It may be tricky to find this pub on a map. But it’s well worth seeking out for a very decent lunch in stylish surroundings. See pages 8-11.
Welcome also to a new magazine serving up food news from in and around Herefordshire and Worcestershire
So, here we go. The very first edition of a magazine focusing on everything to do with local food.
Okay, so ‘local’ doesn’t mean a fat lot on the internet. I’m lucky to live on the border between Herefordshire and Worcestershire. So, those two foodie counties are the main focus of the magazine and website. As they’re so nearby, we also hope to drop into Gloucestershire and Shropshire from time to time.
Want to know what we think of our local eateries? Of course you do. Our first reviews start on page 8 and page 24. There are more reviews under the ‘Mains’ section of our website.
You’ll also find our ‘Rate the plate’ explainer on our site. Of course, all our reviews are just opinions. But, over time, you’ll get a good sense of what floats GSM’s culinary boat. Agree or otherwise, it’d be great to know your thoughts on our reviews. We’d also love to know where you’ve eaten locally that you’re keen to share.
Promoting the best of what’s on offer locally doesn’t mean GSM is all about Michelin-starred chefs and posh restaurants. We’re just as keen to feature top takeaways, super street food and fabulous food producers. Email us if you can recommend something really tasty you’d like us to try. You might see it featured in a future edition.
Send your stories to info@GetStuffedMagazine.com – with a photo if you have one. It doesn’t need to be a professional shot. We’re just as happy with sauce-splattered snaps taken on messy kitchen tables.
If you run a foodie business, get in touch with your news and/ or to advertise in the next edition.
It’ll be great to hear from you.
The Leafy Gent Editor, Get Stuffed Magazine
8-11
16 12
We wandered into the countryside to check out the Kilpeck Inn. Does it serve up the best Sunday pub grub in Herefordshire? Read our review on pages 8-11 and let us know if you know a better pubgrubber.
Slice of ice
Cool, creamy cornet anyone? Turn to page 12 for details of some of the nicest ices available across our four nearest counties.
And the beet goes on…
Slaw, raw and more. Beetroot is bang in season right now and is practically as versatile as spuds. It’s also full of good stuff. Former para-Olympian, David Weir, reportedly told Boris Johnson that he got his world-beating energy from beetroot juice. If it’s good enough to help win gold medals…
See how to transform these purple roots into lovely juicy burgers (and more) from page 16
RATE THE PLATE
Ready, veggie, brekkie…
If you’re looking for some plantbased fuel to kick-start your day, check out our review of Rise in Malvern from page 24.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…
Get Stuffed Magazine is so shiny and new we don’t yet have a pantry full of images to grab. So, we’ve harvested a couple from t’internet. Thanks to the following talented snappers for their great work, which can be found on Unsplash:
Pages 12-13 Courtney Cook
Page 18-19 Evangelina Silina Thanks to Molly from Rise for providing her own photos. And thanks to Jess at Ludlow Food Festival for the pics she sent in (p6-7)
All other photos, and every story, is by Get Stuffed Magazine
We’re also really grateful to the lovely Simon Hammond whose skills with InDesign helped him create the layout for this magazine. Check out Simon’s website to see more of his design dexterity.
And the good people of QBD gave the magazine somewhere to live. The web team were a joy to work with. Thank you one and all.
Now, let’s celebrate. Let’s Get Stuffed.
Take away all the noisy bits from the UK’s biggest music event and what are you left with? Exactly, a lovely, peaceful food festival. If you’re the sort of person who loves a picnic but can’t be bothered to faff about making stuff and lugging a heavy hamper into your car, food festivals are a no-brainer.
Like music festivals, the food variety take place in fields and parks and other outdoor spaces, so you can get a shot of vitamin D while you’re sauntering around the stalls. As you’d expect, there’s a sea of edibles on offer. Some of the bigger food events also have demos, so you may be able to pick up some new skills as you graze your way around. Between mouthfuls, you can also chat to friends and family at these really chilled events. For those who want to take relaxation to the next level, there’s usually some alcoholic beverages on offer. What’s not to like?
See what food events are taking place in and around Herefordshire and Worcestershire during the next few months. And keep tabs on our socials for updates from the foodfilled fields we visit this year.
27-28 July: Three Counties Showground, Malvern Threecountiesfoodfestival.com
This festival celebrates producers from Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. Visitors can enjoy live cookery theatre from special guest TV chefs and treat themselves to handmade crafts and homewares at the market stalls.
