Restaurants

Disclosure: Our meal was complimentary. As always all thoughts are my own.

I seem to be venturing into South Bucks quite a lot of late!

This time I was visiting The Lazy Pig in The Pantry, which opened in Chesham just 6 weeks before I visited. First impressions coaxed an “Ooooh this is nice!” from me as we turned in from the road. From ample parking to clean landscaping to professional welcome desk, The Lazy Pig feels fresh, modern and built for purpose. From the moment you arrive it feels well put together and welcoming.

The pub is very modern and very large. Plenty of different seating areas with a selection of booths, tables, private nooks and best of all, a beautiful conservatory which I requested to sit in.

It may have been a gloomy afternoon when we visited, but nonetheless this conservatory area was beautifully bright; the daylight bouncing off patterned tiles and white marble effect tables. The conservatory glazed walls open up so that in the Summer you can dine al fresco. Although I found it every bit as atmospheric with specks of April showers running down the glass whilst we were cosy indoors.

The menu, like the pub itself, is modern and removed from the classical pub experience. There are dishes like charred mackerel fillet with an oat and lemon crumb, or herb crusted lamb with anchovy dressing. Overall, the offers contemporary twists with an injection of Italian.

Starters

Our chosen starters ranged from £6.95 – £7.25.

Q chose the three cheese arancini with pickled shallots and garlic mayo. A generous starter with five perfectly even arancini balls, with a thick and satisfying, deep golden shell. The texture was great: incredibly comforting with that crunch giving way to a soft and moist rice filling. The three-cheesy flavour didn’t pack nearly enough punch as I was hoping for though.

Given their name, you’d hope that the pork was good at The Lazy Pig in The Pantry. And it was. My starter of smoked pork belly with a maple glaze, black pudding crumb and apple puree was a dream to eat. I could just about overlook the tiny offering of apple puree for how juicy sweet the meat was. The fat of the pork belly was maple infused bliss. A simple, pure dish for meat lovers.

Mains

Our chosen mains ranged from £8.95 – £12.95, which I think is amazing value. Under nine quid for a pizza so wide I couldn’t fit it in the frame? Bargain.

Lovely wood fired pizzas I add, with a chewy crust and rich and even toppings. Q is a sucker for a classic and well executed margarita.

I was also feeling the Mediterranean vibes (it must have been the conservatory) and chose the mussels in cider and chorizo.

I was impressed by the quality of the mussels in that no shells in my dish were unopened. Nothing worse than delving into a dishful of duds. I picked my way through the shellfish, flecked with chunks of chorizo, dipping my toasted sourdough into the cider-infused sauce. An enjoyable light lunch.

Dessert

…A light lunch that left me plenty of room to explore the puddings!

OOFT. Upside down baked vanilla cheesecake, ginger & honeycomb crumb and salted caramel sauce. I had to have this; it bounced off the menu at me and it did not disappoint. Cool, creamy and topped with crunchy burnt caramel flavours. Absolutely delicious, in fact I think I told the waitress so about three times.

Q chose the raspberry sorbet, which despite looking ever so traditional and out of place in presentation on an otherwise very modern menu, was ridiculously tasty. The sorbet had a slight milkshake quality to it; not like ice cream but without that excessive sharpness that sorbet can have. Extremely moreish, especially paired with fresh red berries doused in coulis.

Our desserts cost between £5.00 – £6.50. So overall three courses came to £20 – £27 per head. I mean that is some serious value for money. The Lazy Pig in The Pantry is offering food in an absolutely beautiful setting at very fair prices. For the price point the food is good and dare I say it makes the pub very accessible; I noticed a wide range of diners from young families to retired ladies that lunch. I would come here again for the beautiful conservatory and friendly service… and another slice of cheesecake.

Disclosure: Our meal was complimentary. As always all thoughts and words are my own.

“Oh wow, this has been slow-going, huh?” I say to Q as we wind South through ever more affluent villages toward the outer reaches of North London. He’s tired and hungry after a hard day at work, and I’ve eagerly accepted an invitation which, having not thoroughly researched due to said eagerness, is rather a long drive away for a weekday evening.

