david goodfellow
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Well if anyone had said to me that I would be standing in a field with my long suffering wife, torch in hand , 10.30 at night, looking at Dexter rare breed cattle, I would have said "bullocks" or words to that effect.
I do have an interest though because I fancy keeping a few myself
The said Bullocks are part of Mike and Imogen North,s stock in trade, along with ten wee Gloucester old spot, Tamworth piglets that we did,n't have time to look at.
We shall be eating some of this produce on a return visit.
Mike's dad is a butcher and Mike's not bad himself much preferring to butcher the carcase himself.
Well, this is perhaps the ideal local if you like a drink and a great social life, especially if your a bloke.
The place was fully booked for dinner and a very happy group of locals were at the bar making merryment.
Again generosity in the form of leftovers from evening service was freely distributed amongst the locals.
Imogen stressed that this is first and foremost a pub, not a fine dining restaurant, and that is perhaps why we like it so much.
Lest I forget, if you travel from afar, if you sat nav it, as we did from Oxford, it may get you on the M40, beware, Murcott lies either side of the motorway and has no turn off miles and miles.
We sat in the pub proper although there is a conservatory also, which looked great, or you can of course dine outside.
To start with, an amuse of Pea puree with foamy top tickled the taste buds, then,
Ballotine of Landes Foie Gras, toasted brioche, rhubarb compote, was a little bit of luxury to follow.
Bread was Walnut and Date ( I made some yesterday
) Olive, wholemeal, and white, freshly made of course.French butter, beurre cru a la Barratte bros was excellent.
Scallops, (diver caught) with a lemon curd dressing, fennel salad, olive dressing, and a sprinkling of coriander leaves hit the spot, but guess the lemon curd might not appeal to every one.
Open roasted vegetable tart with goats cheese and red pepper, and aubergine puree went down well, as the meal gathered pace.
Pave' of Nut tree smoked Salmon, jersey royals, peas, and Rectory Farm asparagus was a highlight as the salmon was exceptional, wonderful flavor, if slightly over salted,
Mike is reported to use an old fridge with an ill fitting door to " smoke in".
Slow roasted " home grown " shoulder of Pork, potato puree, fricasse of wild mushrooms, and apple gravy was also a must eat, I could eat another plateful, now
Poached Rhubarb, with a quenelle of rhubarb sorbet was ok,
Hot lime and coconut souffle with mango sorbet was better, as was the,
Bitter chocolate tart, with golden raisin and rum ice cream.
Surprisingly light , this tart had a soft heart much to my delight.
We skipped coffee as were not really" coffee people", truth be told, besides we wanted to look at the Dexters and had a two and a half hour drive home, dedication eh ?
Had a chat with Mike after service about the merits of keeping Dexters and other foodie things of course, whilst Imogen chatted in between keeping the hearty drinkers at the bar topped up.
Now then if you stumbled on this place, or were one of the lucky locals (pinch yourself) you would fall in love with it straight away, its got the lot, we will be returning pretty soon, but next time will have an overnight stay to have a drink or three with the locals
2 x Menu Surprise £80
7 Glasses of Various Wines £25
Tap water FOC
Total £105 + tip
Fantastic value
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Well, its three months since I started this thread and I was beginning to worry as to when, if ever, that we would get around to trying it ourselves.
Eventually by linking lunch with another dinner, somewhat locally, (report soon) we finally made it.
Its been a handfull of years since our last visit to Henley, it always coincided with our yearly visit to Royal Ascot and strange though it may seem, it was ladies day at Ascot when we dined here, which perhaps explains why they were not full.
The low ceiling pub is quite appealing and somewhat homely, the mirrored bar with its array of good beers made my mouth water.
The focus of attention was of course the food, especially the two courses for a tenner, or as in our case three courses for thirteen fifty.
This was the menu.
Onion Risotto.
Nicoise Salad.
Slow Braised shoulder of Lamb, pea and mint broth.
Hand and Flowers Lasagne.
Chocolate Tart with malted milk ice cream.
Rum Baba with coconut sorbet.
Lemon Posset with Pistachio biscotti.
