Pensons

Lunch for two

October 14 2021

From greetings to goodbyes this proved to be a concentration of all that hospitality does best. Truly accomplished food prepared and presented by truly accomplished people instigated at least one daft question - what on earth had we done to deserve such a treat!

The lunch menu will not offer you confusion. It is confidently pared down to two choices each for starter, main and dessert. Dinner will offer five of the same courses; but see the website Menu page to understand how Head Chef Chris Simpson and team will react according to seasonal availability and modify to your dietary needs except for any vegan option. Produce from the Netherwood Estate underpins and inspires so much here. In the short time since opening, the restaurant and estate have developed an admirably responsive and responsible community.

Service here is exemplary. Front of house manager Jim Conway has an impressive CV in hospitality but his gentle, assured talents were equalled in other ways by his team. All of them suffer from an embarrassment of riches in the area of conventional good looks but they also have a lovely surfeit of those much more important qualities which complete any restaurant experience. A total understanding of what they bring from the kitchen means that questions about detail of the dishes are answered with immediate ease. Their skill to react with intelligence and affability to a silly bugger like me was particularly commendable.

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SCALLOP, Celeriac, Chicory Jam, Fennel, Onion, Chilli

Mrs Cheoff didn’t flinch at all when her chosen starter arrived. ‘Raw’ scallops would have presented a challenge in years gone by but here she was in the hands of a kitchen whose confidence is apparent in each dish. I don’t know if there was any curing of the main ingredient but it retained wonderful freshness. Level of chilli heat was perfect and the different textures ensured interest to the last bite.

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MUSHROOM, Truffle, Hazelnut, Artichoke, Sourdough

My starter was designed and delivered with so much care that I spent a few moments digesting with just my eyes. Clever, spot-on treatment of ingredients which ask to be put together. Softness, crunch, mushrooms (beech and enoki? - no, I didn’t ask enough questions), a touch of acidity and the smile-inducing presence of indulgent truffle. When all those main elements were gone, like the finish of a good wine, I was left with the lovely flavour and mouthfeel of a very classy rapeseed oil used in the dressing.

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SOURDOUGH - a fork dealt with the more fluid elements of my mushroom starter but this ‘Melba Toast’ with knobs on was still a very welcome addition

Our main course varied from the website’s ‘Sample Menu’ with damsons replacing cherries. “Yay” for seasonal ingredients! The duck meat was meltingly right and the skin painstakingly scored and rendered crisp. Even more crunch came from the brick pastry casing folded around the leg meat. Enough fat to create the same texture as crispy chicken - erm, duck - skin. More prosaic, soft cabbage gave its familiar reassurance. Then beetroot and damson offered fruit, earthiness and a dulled acidity. The squeak of spring onions and their liquid release completed a mini triumph which sauntered between fading summer and the insistence of autumn harvest.

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DUCK, Damson, Beetroot, Cabbage Fish will have to wait until next time!

John Duval Wines ‘Plexus’ Marsanne Roussanne Viognier 2018

We could have relied on a recommendation from our sommelier but Mrs C had already identified a style we like on the list. The same blend of grapes as many more familiar (to us, at least) Southern Rhône whites but made on the other side of the world in Australia. And made by a winemaker with a rather special pedigree. We really enjoyed this complex but surprisingly fresh wine. It couldn’t distract us completely from the quality of food but it did add another welcome element to our ‘Pensons’ experience.

Do allow yourself to be at least a little distracted by the design and ambience of the restaurant building itself. It is curated in part from local archaeological evidence and examples of equally ancient crafts maintained and produced by modern-day artists.

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BLACKBERRIES, Pear, Lemon, Almond, Cider

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BLACKBERRIES, Pear, Lemon, Almond, Cider (dressed with the cider granita)

Time for the last act. We both made the same choice of dessert rather than cheese. Nothing to regret about that decision. Cool temperatures here but the lack of physical warmth was replaced by a little virtual hug from each ingredient. Blackberries were cleverly poached to bring out more flavour but with the care to leave them as firm as freshly picked. Fluid gels and jellies vibed on the hedgerow fruit and crunch came from both the almond biscuit and a mildly resistant pear. Initially hidden lemon mousse was fluffy and just as it should be - lemony. The cider granita melted into another reminder of the bounty from the estate.

Bells and whistles come as standard here. You’ll certainly find adventure and creativity. But come to Pensons for what really matters - craftsmanship cooking of the highest order delivering food which is achingly honest and utterly delicious.

The first three pictures below will link to Pensons Instagram account where you’ll find plentiful photographs by David Loftus as well as the chance to explore some of the team who are ‘tagged’ in posts. Be prepared to survive on just my final butter photo if I have crossed any copyright boundaries!

