DINE & WINE
By TESS DE KLERK
MATT GILLAN’S
HERITAGE RESTAURANT
A
fter stumbling upon The Chequers in the picturesque village of Slaugham towards the end of 2018, Chef Director Matt Gillan decided that the charming Edwardian property was the ideal location for his flagship restaurant. Matt has enjoyed a lauded career thus far and was originally the man behind South Lodge’s The Pass, which earned a Michelin star not long after opening. You may also recognise him from the BBC series, Great British Menu. Heritage is the culmination of Matt’s many years of experience cooking at the highest level. The former pub makes for a lovely atmosphere where you can enjoy an aperitif at the elegant bar or lounge on the plush sofas in front of the fireplace before being seated in the rather minimalist restaurant overlooking green pastures. Book one of the five boutique upstairs rooms to fully emerge yourself in the charming village experience. Heritage offers multi-course tasting menus ranging from three to nine courses with the choice to pair with great wines or creative cocktails. Menus are seasonal, and focused on produce available from the surrounding area. Our meal started with a creative amuse-bouche of which the tempura oyster was absolutely outstanding! Complimentary bites devoured, we moved on to the four and five course taster menus with dishes of traditional ingredients infused with creative twists. Butternut squash tart with tarragon emulsion perfectly complimented by ginger ice cream served by our charming and knowledgable server.
My grilled huss with madras crust was cooked to perfection, light and fluff y while the crispy cauliflower hashbrown added a a golden crunch and perfect off set to the delicately favoured fish. Small in size but huge on flavour, the braised lamb shank, BBQ leg, savoy cabbage with red cabbage ketchup is a dish I’d travel a long way for. Shredded lamb peek from the soft centre of the bonbon, the rich gravy is poured at the table to keep the coating crisp, and the soused vegetables and red cabbage add flashes of brightness to an otherwise deep and resonant dish. It was Coco Chanel who advised women to remove one accessory before leaving the house, a maxim I wish had been applied to my dessert before it left the kitchen. The vanilla and parsnip mousse with blackberry compote and apple sorbet was always going to be slightly risky, but the light mousse worked well with mostly vanilla and a slight parsnip undertone being quite complimentary. I enjoyed each bite until the near last when I popped the singular blackberry in my mouth only to bite into a mouthful of vinegar. It was such a shame - the berry horribilis completely ruined the dish and nearly all the good memories of the meal. The unexpected mouthful of vinegar pickled berry was so potent that it shot through my sinuses and the taste seemed to linger for a couple of hours.
Heritage offers multi-course tasting menus… with the choice to pair with great wines or creative cocktails
Heritage by Matt Gillan, The Chequers, Slaugham, West Sussex RH17 6AQ www.heritage.restaurant
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www.platinummediagroup.co.uk | JANUARY 2023