Note the three choices for dessert, must be a few sweet tooths in Marlow
Tasty little Whitebait on a wooden platter were served with a Marie Rose dipping sauce to get the taste buds going, nice touch this.
We would have liked, to try the Niciose salad however two days prior to our visit, we dream't of the Promenade des Anglaise as we devoured our own version, so it was not to be.
We both had the Risotto, which was spot on, just a bit of bite, not too gloopy, topped off with a deep fried onion ring and clove of garlic, borage flowers added a flourish of extra colour.
We did'n't fancy being whisked off to Italy with the Lasagne, as the thought of Lamb, frolicking in the local fields appealled a lot more.
The slice of shoulder was very tasty indeed, sitting in a lake of tasty jus,
Peas are bang in season now, and the small dice of potato, peas, the tiniest mange tout I have ever witnessed, and a veritable forest of pea shoots sitting atop, was summer on a plate.
I had the Rum Baba, which did have a glug of rum in it, the Coconut sorbet was quite tasty, decorated with a sliver of vanilla pod.
Mrs G enjoyed her Posset, although in fairness she's not a pud sort of person, preferring, savoury by far.
There is a wine offer on at lunch, typically one bottle of white, and one of red.
We opted for a bottle of Rey Viejo Tinto, from Spain.
Service was well informed and relaxingly friendly, our waitress, Katie, is a bit of a foodie, just starting out on her many travels.
We took a look at the accomodation before we left, and good it was indeed, especially as they have (are?) reduced the rates.
I'm really pleased that we finally dined here, especially so given the pricing, its cheap as chips for a quality product, one small concern, however was the bread, which was very chewy, and frankly hard work.
I'm sure that this was a one off
if not guys please take it constructively.A return visit is in order to eat from the Carte although I can't say when, perhaps sooner than later
Long may they be busy.
2 x set menu 3 courses £27
1 x Wine offer £14
Thames Water FOC
Total £41
As a footnote popped into The Compleat Angler to take a look at Aubergine and get a sample menu for another time.
Heard a bit of gossip that the FD is busy recruiting quality staff for a new venue?
Forgot to mention that no service charge is levied, however I did tip as appropriate for excellent service.
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Sadly I won't be one of the three hundred ? or so guests at the opening this Saturday, even though I feel that I have a vested interest, its just too far away.
I'm really looking forward to the first reviews posted here, may it all go well.
Here's a bit of a progress report
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wor...at-follas-staff
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Well, its three months since I started this thread and I was beginning to worry as to when, if ever, that we would get around to trying it ourselves.
Eventually by linking lunch with another dinner, somewhat locally, (report soon) we finally made it.
Its been a handfull of years since our last visit to Henley, it always coincided with our yearly visit to Royal Ascot and strange though it may seem, it was ladies day at Ascot when we dined here, which perhaps explains why they were not full.
The low ceiling pub is quite appealing and somewhat homely, the mirrored bar with its array of good beers made my mouth water.
The focus of attention was of course the food, especially the two courses for a tenner, or as in our case three courses for thirteen fifty.
This was the menu.
Onion Risotto.
Nicoise Salad.
Slow Braised shoulder of Lamb, pea and mint broth.
Hand and Flowers Lasagne.
Chocolate Tart with malted milk ice cream.
Rum Baba with coconut sorbet.
Lemon Posset with Pistachio biscotti.
Note the three choices for dessert, must be a few sweet tooths in Marlow
Tasty little Whitebait on a wooden platter were served with a Marie Rose dipping sauce to get the taste buds going, nice touch this.
We would have liked, to try the Niciose salad however two days prior to our visit, we dream't of the Promenade des Anglaise as we devoured our own version, so it was not to be.
We both had the Risotto, which was spot on, just a bit of bite, not too gloopy, topped off with a deep fried onion ring and clove of garlic, borage flowers added a flourish of extra colour.
We did'n't fancy being whisked off to Italy with the Lasagne, as the thought of Lamb, frolicking in the local fields appealled a lot more.
The slice of shoulder was very tasty indeed, sitting in a lake of tasty jus,
Peas are bang in season now, and the small dice of potato, peas, the tiniest mange tout I have ever witnessed, and a veritable forest of pea shoots sitting atop, was summer on a plate.
