FOOD & DRINK
THE OLIVE BRANCH GREAT BRITISH TASTING MENU
Nicholas Rudd-Jones was invited to the trial night of the Olive Branch’s newly introduced six-course tasting menu
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ean Hope and his team invited a lucky group of Olive Branch aficionados along to try out their new tasting menu, inspired by the wish to experiment with new flavours and textures and push further the boundaries of the kitchen’s cooking skills. We met in the Barn, a delightful private room alongside the main restaurant area that can seat up to 20, ideal for parties, celebrations and meetings, and chatted over a rhubarb cocktail (with a choice of non-alcoholic or alcoholic) before the meal. What followed was a gastronomic sensation. We kicked off with Olive Branch crab cake, with mango and mint salsa and a vanilla bisque, that worked exceptionally well with the shellfish; then cold pressed salt beef with bone marrow and a ‘deconstructed’ Waldorf salad, which as well as being delicious added great visual interest to the plate; then hot smoked salmon, with carpaccio of beetroot and horseradish, using three types of beetroot – the familiar deep red, a golden and a crisped one. Then we moved on to the course many voted their favourite – a chicken & leek pie with Chantenay carrot purée and roast shallot. As Sean modestly said when he introduced this dish, great quality ingredients are the key to the end result, and the chicken was stand out for its flavour, in a delicious sauce with a hint of sherry and tarragon. Wherever possible, Sean
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has sourced his ingredients locally, and the chicken is from Fosse Meadows near Lutterworth. And then we moved on to savoury, with an ingenious cheese and ham toastie accompanied by a prune purée (a personal favourite); and then to finish everyone’s favourite, a truly yummy dessert – passion fruit & raspberry Eton Mess with White Chocolate Mousse. That was quickly demolished, and by the end of the meal I felt replete but not over-full and I had experienced a taste and texture sensation in every course. The tasting menu is terrific value at £45, or £65 if you have the accompanying drinks, which naturally we did. The wine for each course is designed to complement the dish, and we found much to like in the selection, especially the Devil’s Corner 2008 Riesling from the Tamar Valley in Tasmania which accompanied the salmon course. Two of the courses are accompanied by beers, my favourite being the Innis & Gunn Original, brewed in whisky kegs in Scotland, which we had with the savoury course – rich and delicious. The tasting menu is now available throughout the week in the Barn for between 10 and 20 people, and we heartily recommend it. In the coming weeks many of the dishes will also be available on the pub menu. • The Olive Branch Pub, Main Street, Clipsham, LE15 7SH tel: 01780 410355 www.theolivebranchpub.com
NENE VALLEY LIVING JUNE 2012
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21/5/12 15:56:17