Signature Bread - Not baked

Signature Bread - Baked

Signature Bread - with Yeast Butter

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Our Yeast Butter - after we had begun to ‘investigate’

Can’t end this without giving the bread its must mention. The eggshell crust is close to puffball Turkish lavaş but instead of a hollow centre there is a light crumb of white bread. You’ll find greater variety in some restaurant’s bread baskets but here is a sensible approach to make something well and then to repeat doing it so well that it becomes a familiar and reliable companion to your meal.

We furrowed our brows at the silly 12.5% discretionary service charge and added a little more to reflect our gratitude for a great meal. I can’t imagine any guest being unwilling to pay generously for every minute and every mouthful of the wonderful experience which we enjoyed.

Thank you to all the fabulous Pensons team.

You managed to read as far as this? I’m guessing you took a short break to look up dates for your own meal. If not, here is the link you need to make a booking!

Le Champignon Sauvage - Just A Taste

Le Champignon Sauvage Thursday 31 October 2019
Dinner for 3, Table 14

This was the fifth visit for Mrs Cheoff and me. Mum asked to see us around my birthday. For a long while we have wanted to show her the delights on offer at Le Champignon Sauvage. We travelled south to where she still lives in a land of charity shops in Surrey (my toddler and teenage haunts have changed!). Off west to Cheltenham with her for twenty-four hours. By the time we arrived she had offered to pay for the meal. I remain a spoiled child.

A click on this image takes you straight to details for booking.

It would be daftly unnecessary for me to recommend this restaurant to you when respected giants of food criticism have already done so with such gusto and insistence. The complexity of the food and the richness of the personal attentions are, well - complex and rich. So I can’t provide the impossibly full version of events. This will be ‘Just A Taste’ of our delicious experience. But these scattered observations and thoughts are intended to give you a strong flavour of the closest thing to perfection that any restaurant team have offered me.

front of house*

*subheadings follow the convention of Le Champignon Sauvage recipe book titles - all lower case!

Helen Everitt-Matthias greeted us as we entered the restaurant. We have always been impressed - no, seduced - by the wonderful ease with which she orchestrates events on one side of the kitchen traffic door. Her presence at every service here for over thirty-two years is matched by husband David at the stoves on the other side of that door. Her team has always been an integral part of visits. The latest two to stay and benefit from her impeccable training were Belen and Connie. With about two years and two months of experience respectively both were steeped in the excellence which Helen examples. They visited our table with an easy mix of professionalism and informal interaction. By the end of the evening it seemed we were saying goodbye to the equivalent of two new ‘old’ friends.

(I’m now fairly consistent in self-imposing a no camera rule when eating out. Professional studios do a much better job and I suffer less distraction from the most important thing - enjoying the company, the food and the hospitality. A quick written note between courses is as much as I’ll allow. I’ll then record things in my own way once home. Any sketches which follow are the medium through which I relive and enjoy again some of the elements of our meal. Any inaccuracies are entirely down to me.)

canapés

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malt cracker with pouting, smoked mayonnaise and pickled pear

goat’s cheese and onion marmalade cornet - toasted rice

parmesan custard rolled in chorizo powder

The parmesan custard was softer and silkier than ever. The first sketch shows it in the ever-so slightly firmer shape which has been presented to us on previous visits.

Those who do use their cameras at the table supply further evidence and confirmation of the quality of dishes. You will find pictures of the canapés and much more here.

Oh, yes - that mayonnaise really did have a vibrancy suggesting that chef had been foraging in the local art supply shop for cadmium yellow!

amuse bouche

There are labels (colour-coded - nice!) to explain what is going on here. Imagine a clever, lighter version of beef and mushroom stew. And then offer up a small prayer that this is being served if/when you visit.

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chef’s surprise

We had ordered two meat mains. After our starter my double-take and disbelief at the sight of fish cutlery being erroneously laid down at all three covers was short-lived. Helen explained that David wished to offer us an extra course. A perfect cushion of skate topping a bed of mushroom duxelles and chestnuts. Pulled back small enough, bearing in mind the following main course, but totally unrestrained in flavour.
A truly unexpected treat.

wine

Apologies for the unavailability of a half bottle of Champagne were quickly retracted as it was found to be present after all. Just right for three persons plus those canapés.

With the food we drank a six year-old Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc. It was glorious - in colour, aroma, flavour and finish. Mum has twenty-five years more experience of life than me but I still manage to introduce her to wines which induce glazed expressions and shivers of appreciation.

We made successful plans to track down a couple of early vintages and enjoyed a 2010 at home for Christmas.

chef’s surprise - another!