I had the Rum Baba, which did have a glug of rum in it, the Coconut sorbet was quite tasty, decorated with a sliver of vanilla pod.
Mrs G enjoyed her Posset, although in fairness she's not a pud sort of person, preferring, savoury by far.
There is a wine offer on at lunch, typically one bottle of white, and one of red.
We opted for a bottle of Rey Viejo Tinto, from Spain.
Service was well informed and relaxingly friendly, our waitress, Katie, is a bit of a foodie, just starting out on her many travels.
We took a look at the accomodation before we left, and good it was indeed, especially as they have (are?) reduced the rates.
I'm really pleased that we finally dined here, especially so given the pricing, its cheap as chips for a quality product, one small concern, however was the bread, which was very chewy, and frankly hard work.
I'm sure that this was a one off
if not guys please take it constructively.A return visit is in order to eat from the Carte although I can't say when, perhaps sooner than later
Long may they be busy.
2 x set menu 3 courses £27
1 x Wine offer £14
Thames Water FOC
Total £41
As a footnote popped into The Compleat Angler to take a look at Aubergine and get a sample menu for another time.
Heard a bit of gossip that the FD is busy recruiting quality staff for a new venue?
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I had a wonderful father's day meal here last night - no not for me but for my father-in-law, obviously the wife and MIL came too. Now i've been umming and ahhing about whether to take them to Purnells or Simpsons or any other of the Michelin starred fine dining restaurants we have here in Brum. But being that my FIL's name is Edmund, the choice was obvious! He could tell his buddies back in Hong Kong all about it. Plus he's never had that British "fine dining experience" before and the menu here at Edmunds seemed more conventional than at Purnells, which would have been my other choice for him. Anyway both my in-laws loved it as did my wife and i. Service and environs was excellent. The food was good, stand out dishes were the Courgette Flower Fritter, Sucking Pig and Rosewater Crème Brulée.
I took far too many photos to upload onto here but please have look at my Picasa album if you're interested in this excellent restaurant, highly recommended.
What's happened with the photies?
Just wanted to jog my memory on our excellent meal.
Tis very good, eh
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Had a very pleasant meal here last night.
The menu surprise has to be one, if not the best value in the land. £40 bought us eight courses of wonderful food from new Michelin star Mike North.
Mike was also one of the youngest Michelin starred chefs ever aged 25, at The Goose, Britwell Salome before setting up here with his vivacious wife Imogen.
The pub is a picture perfect example of Cotswold charm, set amongst some of the most scenic countryside you can imagine.
I almost forgot the table d' hote at lunch and dinner at £18, quite stunning value, for the quality.
Will write it up when I have a bit more time
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For those among us with a sweet tooth, get your Chelsea tractors down to SW3 early next year for a big sugar hit.
In the meantime salivate over the thought of perfect patisserie presumably now available at Marcus Wareing's, and The Langham
http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009...-to-the-uk.html
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Totally agree on the bread issue, most especially as you are clearly spenders both on the food and drink.
Our recent meals have been full of generosity which clearly pays dividends in the goodwill department.
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I'm really miffed The Sportsman is so far away.
Every county should have one, at least to my mind. Still we can dream ,eh.
For me this journey (by car) apart from Edinburgh, is the farthest we have travelled, and perhaps arguably had one of our best meals.
I sat navved the route and relaxed back and followed "Audrey's" haughty instructions until we reached Faversham Road.
At the junction thankfully SeaSalter was signed left, as we had no number to put into the system.
The approach to The Sportsman is quite surreal, with its quaint, rundown , weather beaten houses.
Its extremely romantic in a childlike way.
In your wildest dreams, you could not imagine a temple of gastronomy would await you at the end of the road.
Everything inside is stripped pine, oak, wooden floors, and laid back nice.
Don't expect table cloths, or side plates, basically, what you see, is what you get, rustic in other words, very Frenchy in a way.
We hummed and hawed about the tasting menu, and came to the conclusion that we should plump for the carte ( blackboard) especially as we really fancied some of the choices, rather than a surprise.
I confirmed that Stephen was in the kitchen, when I made the booking, and indeed he phoned me back to confirm the same.