1 hour and 20 minutes later we arrive at The Apple Tree at Gerrards Cross. They’ve had a makeover and their press evening is to show off the new interior and menu ahead of opening to the public the following week. I find photos of the old pub, pre-overhaul just shortly before we set off, which I’m going to go ahead and share:

…And I’m going to go ahead an say that it was definitely in need of being dragged into 2019. Long drive completed, I walk up to the entrance hoping that the new look is suitably blog worthy, and worthy of that drive.

“Oh wow” I say for the second time, but this time in reaction to the drastically different space I have entered from the before image. A smell of fresh paint still lingers, and fresh paint, decadent wallpaper and slick tiling adorns every wall with dark and modern effect.

The interior is stunning and has received some significant investment. Nearby residents just got themselves one serious upgrade to their local.

We start the evening off enjoying the beautiful self-serve gin bar with just about every topping you could hope for. I pick and mix my drink with wild abandon and go for a bizarre selection of rhubarb gin with cucumber, ginger, mint and blackberries. Move over Pimms because this strange little concoction of mine turned out to be delicious!

Wine Not?

When I review food I try not to take the piss with ordering loads of expensive drinks. But on this ocassion, The Apple Tree were ever so keen to show off their high end wines, which now come with an incredible new syringe technology, allowing them to serve said wines by the glass as well.

Our waitress insisted we try the Cabernet Sauvignon which was not only her favourite but one which the pub had been serving for years, claiming to love it so much that it would never be removed from the menu.

At £60 a bottle it’s one best reserved for special occasions, and in my opinion (and the table’s) this wine was delicious. Complex, fruity and silky smooth. Just a touch of vanilla. It flows around the glass like oil. Absolutely every bit as special as it should be for the price point.

Starters

Starters are neatly divided on the menu into ‘Meat Free’, ‘Sea’ and ‘Land’ which I liked because I usually head into a meal with an idea of how I want to kick off. It definitely helps with any indecision on what to have.

Our chosen starters ranged from £5.75 – £11.95.

Within ‘Meat Free’ is a glorious and unapologetically large starter of panko crusted fried brie with a sloe gin chutney. Given its size I got to swoop my fork in for a taste or two. The brie is gooey and the coating is crunchy; it does everything that it should with ease. I did think the chutney was missing a level of sweetness to cut through the creaminess of the cheese however.

An offering from the ‘Land’ starters was pork belly bao buns with red chilli, pineapple and mango salsa. You’ll notice there’s a theme within the menu of Asian influences… alongside large portions. Again a generous starter!

From the ‘Sea’ section was my starter of seared, wild Atlantic scallops with crab & lobster bon bons, pea and truffle oil veloute.

This looked and tasted every bit as great as it sounded on the menu. Giant and perfectly cooked scallops that wobbled as you plunged your knife into them, their simplicity contrasted by the rich and crispy bon bon that accompanied. Really delicious, my only wish was that the lovely pea puree has been a touch thicker to help cling to the seafood.

Mains

The menu is again neatly divided to assist with easy dining, this time into Healthy Mains, Rotisserie & Grill, Iconic Sharers and Comfort Food Classics. There’s a good selection without it becoming overwhelming and diluted.

Our chosen mains ranged from £13.95 – £18.95

I was in a fish mood on this evening so my main was roasted salmon with a smoky mussel cream sauce. Simple and well executed; the salmon was soft and juicy with a satisfying crispy skin.

Another from the fish offering was sea bass fillet with charred octopus, baby potatoes, tomato & lemon aioli, samphire and baby spinach. Once the weather improves these light and fragrant dishes will be wonderful to eat outside at The Apple Tree’s terrace.

Classic pub dishes, that is, meat & chips came with gourmet twists. Juicy rotisserie half chicken, finished with truffle and served with skinny fries, garlic confit & preserved lemon aioli. Or why not the panko crumbed (they do like a panko crumb on this menu) chicken milanese with rocket, caper, Parmigiano Reggiano & toasted pine nut salad, fries and also that lemon aioli.