After ordering our dessert Helen asked if I would like to meet David in the kitchen. I went with a crazy mixture of the apprehension which comes from being summoned to the headteacher’s study and joy at the thought of spending a few moments in close contact with an inspiring personal hero. Any intimate revelations shall remain intimate and unrevealed. Besides they were put into firm second place by the lovely chance to see a chef and his team at close quarters producing wonderful things in perfect harmony.
Let’s repeat those words.
A truly unexpected treat.

pre-dessert

A delightful escape from the confusing world of high street coffee where - oh dear - you are asked if you want milk with your ‘Americano’. Camp Coffee chicory might well have been in that granita but Chef twisted things further via his foraging credentials and gave us dandelion root for gentle bitterness. The whole thing was like a cold, mad melange of affogato and cortado. So well judged as to make you wistful for more but light enough to leave room for our choice of main dessert.

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dessert

As soon as I saw it on the menu, my dessert choice became obvious. ‘mango, thai spiced cream, thai green curry sorbet’ is an Everitt-Matthias signature dish. There is no published recipe for it that I can find. Our son, James, shared a tiny taste of the sorbet at one previous meal and it was time for me to confirm what all the fuss was about. All I will say is that I cannot understand how James agreed to share even a morsel of this insane loveliness!

That’s the extent of the ‘tasting menu’ which I’m presenting to you. Starters, main courses, desserts and petits fours are all very fondly remembered but further descriptions are discarded for this reflection (except for those Thai curry accents in my pud, of course!). So you don’t have my reactions to the complete series of experiences at this one wonderful meal. I could always try to do that but I’ll leave you with a link to follow which explains in good measure why, although tempting, that is probably not the best idea.

ichi-go ichi-e

Enjoy your own meal with David, Helen and team whether you are returning or eating there for the first time. I freely admit that tasting for yourself really does beat reading this.

Benedicts... Another Helping

Tasting Menu for three: Friday 11 May 2018

Our fourth visit. About time I dished the dirt, eh? (#Spoileralert: No dirty dishes here - Benedicts is all about hospitality at its polished best)

This meal was a treat for my Mum as part of her 90th birthday celebrations. I had messaged ahead and asked for minimal fuss on that account. Chef Bainbridge has his own inspirational and much-loved mother and I guess he was not going to let my Mum’s evening pass without acknowledging her particular landmark. This greeting card and a pudding with a message at the end of the meal (pic at the end of this post) were quiet, thoughtful gestures which added to Mum’s enjoyment but did not distract other diners. Nicely done.

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We were greeted by Adam Vass who I introduced to Mum as the ‘Head Honcho of Hospitality’. But Adam is just one representative of a team who effortlessly bust a gut to make your dining experience special and memorable.

We shared the current tasting menu. I won’t try to describe the dishes which gave us waves of pleasure across the evening. These pictures should give you more than enough food for thought. They are from Benedicts social media pages and are most likely taken by the multi-faceted and terrifically talented Katja Bainbridge. A click on each picture will link to her originals. Here they are - you might even try scrolling to the end of them before exploring booking options. Good luck!

Be prepared for nibbles and treats to arrive from the kitchen as you relax into your first drinks and try to remain calm at the thought of further glorious offerings in store.

Benedicts Homemade Crisps

Benedicts Mini Cheddar • Apple • Chive

Rice Cracker with Sherry Mousse

Those ‘further glorious offerings’? Here are two dishes from our tasting menu.

Wells Alpine Soup • Wild Garlic Tortellini

‘Milk & Cookies’

There is tangible joy in a room full of excited and delighted diners. This is due to the seamless delivery of everything which should be found in any top restaurant - great food and perfectly judged service. There is also the welcome bonus of generous prices. Mum was able to use all her still very much intact faculties to soak up the wonderful experience created by Benedicts exceptional team.

The Michelin Guide UK have also visited. Their pithy two word assessment below of ‘Simple restaurant’ gives no clue as to the complexity and quality of what is offered at every service at Benedicts. Subjectivity leaves all sorts of blurred edges but I just can’t help wanting to give those Michelin inspectors a subjective kick up the arse.

Richard, Katya and the Benedicts team will, of course, remain magnificent whatever a tyre company or a blogging bloke like me might think.

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Rhubarb dessert and one very happy birthday Mum.

Here are some of the team celebrating yet another award shortly after our visit.

We continue to be lucky enough to have experiences elsewhere which help us know and understand a little bit about good food and service but we loved Benedicts from the start. Each time we return things get better! Which means that our 240 mile journey there and back will never be a barrier to returning as often as we can.