He came out of the kitchen to greet us and we immediately relaxed into what was an amazing journey.
First the bread,
Stephen's favourite, Sourdough, yes fantastic,
Our favourite, Red onion and rosemary focaccia, a stunning, oozing olive oil coated triumph, beautifully crisped outside, and the right amount of chewiness on the in.
The other was malted? which was fine.
Of course we had the home churned butter, topped with home made salt. Delish.
The adventure had well and truly begun.
This is what followed.
Pork scratchings, grain mustard, breaded herring?
Rock Oysters with home made chorizo
Grilled slip sole
Seared thornback ray, cockles, sherry vinegar.
Bresaola home cured with wine and spices.
Monkshill farm Lamb with mint sauce
Monkshill farm Pork with apple sauce
Elderflower lolly, posset, fritter.
What a revelation,
Keep it simple!
Keep it true!
Taste is all!.
The scratchings were great, home made, of course, brought to the table by the man himself, with a description as to provenance. Loved the grain mustard.
The oysters, Well what can I say?
They were truly superb, no other way to describe, fresh as a daisy, we could have eaten these till we popped!
Bresaola was tasty although I don't have a real comparison to make.
Slip Sole, simply grilled, loads of butter, topped with chives, wonderful.
The Ray was slightly crisped to add an extra bite to it,sitting atop some good asparagus,lots of butter and more than decent cockles.
The Lamb was a baby, milk fed, served as the leg and shoulder,served with good mash and tasty jus, the little pot of mint sauce, did its job.
Pork, again with mash and shredded cabbage,was extremely more-ish, nice apple sauce.
We were on a savoury quest so one dessert was fine, however, and my only very small pick was that it was tiny, especially given the previous generosity.
The elderflowers were picked from the hedgerow, and according to our server, elderflowers have been in bloom for weeks here, whilst ours are just bursting forth.
Had a good chat to Stephen afterwards, as we looked out to the kitchen garden, with its work in progress pathways of oyster an scallop shells.
He is in Paris right now enjoying a few days off sampling a few three star places, and perhaps a couple of lesser, he deserves it.
Don't worry the place is still open, but don't expect the tasting menu, its his baby,and when(very rarely) he's not their,its not served.
Incidently if thats what you order, he cooks it and serves it, with a detailed description. All part of the special appeal of this place.
Well to sum up,
I'm a bit sad that its not closer, and for me a big part of the draw would be the fact that you can dine like a Prince or a Pauper, there's something for everyone.
The bread alone with any of the starters is a wonderful meal, add a pint of ale or a glass(or two) of wine and bingo its party time
I can not think anyone would tire of eating here.
As touched on before the value for quality is terrific, that really gets to my heart.
We were given a doggy bag of the bread, a big hunk of pleasure as a fond gesture of goodwill, must not forget the butter also.
The journey back was painfully slow, soothed by the lingering thoughts of the meal, and of course, the thought of that fantastic bread when we arrived home.
Truly special!
Meal for two including ample wine, a couple campari and sodas, service
£110.
Food Miles 457
Food smiles
I know that I will remember other stuff as the day progresses, however, please remember to pack some sensible shoes for a wonderful walk along the beach
Happy Days.
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That very late slot "stunt" was pulled on me, not here but at Corrigans.
Strange though it may seem I accepted the 10pm booking but had it in my mind that it was really 8pm
So we turned up at 8 and guess what?
Half empty.
We were seated without fuss, and enjoyed the meal.
I dislike eating too late at night, its unnatural
Whats going on, how much business do these people lose?
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Couple of Michelin "cheapies" this week, if everything goes to plan.
One lunch, one dinner, both a bit of a treck away.
As always, really looking forward to it
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This thread badly needs an update (please).
There must be someone who's been recently?
Much appreciated, in anticipation.
I have tried many times, unsuccessfully, to get a reservation here over the past year. Due to their size and being in a similar situation, they must have a cut off point for taking bookings. I got the impression that they may be at the moment, restricting bookings from Thursday to Saturday? I can fully understand if thats the case.
I have visted Harry's on two occasions and really enjoy the unpretentious way they do things and I can identify with their idea's, running a similarish operation, all be it more modern in style.