Desserts

I clocked the dessert section before we’d ordered our starters and commented on what a great sounding menu it was. Again the menu is broken down into categories to suit your mood; in this case by temperature which I really loved because that it exactly what dictates my dessert choice at the end of a meal.

Our chosen desserts ranged from £5.50 – £6.95

Never one for hot desserts, and with room to spare after two light fish dishes, I tackled the warm chocolate brownie, home-baked with Belgian chocolate sauce and bourbon vanilla ice cream. Much like the brie, it did everything that this simple and classic dish is meant to do. And much like any good brownie the last few rich bites felt ever so slightly challenging and utterly indulgent.

Cool and creamy creme brûlée with a sugary crust that offered a good crunch without putting up too much of a fight against the spoon. “One of the better ones I’ve ever had,” I was told.

Greek yoghurt parfait with caramelised figs and pomegranate syrup. It arrived to the table a little too frozen so required a level of patience in waiting, but once thawed was a refreshing end to the meal.

A final nod to the meal was a bourbon vanilla ice cream affogato. Ordered by one who is already very full.

The Apple Tree is one of the biggest restaurant transformations I have seen and the staff are clearly ridiculously excited about it! Our meal was really solid and enhanced by our beautiful surroundings.

“That was great!” Q exclaims as we roll back into the car, ready for the journey home. “Definitely worth the trip.” (Phew!)

 

Disclosure: Our meal was complimentary, as always all thoughts and words are my own.

“Is that it there? Ooh it looks lovely!”

“Wow, it’s big.”

“But how do we get to it? From the roundabout?”

“No, I think we missed the turning.”

“Oh God how to we get there I’m starving!”

…Is what you would have heard from our car as we approached a pub; yet another pub in the seemingly endless collection of pubs in our part of the world. But no, I am not tired of pubs, I could never be. Pubs are glorious, homely boxes of heart warming joy. I feel hugely lucky to still be discovering new ones in my hometown.

When you’re known to not only like your food, but to write about it, there comes an expectation from everyone you know that you must have eaten absolutely everywhere. I always feel a pang of guilt as someone looks at me with disbelief that I’ve never eaten those fish and chips in Newcastle, or that donut from Devon.

Disclosure: my meal was complimentary. As always all thoughts and words are my own.

Two bloggers walk into a pub…

I could start this post with a romanticised description of what a wonderful hot and balmy evening it was as I headed to The Anchor for dinner, but the novelty has run it’s course now hasn’t it? Every evening it hot and balmy.

I know The Anchor well, they’re a part of the Unique Hospitality family who I’m very fond of. But this visit was a little different and I was escorted past the main restaurant and up the old and narrow staircase to their beautiful private dining room. I was there to experience a Mediterranean themed supper club created by new Head Chef (and recent winner of Milton Keynes’ chef of the year award) Shane Clarke.

The room was beautifully decorated and looked like a Summer wonderland.

And speaking of two bloggers, Sophie Etc was dining as well!

We both poured ourselves glasses of water and looked longingly at the delicious pitchers of Sangria nestled between cuttings of herbs. *Sigh* that driver life…

Do you remember the Summer Supper Club I attended at 185 Watling Street not too long ago? This evening was along the same theme: one off, intimate evenings in a private dining space with a menu specially created for attendees of the club to enjoy. Shane, fully embracing that hot and balmy weather, presented us with a Mediterranean themed evening.

To begin we enjoyed a trio of tapas style starters:

• Serrano ham croquettes, with Romesco sauce and fried almonds
• Barbecued garlic and lemon Gambas
• Morcilla sausage meatballs, with Piquillo peppers and parsley

Each dish was suitably different from the other. The meatballs had a real kick with the Piquillo peppers and the sauce was fruity and tart almost like a sweet and sour sauce. The prawns were rustic and subtle in flavour (I would perhaps have enjoy a bit more garlic but at the same time Sophie and I had to talk to each other for the rest of the evening) and the croquettes (oh the croquettes!) were super rich and oozy and indulgent with a fantastic crispy shell. More of those please!

