had and lived up to the hype. It was all served in a white metal plates with blue rim, which made the experience more primal as burger eating should be, rather than delivered as a gourmet dish. The Rye’s vibe seems to be the perfect location for this food ethic to be housed.

By @immyshephard

 

 

by Stuart Mills

Long live the gastropub – and to hell with the Good Food Guide snobs

The G-word has been banned from the foodies’ bible The Good Food Guide. What a disgrace.

How very high-handed of The Good Food Guide, the foodies’ bible, to systematically remove the word “gastropub” from its pages. The G-word has been banned altogether from the 2012 edition of the guide, thrown into the outer darkness like a bruised plum or iffy oyster.

Why this Stalinist act of censorship, depriving readers of a useful term to which they have become accustomed? Because, according to the guide’s consultant editor Elizabeth Carter, gastropubs were a 1990s fad that has passed its sell-by date. “I think customers are getting bored with it.”

Really? Some customers may indeed have got bored with the gastropub craze, and not entirely without cause. Far too many pubs have awarded themselves the gastro prefix, hiked their prices, tarted up their menus, but not actually raised their game in the kitchen. If I had a fiver for every rocket salad I have been served in establishments that should have stuck to honest-to-God baked beans and chips…

To read more click here.

 

by Stuart Mills

Top gastropubs with Michelin stars

Ten gastropubs in Britain hold the honour of having been awarded with Michelin stars. Why not treat yourself this weekend by visiting one of our top five.

Masons Arms, Knowstone, Devon

Gaining a Michelin star in 2006, head chef Mark Dodson has created his own take on classic French and British dishes. The menu includes gaspachio with basil sorbet, roulade of Pork Belly with braised red cabbage & apple compote and aniseed parfait. You can enjoy the varied and adventurous food with one of their many international wines either in the restaurant or on the terrace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stagg Inn, Titley, Herefordshire

This was the first gastropub to win a Michelin star in 2001. Enjoy hearty and honest dining in the bar or restaurant whilst admiring the views of the Herefordshire countryside. The current menu includes seared scallops on cauliflower puree with cumin, cod fillet with samphire and a delicious-sounding vanilla cheesecake with baked peaches and amaretto ice cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nut Tree Inn, Murcott, Oxfordshire

Bought in 2006 by Mike North, by 2009 the Nut Tree Inn was awarded a Michelin star. Set in a 15th century thatched building the menu is made up of exceptional modern British cuisine including pave of smoked Orkney salmon, Oxfordshire beef and Scottish halibut. Wash down your meal with one of their selection of real ales or fine wines.

 

 

 

 

 

Hand and Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire

With a warm and welcoming atmosphere it is not surprising that the Hand and Flowers won it’s first Michelin star within a year of opening. The menu is a combination of British flavours and rustic French dishes including parsley soup with smoked eel, breast of poached chicken with pistachio crumble and english blueberry souffle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harwood Arms, Fulham, London

This is the only pub in London to receive a Michelin star, which was awarded in 2010. The Harwood Arms brings a rural charm to the centre of London with a menu comprised of British produce including Berkshire wood pigeon, braised english Longhorn veal and roast Aylesbury duck. It also boasts an extensive wine list and the finest British Ales and Bitters at the bar.

by Stuart Mills

Duke of Cumberland Arms named Pub of the Year in the Good Food Guide

The Duke of Cumberland Arms in Henley, West Sussex, has been named Pub of the Year in the Good Food Guide 2012 Editor’s Choice Awards.

Goodman: head chef at the Duke of Cumberland Arms in Henley, West Sussex 

Simon Goodman, head chef/patron of the freehold, was named Pub Chef of the Year in the PMA’s Great British Pub Food Awards 2010.

“I was very, very impressed with the pub from the time of booking,” said guide editor Elizabeth Carter.

“It is not formal, a nice, friendly pub with efficient, friendly staff and a can-do attitude. It does very, very good food without veering off into the realms of fancy restaurant whips and foams.”I would encourage other publicans to go there and see how its done.”

To read on click here.

by Stuart Mills

The great British pub goes posh

Marco Pierre White has turned posh publican. And he’s not the only one. Here’s a round-up of the UK’s the boutique boozers to book now

Two dozen pubs close down in Britain every week and Marco Pierre White thinks he knows why — lager. The chef is convinced that the favoured tipple of the late-night lout, which you can get any old where, including the supermarket, is behind the downfall of an institution.

That’s why you won’t see a Foster’s or Stella badge on the bar at White’s new pub, the Pear Tree Inn in Whitley, near Melksham, Wiltshire, a wisteria-clad country inn where the grass grows faster than most of the locals speak.

To read more click here.