The only real sticking point for me is the ultra stella prices that are in place. You are looking at nine pounds for a simple soup and thirty six pounds a piece for the two main course. From my visits, the meat and fish mains are served with the same salad garnish and the puddings are very, very simple affairs, which if Im totally honest do not warrant the price tag. Obviously, being in the same sort of territory, you can't help making price comparisons.
That said, I would most certainly recommend a visit. Its individual and totally different to the 'fashionable, foam on every thing restaurants' and the same old gastro pubs. Its a shame that there isn't more chefs and restaurants operating with a similar attitude in this country. Sadly, I reckon there will be a lot of folk out there who just woudn't get or understand restaurants like Harry's. For me the likes of Harry's and my own gaff, Artisan restaurant, Hessle, definately offer something that is a bit different from the norm. I can tell you, it takes a bit of nerve to buck the 'safe, everything for everyman' trend, especially up ere in't North!!
Thanks for the info.
May give it a try sometime, I'm curious as to why it seems to be so low key?
More to the point, in your reply, visited your website and what a glowing review from Mr Rayner
Big helpings also, gets my vote, maybe soon me thinks
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We seem to be seated next to conversations that intrigue and demand a bit of earwigging.
And so it was when we were seated next to a trio of ladies who lunch, which included one MD of Birmingham City FC.
Hoping to catch some snippet of big spend transfer info that I could pass on to avid fan and celeb chef Glyn Purnell (Aw Royt Chief)
I persevered whilst my wife drowned out the conversation with her take on the menu, decor, and the tiles in the toilet (unfilled travertine?)
Eventually, I realized that the most exiting thing about the city currently, is its dining scene.
Interestingly enough Michelin starred chef Andy Waters worked with Glyn(Purnells) and also with Luke Tipping (Simpsons), but I forgot to ask if he had ever worked with Richard Turner (Turners) another new Michelin starred restaurant added to Birminghams now very exciting dining scene.
Andy gained his star at the original Edmunds in Henley in Arden,and has somewhat been out of the spotlight for a few years.
Although the restaurant has been open since last June it slipped under our radar until recently.
Well, in a city of high quality, bargain dining, Edmunds is a stand out.
The De Jour menu which was the one we had , is outstanding value at £21 for three courses which includes coffee, petit fours and other freebie bits and bobs.
This is what we had.
Deep fried free range egg with pancetta, chorizo & black pudding.
Crab salad with watercress & smoked salmon.
Seared sea bass with red pepper salsa, basil, artichoke & goats cheese cream.
Corn fed breast of chicken, polenta mash, oven roasted tomatoes, courgettes & baby olives, infused with oregano.
Bramley apple tart tatin with calvados cream
Valhrona chocolate with raspberries, strawberries & kiwi fruit.
Coffee & petit fours.
To start the meal a tasty and varied assortment of amuse were served, some of which were on tasting spoons.
Next was the bread, a choice of three, epi, seeded, olive pistachio?
I forgot to ask if it was home baked, however it tasted as though it was, in other words, good.
All the courses were served on glass plates which showed the food off to its best, I had the egg black pudding/ chorizo followed by the Sea Bass, then the Valhrona chocolate.
The starter was much to my taste, big flavours and just what I fancied
Sea Bass was nice and fresh, lots more going on on the plate, plus we were each served a little saucepan of baby potatoes and fine beans which we really appreciated.
The puds were decent and not out of kilter with the rest of the meal.
Its good to see Bramley apple on a menu, never seem to see much of them today.
Mrs G enjoyed her chicken, and so did I when offered a taster, I could have easily polished it off myself.
Her Crab salad, salmon starter would be first choice for her as crab is one of her favourites. Pretty decent stuff.
Coffee was good and decent petit fours satisfied the sweet tooth.
Service was excellent, very relaxed and friendly, nothing too much trouble, just one slight glitch, I wish not to be served a slice of lemon in my Campari, it MUST always be orange.
Andy asked if we enjoyed ourselves as that is his priority, making sure everybody has an excellent experience, I think you can guess the reply.