Also, look out for
JUNE
Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival
21-23 June
cheltenhamfooddrinkfestival. co.uk
Shrewsbury Food Festival
29-30 June
shrewsburyfoodfestival.co.uk
JULY
Great Malvern Food Festival
6-7 July
visitthemalverns.org/event /great-malvern-food-festival-2/
AUGUST
Gloucestershire
App-Fest
1-4 August
app-fest.co.uk
Hereford Indie Food Festival
23-26 August
Herefordindiefood.com
SEPTEMBER
Leominster Food Fayre
7 September
Leominsterfoodfayre.co.uk
Ludlow Food Festival
13-15 September
Ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk
Malvern Autumn Show
27-29 September
malvernautumn.co.uk
Hereford AppleFest
28 September – 13 October
Herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk
/Hereford-applefest
DECEMBER Kington Festival Food Fair
7 December
Kingtontourist.info
Take a look at a map of England. Focus on the bit on the left that leans against Wales. Now look for a place called Kilpeck.
Any luck?
Chances are, unless you know Herefordshire well, you’ll be searching for a while. Kilpeck is tiny. It’s near Bugger Hall. According to one site I looked at, fewer than 500 people live in the village.
That’s more than enough bums to fill the pews of St Mary and St
David, which, you can read on Wikipedia, is ‘one of the most perfect Norman churches in England’. But logic tells you that 500 people isn’t enough to keep afloat a pub that’s set up to serve 60 diners.
Which suggests that the Kilpeck Inn would struggle to survive at the best of times. But, with 750 UK pubs forecast to close in the first half of 2024 due to spiralling energy costs and business rates, according to the British Guild of Beer Writers, these are far from the best of times.
Owned by Jonathan Bull since he bought it in 2017, and led by award-winning chef Ross Williams, the Kilpeck Inn defies logic.
We were a bit contrite when we turned up for Sunday lunch. We were one fewer than the three we’d booked for because, just an hour before we set out to go there, my son decided he was ill. As it turns out, I’d be sick if I hadn’t gone.
The staff member who greeted us waved away my apology with a think-nothing-of-it smile. Which I thought was very nice of her. Especially as, having turned up minutes before our noon booking, we were the only customers in the whole place.
We were ushered through to a table near the back windows. Outside, beyond the carpark, was a sea of lush countryside. You probably wouldn’t call the inside swanky. But it was well-scrubbed, tasteful, inviting and calming. Pale plastered walls, with chamfered corners, contrasted with darker wainscotting. Tin jugs of fir-cone and berries looked like they’d been arranged by a florist. Chopped logs were sardined into a fireplace. Fresh daffodils brightened every table. Thoughtfulness was everywhere. There was even a blackboard with details of all the local suppliers that provided the kitchen’s fresh produce. They included baker Alex Gooch, a BBC Food and Farming Best Producer, whose bread can also be bought in Waitrose.
Presumably, Alex supplied the sourdough I started with. The toast was nicely crisp around the edges and, due to melted sage butter and wild mushrooms, soft centred. Alas, I couldn’t taste any sage. The chopped green shoots
sprinkled around my plate looked like chives. The mushrooms were tasty and perfectly seasoned.
I had Wye Valley asparagus and pea risotto as a main. My partner opted for a Sunday roast, sans meat.
Speckled with chopped chive, the risotto was as green as the pub’s surrounding scenery. I can’t often get excited about risotto, but this was excellent. The asparagus had just enough bite to it.
Chopped logs were sardined into a fireplace. Fresh daffodils brightened every table. Thoughtfulness was everywhere.
Having decided against the meat-infused gravy, my partner took one look at her plate of boiled potatoes, roast parsnip and Yorkshire pudding and immediately ordered another bottle of the Powys sparkling water. Thankfully, her parched plate was complemented by a dish of juicy cauliflower cheese and yet another of broccoli, red cabbage and smashed turnip. I thought my portion of risotto was generous: this was a level up again. Happy with how it tasted she couldn’t eat it all. I thought most of the veg was a smidge overcooked; though not nearly as nuked as found in most UK pubs, which seem hellbent on competing with nursing homes and prisons.