It was around this time that other guests at the table noticed the large cameras that accompanied Sophie and I. I sheepishly explained that we were bloggers, and not wishing to stereotype but I did so because the other guests were a generation or two above us and I pensively awaited the wave of questions… which did indeed follow. We explained what a blogger was, what a blog is, what we write about, why we do it, who reads our posts… and why anyone would read our posts (yes they didn’t hold back on the questions!) and how it differs from a magazine or a journalist or a critic.

At first I felt under the microscope and the introvert in me wanted very much to not be the centre of attention. But, as the questions and answers went on the other diners began to understand what we did, and it wasn’t long before we were asked for tips on Instagram and how to use it. As the main course arrived other guests were getting involved and picking up their phones to take photos themselves!

And ultimately, I think this is the exact spirit of these Supper clubs: you sit around a table with strangers and over the course of the evening you get to know new people, learn new things and enjoy a different social experience than you otherwise would in your standard Restaurant setting on your own, isolated table.

Our main courses were a duo served in little bowls on wooden boards:

• Baked eggs in chilli sauce with crispy tortilla, black bean salsa and guacamole
• Squid, octopus and cuttlefish Paella topped with chorizo Aioli and Saffron yogurt.

It took a lot of restraint not to sneak that pretty little white bowl into my handbag. Although we did all agree it would have been spectacular to bring the Paella to the table a giant pan as you would in Spain! I really like the idea of family style for Supper club.

It also took a lot of restraint not to guzzle back the entire jug of chocolate sauce that accompanied dessert…

A giant cinnamon churro and blood orange creme catalana arrived to round off our meal. Everyone at the table went crazy for the churro which was warm and fluffy inside with a thick crust of sugar. Absolutely delicious, this and the croquettes were my favourite elements of the evening by far.

The portions were seemingly considered for a hot Summers eve, and yet I still came away incredibly full. I (of all people!) am not used to having a small appetite but the heat was intense. I walked back to my car smiling, as what began as polite hellos to fellow diners at the beginning of the meal ended with big waves goodbye and choruses of “See you on Instagram!” 

Disclosure: Our meal was complimentary. As always all thoughts and words are my own.

Balancing a day job with a blogger double life sometimes means rushing to change in the work toilets at lightning speed and scurrying out to the car all dolled up in the hope that no one will see. Some events are too exciting to miss and this was a big one: an evening with Raymond Blanc at Brasserie Blanc in Beaconsfield!

First of all, Beaconsfield is beautiful, and the setting for their own Brasserie Blanc is just as pretty. Our Brasserie in Milton Keynes is perfectly good looking, but the old-meets-new setting here was wonderful. You better believe I did the usual of imagining it was my house.

Each seat for the event was adorned with beautiful gift bags from local businesses. It took every ounce of adulting in me to not rummage around until we got home! We arrived early, which was lucky for photos as it wasn’t long before the entire room was absolutely packed.

First up on the menu was ‘Tomato Essence’ which like all fine dining menus was characteristically vague. I only knew what this was because I’ve watched Raymond make this signature dish on his programmes. I remember marvelling at the long and painstaking filtering process of the tomatoes to extract a perfectly clear water tinged with orange. What a faff I admit to thinking, and I was very excited to actually taste whether it was worth the effort.

Oh good grief. How? How is this little glass of tomato infused water so damn delicious? It’s beautiful; it feels so pure and cleansing as you drink it. There’s incredible layers to the flavours as well where it begins as sweet then moves to savoury, before finishing with a delicate spicy hum. Really, really intriguing and I think my favourite thing from the entire menu.

Our starter was a colourful, almost artistic presentation of glazed mackerel fillet with apple compote, coleslaw & seaweed salad. This was a very oily, quite bitter dish with and interesting mixture of flavours. The charred mackerel skin was pretty as a picture to look at.

One champagne, one amuse bouche and one starter in and I was leaning back and forth in my chair to spot the man I was desperate to see. I messaged Sophie on a nearby table with #WheresRay.