We were bowled over by the genorosity and true quality, and we now have four terrific dining options not a huge driving distance from home.
I still can't get my head around the £21 price tag, please don't put it up
2 x De Jour Menu £42
2 x Campari and Soda £9
2 x Glass Norte £9.50
service charge £6.05
Severn Trent water FOC
Total £66.55
As a footnote, parking you car is a doddle, and literally a stones throw away from the restaurant, follow the parking signs.
Happy dining.
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Anybody got any info about William Drabble's next venture, never got around to eating his food yet.
http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009...-aubergine.html
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Not exclusively but mainly from Borough Market. My favourites are White Park, Dexter Steer or Red Poll from Northfield Farm or Longhorn from The Ginger Pig. The Dexter is normally hung for around 5 weeks but before it got too popular I managed to have a piece hung for 7 and it was fantastic. White Park and Red Poll hung for 6 - 7 weeks and The Longhorn for 7 weeks. I've noticed that beef tends not to be quite as good during the summer months, I wonder if this is to do with the weather conditions affecting the ageing?
Going to a Michelin starred place this week that rears its own Dexters, hope they have it on the menu.
Thanks for the heads up, keep meaning to give Northfield a try, will look at Ginger Pig also.
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Been trying to book the fat duck all morning for my birthday but after over an hour still not managed to get through!
I don't remember it being this bad last year when i tried, has anyone else had a similar problem?
I had to wait ages for my booking but not as long as that.
It was however on the first day of opening after the food scare
Still Alice in Wonderland is better than musak
Good luck.
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Following the review above I was invited back to eat on the house. This meal was better. Starters of Crab Mayo and Courgette flowers were good and steaks were decent enough (Rib-eye and Sirloin) though not as well flavoured as some breeds that have been hung for 8 weeks can be. Having said that I've never found steak in any restaurant as good as I can buy and cook myself
Service was efficient and charming and I was more than a little surprised to find that I didn't have to pay for my wine either which makes me wonder whether I should have ordered something more expensive or something a little cheaper
Incidentally it was still daylight outside and the room looks lovely, I imagine it would be very good for lunch.
That was very good of them.
In fact very, very good if the wine was compted as well
May give it a whirl.
Interested to know where you buy your steak from?
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One Label Rouge bird may not be the same as another. Label Rouge is not a breed or producer and could be any number of breeds of chicken or farmers that raise their birds to a certain standard.
(See here: Label Rouge Poultry)
I would still suggest Label Anglais are the best and most consistent if cooked carefully. I would also say the larger birds, around the 2kg mark are better than the 1.6kg birds.
Thanks for that.
Been doing a bit of research myself, and spoke to River Cottage about their chooks as Mr F-Whitingstall covered the subject in one of his TV programs when he taste tested about half a dozen different breeds, I can't be sure but I think the Dorking tasted best?
As it turns out they are supplied by http://www.sydling.co.uk/shop/ who raise a French table bird called a Sasso.
May give them a try
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This thread badly needs an update (please).
There must be someone who's been recently?
Much appreciated, in anticipation.
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Just looking for an update on a bit of," taste sensation" chicken.
Label Rouge sounds great, am in Brum reasonably regularly these days perhaps a journey to the market would be in order.
Any ideas on less than four birds as I'm not keen on freezing?
Which breed is best for flavour? Would consider raising a small flock alongside my ducks
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Couple of interesting reviews, well worth a read
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fo...w1-1701935.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fo...ey-1704014.html
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Kiwi Mat's place really taking shape now.
He's certainly getting a load of publicity and support.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wor...t?commentpage=1
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This is Zoe Williams take on the place, which prompted our visit
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/re...Birmingham.html
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Had a more than decent meal here midweek.
Michelin Starred Andy Waters is at the stoves doing an admirable job.
Will try to write it up very soon.
Roka London
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Dining
Posted
Nic Watt is a class act, seen him a few times on Saturday Kitchen and really like the look of his food, so Roka is down on my list, but when?
Wish I could give a report, but thanks for reminding me, I shall move it up my list a little
In the meantime if you fancy cooking some of his food, have a look at his recipes on Saturday Kitchen
http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/food/recipes...=27&submit.y=19