At this point, we thought if we eat any more, we’d have to give our chairs a little shove backwards, away from the table. But still, we were pretty sure we could manage one affogato between us. The espresso was as strong as a Herefordshire bull – right up my street. I stopped at a teaspoonful of ice cream. It was a bit vanilla for me, literally and metaphorically. Maybe I was a bit stuffed by this point. Having said that, the biscotti was lovely. I’ve had biscotti that are nothing short of a bloody good workout for your jaw. Admittedly, most of those little granite bars were made by me. But I’ve also had one or two
tough cookies in restaurants. It’s a bit disconcerting when you stop enjoying your meal as you wonder if you’re going to face a dental bill on top of your food bill. No fear of that here, though. This Italian biscuit was satisfyingly crunchy without you getting a dose of the dentist-sweats. Its texture wasn’t far away from the fat shortbread fingers I loved as a kid. Biscotti are usually made with almonds, but you could see this one was dotted with whole pistachios. You could also taste lemon. It was an excellent crumbly finish to a very good Sunday lunch.
We were charged for one threecourse meal and, because my
partner had a roast without meat, that was charged as a child’s course: £9. With a couple of bottles of sparkling water, the bill came to £42.80. With good, friendly service, a lovely setting, gorgeous interior – even the toilets were pristine – it all adds up to excellent value.
The Kilpeck Inn deserves its standing in the top 100 Best Local Restaurants in the Good Food Guide 2023. No wonder, by the time we left, all but one of the tables were filled and the bar area was bustling with what looked like half the village.
Go if you want to feel wellnourished, in every sense of the word. Don’t go if need a trendy theme with your food.
8/10
The veg could have had a touch more bite. I’d loved to have seen another veggie option as well as veggie gravy. But these are quibbles. Highly recommended overall.
Contact
The Kilpeck Inn. Kilpeck, Herefordshire. 01981 570 464
Kilpeckinn.com
Enjoy reading about the Kilpeck Inn? See the ‘Mains’ section of our website for more local restaurant reviews.
Stick a Flake in it… Find out who’s whipping up some of the coolest creams nearby as we head into the sunny months.
From amaretto to vintage mint, this Droitwich outfit has an ice cream flavour to delight virtually every tastebud. Churchfields’ milk comes from pedigree cows that roam fields at the Really Good Dairy, just down the road in Upton on Severn. Churchfields’ visitors can also buy fresh milk from its Old Barn café – see its site for opening times. Churchfields.farm
Made with fresh milk and cream from farms within its home county, this Telford ice-creamery offers flavours including Madagascan vanilla bean, roasted strawberry and rich Belgian chocolate. Good to know that Shropshire Ice Cream will ‘never add hydrogenated vegetable fats, chemical additives, fatty acids, mono- or diglycerides, stabilisers’ to their ices and sorbets. Which, according to the company’s website, results in delicious, quality ice cream’. We’ll lick to that!
Shropshireicecream.co.uk
From the foothills of the Welsh Black Mountains, Rowlestone makes ice cream that’s ‘from field to freezer in one day’ according to its website. Rowlestone ices are made on their farm from their own cows’ milk and cream, egg yolk and sugars. Milk taken from cows in the morning goes straight into that day’s ‘luxury ice cream’. With no artificial additives, no E-numbers or stabilisers, Rowlestone’s range of over 50 flavours includes malt whiskey and orange marmalade, chunky chocolate and mascarpone and caramelised pecans.
Rowlestonicecream.co.uk
Cherry Moo has, erm, scooped dollops of awards since it opened in 2020. The Quedgeley based business’ unique selling point is that its ices are completely made by hand. ‘Whisked with whisks and potted with ladles. Not an ice cream machine in sight,’ their website points out.
Honeycomb, salted caramel sauce, peanut brittle, fruit compotes and brownies are also made in house. No additives. No artificial colours. No preservatives. Just cool ices, in every sense of the word!
Cherrymoo.co.uk
Raw in a slaw. Oven roasted. Boiled. Pickled. Or burgered (well, it should be a word). You can even blend it with yoghurt to make a dip. Whatever you want to make, the earthy root is pretty hard to beet.
Plus, it’s full of stuff that’s good for you. Michael Mosley serves up beety nutrition facts in this BBC podcast. Your heart, brain and legs will thank you for listening to it.
Grate some raw beet into a bowl of shredded white cabbage, finely chopped red onion and carrot to make a slaw that pops with colour. Greek yoghurt, mustard, lime juice and a tablespoonful of vinegar will give it all the zing it needs.
That produces the perfect slaw to go with the beet burgers on page 16. Trust us, this midweek treat is well worth getting pink fingers for.
Now, where’s the soap?
Yes, you’re going to get your hands dirty. Or pink at least.