On first glance of our main it looked rather safe. But of course, it was a beautiful execution of simplicity, made to shine with such fresh ingredients. Roast supreme of guinea fowl with a confit leg bon bon, citrus sauce and the most wonderful tasting greens that I have eaten in a long time. Actual Summer on a plate, and that bon bon was divine!

#WheresRay…

Dessert again appeared very simple. Charentais melon, raspberries, strawberries, sorbet and coulis & champagne jus.

And yes, it was a simple dessert. But bloody hell if it wasn’t the nicest, plumpest fruit I have had in forever. Biggest raspberries I’ve ever eaten! I loved the crisp sugar work delicately crowning the bowl. And I feel the bowl should also be mentioned: smooth and oversized it felt almost nostalgic of eating dessert as a child. Joyful. Don’t let anyone ever tell you the crockery doesn’t matter.

There’s Ray!

He suddenly appeared to the left of us and began to work his way around the tables. I couldn’t contain my excitement as he got closer to us and I was beaming in my chair until he arrived to say hello.

I’m sure at this stage I was supposed to bear in mind my blog content, ask to move to better lighting and insist that the photo was taken on my camera. But it didn’t feel right and instead we captured a really honest moment: not blogger at work, but two fans meeting someone they truly admire. Look at those smiles!

And speaking of admiring Raymond Blanc, I came away from this evening doing so even more. He is the most genuine and lovely man. He took time to speak to everyone and it wasn’t just lip service: he really cared. He even wrote little notes down about the guests so he could remember and add personal thanks during his Q&A session.

Q&A

At 68 years old he shows no signs of slowing down and he darted about with his mic eccentrically recalling stories and answering questions.

Among the light hearted questions about when he planned to make another TV show and how was the garden at Le Manoir doing in the heat wave, came more serious questions followed by inspiring answers.

I died a little inside when someone asked Raymond what he thought of Brexit. Particularly when statistically speaking there were most definitely a number of Brexiteers. After recounting a stories about his many travels and his life in the United Kingdom, his response in closing was:

“We can be enriched by other people’s cultures. For me Brexit was a real killer.”

Oh Ray <3

Raymond was also asked what he would tell his younger self if he could go back in time. This inspired an extremely passionate speech on sustainability. The importance of buying locally and eating seasonally, along with accepting that we all cannot continue to live the way that we have been. He spoke with great enthusiasm about how seasonal produce is not only cheaper, but tastes so much better. For me, this speech summed up the food we had just eaten, in how wonderfully fresh the fruit and vegetables had been to make simple Summer dishes absolutely outstanding.

What a brilliant evening! Q and I drove to Beaconsfield in hope of meeting a chef we have admired for a very long time. I expected to come away with a celebrity photo and a belly full of great food. What I hadn’t planned for, was leaving with a head full of inspiration.

Disclosure: Our meal was complimentary. As always all thoughts and words are my own.

In Milton Keynes I think there’s something symbolic about a chain being replaced by an independent.

And not just anywhere: right in the heart of one of MK’s busiest spots for eating and drinking. Now sitting proudly on the square, sandwiched by chain restaurants either side and more opposite, Craft & Cleaver have landed.

Disclosure: Our meal was complimentary. As always all thoughts and words are my own.

“Why haven’t we been here before?”
“I don’t know, why haven’t we been here before? It’s so nice!”

This was the conversation Q and I had as we walked down the sunny high street of Towcester towards 185 Watling Street where we were off to spend the evening. Towcester is West of where we live and I guess because we have no friends or family in this direction, or adventures have taken is elsewhere, we’ve never visited before.

Disclosure: Our meal was complimentary. As always all thoughts are my own.

In my eight years of food blogging I couldn’t tell you how many times my friends have asked me to make them my plus one on a review. But I could tell you how many times I have met their requests:

None. (Whoops)

Disclosure: Our visit was complimentary. As always all thoughts and words are my own.

Milton Keynes, being the oh so weird (we can dress it up as much as we want fellow residents, but the weirdness is undeniable) and wonderful place that it is, doesn’t have a high street as such. Instead we have hubs and centres and districts where we gather to socialise, shop and eat.