But these beet burgers are so tasty you’ll soon forget that your digits look like they’ve been dipped in a bucket of dye. You could of course wear some latex gloves during the beetroot-handling parts of the process. But where’s the fun in that?
For the burgers
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• Handful wild garlic (finely chopped) or two crushed cloves
• 2 raw beetroots, peeled and roughly grated
• 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly grated
• 100g porridge oats
• 400g tin chickpeas, drained
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 1 large egg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Good with (as in our photo)
• Fat chips (quartered, roasted skin-on tatties with salt)
• Beet slaw (see previous page for recipe)
• Your choice of buns and greens
Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion until translucent. Add grated veg and cook for another couple of minutes. While that’s frying on a low heat…
Mash the drained tin of chickpeas in a large mixing bowl. Add tahini and egg and mix again. Add garlic, oats and veg from the frying pan.
Mix until you have a consistency you can mould into balls (to flatten in the pan into burgers). Mix too wet? Add more oats. Too dry? Add more tahini.
Grab a handful of the mix and mould into shape – just bigger than a golf ball. Make as many as you can from the mix.
Heat a bit more oil in a clean frying pan. When hot, add your burger balls. Squish slightly with the back of a spoon to make burger shapes (if you haven’t done this already when moulding). Fry for about five mins on each side until they start to turn light brown.
Add leaves into sliced buns. Pop a burger on top of the leaves. Add slaw if using. Serve with fat chips and another bowl of slaw if you want extra.
Let’s be honest, arranging a picnic in the UK is no, erm, picnic.
The whole event can go pearshaped even before you’ve chucked a fully loaded hamper into the boot of your car.
That’s because the British weather is so unbelievably irksome. Even during summer. At this time of
year, if you were living in Greece or Spain or Italy, you could happily arrange to meet your clan for some al fresco food. You could plan that weeks in advance and be almost certain you’d end up stuffed and happy under the shade of a gorgeous olive tree. But you’d have to be a drunk gambling addict to plan a picnic in advance in the UK.
But… there is another way. You could consider what we’re calling a ‘Britnic’.
A Britnic means planning to have some nice picky bits outside as if you were living in the Med. Then, if the weather turns ugly when you were hoping for some rug-bound fun with friends and
family, have it at home instead. Yes, we know. Britnic’s are genius. Well, maybe not genius. But they’re not a completely stupid idea for people living on our unpredictable isle. Wherever you end up, a good selection of tasty tucker is essential. Actually, if you get the food right, nobody will care if wet weather means you opt for the floor of your own dining space.
If you do venture out, it’s a smart idea to keep bread and fillings separate so you don’t end up with mushy sandwiches when you get there. People generally like getting stuck in anyway. This gives fellow picnickers more choice (sliced cucumber and crisps, anyone?) Whatever... Right, where’s my anorak?
For a really easy way to enjoy a picnic, see our selection of dips on the following page.
If you’re among those who think picnics are a faff-fest (see previous page), grab a few dips and a decent loaf and then all you need is a quiet river to listen to. This is actually a lot less faff than sitting in a Maccie drive-thru.
We made this lot. But these dips can be bought if you’re short of time or, how shall we put it? Averse to any hummus-making antics. Smashing chickpeas by hand is a workout. We think it’s worth the effort but it’s not for everyone.
Guacamole is easier than hummus. Mash avocado with olive oil, finely chopped coriander, lime juice and salt. We’ve added some coarse black pepper and harissa to ours to give it a little hot-tongue appeal. Chillies are another good option. And you could add a clove of finely chopped garlic if you like.
You can see the recipe for beet slaw on page 14. Replace the beetroot, nuts and yoghurt with chopped spring onion and mayo and you’ve got yourself a second slaw to keep everyone happy. Well, everyone who likes slaw, that is.
And of course, if you are venturing out, take your fave picky bits along: cheeses, crisps, nuts, olives, chopped raw veg and a bottle of your favourite beverage.
Right now, it’s river time!
We made this lot. But these dips can be bought if you’re short of time or, how shall we put it? Averse to any hummus-making antics.
This is such a simple supper to knock up.
What’s great about it is it looks impressive yet isn’t hard to make. Plus, it’s made from the sort of ingredients you’re likely to have in the cupboard. What’s not to like here?
The potatoes and eggs used in this frittata are mainstays. But, if you don’t have any broccoli handy, other veg – peppers, onion, courgette, green beans, etc – would work just as well. And, if you’re fond of heat, just chuck in a bit more chopped chilli.
• 100g new potatoes
• 150g long-stem broccoli
• 2 tbsp veg oil
• 25g butter
• 4 large eggs
• 50g feta
• Handful chopped chives
• Tsp finely chopped red chilli
• Salt
• White pepper
Put new potatoes in a saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 12-15 mins, depending on their size. When a fork goes in easily, they’re done. You can add broccoli to the simmering water for the final 3-4 minutes of cooking time. Or use the same hot water to do it while the potatoes drain and cool. When you can handle them, slice the potatoes lengthways.
Meanwhile, chop up or crumble the feta, chop the chives and the red chillies. Wash your hands afterwards otherwise you’ll cry like a baby when you rub your eyes (or any other sensitive part of your anatomy).
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk lightly.
Add oil and butter to a frying pan. When it’s bubbly, add the halved potatoes. Lightly fry them for about 8 mins. You’re looking for a light gold colour. Add the broccoli and after a minute or so, the eggs. Shake the pan lightly so the egg covers the whole pan. Cook for 5 mins. Add the feta, chives and chilli and stick under the grill for a few more minutes, until the egg has just cooked through. Take it out and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. It’s easy enough to divide with a metal spatula in the pan. Or, if you’re salivating, as I was, just eat the whole thing yourself straight from the pan.
Tired
of toast? Sick of samey cereals?
A veggie brekkie is not just a tasty option, it’s also a healthy one
Starbucks, Costa, Nero… you may not think they’re magnets. But these high street coffee brands suck people into their doors like they were giving their sweet-smelling hot drinks away.
Which, for those who’ve been living off-grid for the last couple of decades, they very much do not. Last time I looked in Starbucks, a standard Americano was over three quid.
Of course, you get to sit in pretty snazzy surrounds in such places. There’s plenty of wood and faux brown leather on display. Plenty of steam and gurgling sounds coming from gleaming machines behind the counter. And they all smell like bean spirit. Their walls are usually filled with colossal canvases of Italians on Vespas. Gorgeous people in sunglasses laughing over a froth-lined cup on a smart narrow street in Florence. Often clutching a poodle like it was a Gucci handbag.
These corporate coffee companies are everywhere. On every high street. Every mall. Every repurposed shipping container in every gentrified metropolis. They’re even fuelling customers at petrol stations who, presumably, went to fill up their cars.
Set against this kind of saturation are the independents doing what they can to grab attention. Indies are very much not ubiquitous. They’re not next door to Marks & Sparks. They’re not handily placed in waiting areas in every major train station and airport. Indies are quite often tucked behind something. Half hidden in lesser-trodden lanes. Or in ‘up-and-coming’ areas. In fact, if the name wasn’t already taken, all independent coffee shops could club together and rebrand themselves as: Not On The High Street.
Which brings me to Rise, Malvern. In terms of passing trade, it could hardly be in a worse place. It’s on neither of
the hilly market town’s two main shopping streets. It’s tucked in a corner behind a bank on a narrow lane. There are few parking spaces nearby. There’s no shouty signage. Rise actually gives the impression that it’s trying to hide from potential customers.
So, how it gets anyone at all through its door is a bit of a mystery, for Malvern is not short of places to top up your caffeine levels. Offering good, healthy food often isn’t enough for half-hidden independents to compete against high street behemoths.
Owned by Molly Collinson, a twenty-something health and fitness fanatic, Rise uses what
all twenty-somethings use to grab attention. Molly feeds the café’s Instagram and Facebook boards at regular intervals with nutritious-looking pics. And, in tandem with many gen-Zeders, the trained vegan chef is happy to open up. Presumably, Molly wouldn’t mind us mentioning she reveals her own mental health issues on the café’s YouTube channel.
This is of course part of its appeal. In stark contrast to faceless corps, Rise has a tangible personality. It has a friendly, young-at-heart feel. It’s also something of a health and wellbeing club. Above the café, Rise’s studio offers ‘a colourful spectrum of classes and 1-on-1 sessions’. People are drawn to Rise through social channels. All genders, identities, cultures, ages and levels keep going back to stay well, feel fit and be part of a community.
Rise is also plant-based. The café’s hippie-chic décor has a slightly homemade vibe, as opposed to lookalike competitors whose interiors have an orderedin-by-a-corporate-brand-manager feel. Natural fabrics abound in Rise. Scatter cushions live up to their name. The retro font on a framed print spells out what could be the café’s strapline: ‘Make good things happen’.