Most infamously of all in my opinion, is the Theatre District.

When I was a teenager the Theatre District was the place to go, (or at least try to go if you hadn’t turned 18 – sorry mum) for drinks. And yet somewhere along the course of a decade it went from a hive of activity to, well… tumbleweed.

From a nostalgic point of view this was sad. From a tourist point of view it’s been just plain embarrassing. The Theatre District is where so many visitors from elsewhere in the UK come to before shows and the soulless drinking and dining options in otherwise shuttered up units has been such an awful way to showcase our unique (weird) little city.

Things began to change for the better in 2015 when Revolucion De Cuba opened and managed to not only survive in the Theatre District, but thrive. Since they landed they’ve been the jewel in the crown of this area with minimal competition. Until now that is…

Taking the place of Lloyds bar which previously took up this unit and was widely described as ‘a bit fighty’ the low calibre memories have been replaced with plush interiors gleaming with copper. Brewhouse & Kitchen is a relatively small chain of British pubs and microbreweries; the next nearest ones to Milton Keynes being Bedford and Islington, London.

It’s pretty damn cool and like something out of a movie set, the tower of brewing beer in the main ground floor seating area. Serious wow factor as you enter! I was there to get a sneak peek of the place before it opened, and to enjoy a beer masterclass.

Soaking up the glowing copper atmosphere our beer masterclass was led by Head Brewer Liam, who like any decent brewer was fanatical about beer. He bounced around the perimeter of our table excitedly telling us the story behind what we were about to drink.

The beer masterclass showcases a range of stouts, IPA’s, amber and golden ales. It ranges from £20-£30 per person depending on whether you fancy nibbles or a full meal with your drinks.

We paused our beer tasting after a couple of drinks in (to keep those cameras steady) and took a tour of the rest of the Brewhouse… which is cavernous! I was taken back by just how big it is, but also just how much detail has gone into the interior to create seriously attractive drinking and dining spaces.

And best of all if the top floor. Floor-to-ceiling glass floods the internal space to give this bar a different feel… and then there’s the lovely outdoor terrace which looks down onto the Theatre District below.

I can’t think of anywhere else in Milton Keynes that has something like this?

I’m already planning a party for up here – what a venue!

Returning to the middle floor, it was time to get back on the beers. And to sample a spread from the menu.

Definitely the coolest thing about Brewhouse & Kitchen is that they not only brew on site, but they give their creations names personal to their location. Milton Keynes themed beers include:

• Leaping Man: after Olympic jumper Greg Rutherford.
• Webber’s Vision: after urban theorist Melvin Webber AKA the man behind our unique (weird) grid system.
• Colossus: after the 1940s code-breaking computer on display at Bletchley Park.
• 12th Street: in honour of the new name that the Theatre District is now branded under (and I am doing a terrible job of calling).

Beers paying homage to Milton Keynes I think is such a wonderful touch! Leaping Man was one of my favourites. In my new discovery of beer loving I appear to be a growing Golden ale fan.

The food is simple, casual and enjoyable. Starters range from £3.50-£5.95, whilst mains are around £10-£15. The kind of easy crowd pleasers you could well be after when having a few drinks with your friends. The best of the spread was the Mac & Cheese melts with chilli jam. Fetch me a plate of those and a pint yes please! Enhancing an otherwise simple menu is a thoughtful pairing of beer with every single dish, which is a brilliant touch.

For dessert we shared slithers of chocolate & coconut tart which was bloody lovely and just about fit in my belly after all the beers I’d drunk. I’ll be back for a full slice.

Instant fan alert. I was so happy with what I saw in the sneak preview, and the range of beers on offer are fantastic. They’ve absolutely nailed the interior and vibe as a trendy new drinking spot in MK. I’m loving the different master classes and experiences they’re offering too; the biggest one being an entire day with the brewer learning how to make beer and aiding the process, all whilst being fed and watered (beered) all day long. Very interested in this!

Yep, this place feels good. It feels like a positive, permanent turning point in regenerating this corner of Milton Keynes. If they can deliver consistent and decent service then this could become a new regular for a lot of people.