And, in terms of the food and service, good things do happen. I opted for the aptly named Rise and Shine breakfast: scrambled tofu, rosemary salt and pepper potatoes, miso mushrooms, wilted spinach, house beans, red pepper hummus, toast (£12.99). Like the framed print, it included a floral garnish. Only its taste
distinguished the tofu from the egg it mimicked. The mushrooms were unctuous and flavoursome. Alas, the beans could have been hotter (in terms of spice and temperature). But, overall, this was a planty treat.
My partner’s mocha-spiced protein oats were also sprinkled with edible petals. It was made up of creamy porridge, cloves, cinnamon, raw cacao protein, espresso, topped with yoghurt, toasted pecans, blackberries and a side of maple syrup (£9.00). Tasty enough but, for my buds, it could have done with a pinch of salt or another spice to give it a bit more zhuzh. Possibly lemon zest. Each dish was filling and well-presented by a cook-cumwaitress who was so friendly I was tempted to ask after her uncles and aunts.
We were the first customers of the Sunday we breakfasted there. The café started to fill up at the same time as we did. We didn’t hang about too long as Rise would quickly become bloated with about 15 eaters at any one time. Maybe 20 whenever the weather allows people to make use of its two tiny tables outside.
Rise deserves good marks for its inventive vegan menu and friendly service. Being a one-off indie, it definitely doesn’t need a brand manager unfurling samey wall prints to compete with bigger brands. As long as the seemingly indefatigable Molly can keep all the balls in the air, she should be able to maintain the support of customers who are happy – and undoubtedly capable – of bending over backwards to avoid the corps.
RATE THE PLATE 7/10
Go if you want to say no to Nero and co. Don’t go if you’re after a bacon and sausage sarnie.
We visited in February 2024. *** We review all types of local produce and eateries. Please email us if you want us to consider reviewing one with vegetarian options near you. Also, drop us a line if you want to any help sharing your stories and to advertise in the magazine.
Chris Morgan
Head chef/ patron
L’Amuse Bouche, Great Malvern
Q. What three words describe you?
A. Artistic, passionate, petulant.
Q. How long have you been a chef?
A. 52 years.
Q. What’s the first thing you eat/ drink each day?
A. A cup of really milky tea.
Q. How many hours a week do you typically work?
A. 60.
Q. What do you do for exercise?
A. Clay pigeon shooting and gardening.
Q. What work other than cheffing have you done, if any?
A. I’ve been cheffing since I was 15.
Q. What were you good at at school?
A. Sports, languages and cooking.
Q. Which well-known figure was your hero at school?
A. Kevin Keegan.
Q. Can you pinpoint the moment when you knew you wanted to become a chef?
A. When I was at secondary school and introduced to domestic science.
I’ve been cheffing since I was 15
Q. What do you still have a burning desire to learn?
A. Perfection. Totally and absolutely. With a passion.
Q. What’s your best trait?
A. Creativity.
Q. What’s your worst trait?
A. My dislike to underperformers.
Q. Which of your traits most influences your cooking and how?
A. Both of the above. I came from a farming background where a good work ethic was paramount and the ability to present food theatrically makes me live for the industry.
Head to the ‘Puddings’ section of our website for the full interview with Chris as well as other local chefs and local foodies.
Q. What would you like to introduce to the restaurant you work in and why?
A. I would love to introduce forever changing dishes from around the world to showcase this amazing industry. However, my skillset is European and I specialise in what I’m good at for continuity within our hotel/restaurant.
Q. What are you most proud of and why?
A. My award of being recognised at a Master Chef in the Craft Guild of Chefs and the Association Culinaire Français at the age of 22.
Also, being appointed as head chef in a 70-bedroom Hilton hotel at the same age.
Q. What is it about customers that surprises you most?
A. Their ability to say: ‘And I couldn’t find anything to complain about. It was all perfect.’ Grrr… it’s like they’ve come to find fault and have the joy of complaining. Also, customers who make up allergens as they go along without any foundation, leaving those with genuine issues to be doubted.
Here’s an easy one-wok treat to have during the week. You don’t have to use exactly the same veg as we have. But a variety of textures and colours will have
your tribe salivating even before their first mouthful.
The flavour comes from onion, garlic, turmeric, ginger, soy sauce and a spoonful of honey. We’ve served with a separate bowl of peanuts. See the ‘Sides’ section of our website for the full recipe and details on how we put this together.
www.the-cider-barn.co.uk info@the-cider-barn.co.uk 01544 388 161