14 Upgate

14 Upgate,
Louth, Lincolnshire

Visited for dinner, 8 November 2017

Social media does continue to show its positives every now and then. Casually following a link on Facebook, I found myself looking at the 14 Upgate website and wondering why such an interesting, and interestingly close restaurant had not come to my notice before.

There are no starred restaurants in northern Lincolnshire but 14 Upgate is in good company and gets a ‘Michelin Plate’. That is the same accolade as ‘Winteringham Fields’ and three other establishments in the 2018 Michelin Guide.

Tasting menus only are available here. Four courses are offered on a Wednesday evening and six for the following three nights. Suggestions of a healthy work/life balance there.

We booked. On a Wednesday for three people. That was mildly unusual but Mum was staying and we wanted to include her in a paid-for meal which could either be put down to experience or would encourage more visits.

Seasoned restaurateur Andrew Leonard is Front of House. In fact he is Front of Everything except the kitchen which is the domain of Michael Bullamore. Andrew guided us upstairs for pre-dinner drinks. The wine list offers ‘usual suspects’ and some interesting alternatives, all at sensible prices. The first tastes of chef’s food came along as canapés.

Carrot Jerky, Mint Yoghurt.
Much more forgiving in texture than meat jerky, the carrot retained its sweetness. Minty yoghurt was a good, mildly sour foil.

Fish Nuggets & Our Own Tomato Ketchup.
We should all make a version of this in our own kitchens as a crowd-pleasing ‘nibble’. Christmas is imminent as I write and will provide a good excuse for doing just that. Although almost any homemade ketchup is going to satisfy, this Louth recipe was lovely and counted as our first suggestion that chef knows very well what he is about.

Downstairs again for our meal.

Malted Grain Bread & Butter.
The absence of good bread can let the side down. No let-down here.

Celeriac & Apple, Pistachios, Louth Cured Pancetta.
Warm up the flavours of a Waldorf Salad? Why not if it works this well. Flavour and texture were very satisfying and the warmth of the base elements slowly melted the pancetta fat into something even richer and more indulgent than any cold mayonnaise dressing.

Leeks, Brown Shrimp, Hazelnut & Lemon Butter.
At a push you could categorise this as ‘Surf & Turf’. The leek, of course, was a much less intensively farmed product than the usual meat element but animal fats were not needed to provide any more flavour. Again, the ingredients had been understood, valued and combined to give so much more than might have been expected. Sweet leeks were charred just enough to offer a balancing bitterness. Shrimps held on to a suggestion of the sea and lemon was pulled back so as not to overpower anything. If I had to pick a favourite from the evening this was it.

Leek, Brown Shrimp, Hazelnut & Lemon Butter. Picture from @michaelbullamore Instagram account

Local Beef Skirt, Beetroot & Horseradish.
No hiding place with this one. Masquerading as slices of rare sirloin steak and tasting just as good, a cheap cut of meat was given top billing. All achieved by sous-vide cooking and last minute pan searing. The beets were more sweet than earthy and my personal taste wanted an extra hit of horseradish. But the meat was perfectly seasoned and finished and the dish still offered much more satisfaction than you might expect from such a simple plate.

Another beef skirt dish. Picture from @michaelbullamore Instagram account

Baked 55% Chocolate & Violet Ice Cream.
Dessert did not rely on the fancy work of a pastry chef. The simplicity of two elements was enough to bring a smile though. Warm, crumbly, chocolatey, cakey slice contrasted with cold but gentle and rather sophisticated violet. A very successful pairing.

The underlying simplicity of each dish means that you can focus on flavours. These are brought out in abundance from just a few elements. Which means that a small plate still holds challenge and interest.

We shared the twelve seat dining room with six others on our visit. Even a limited number of covers doesn’t guarantee constant personal attention but Andrew makes a fine job of serving, informing and explaining… and judging the right time to withdraw. He is the perfect foil to Michael’s kitchen magic.

If I’ve whetted your appetite this is the time to think seriously about booking. Don’t expect to enjoy all, some or any of the dishes I’ve described. Chef is confident and clever and, importantly, competent enough to react to daily availability of fresh produce. He will change his menu according to markets and seasons. So much better and more interesting than trying to give the customer what they want. And you will want what he is offering.

A lovely, short chat with Michael after service revealed that his favourite chef is Simon Rogan. This information gave all the night’s cooking even more clarity. There is no reason, on current evidence, why he shouldn’t develop far enough to garner the starry Michelin accolades of a place like ‘L’Enclume’. After all, chef Rogan was once as good as Michael!

This delightful dining opportunity is two years into its existence in Louth. It is a great chance for you to be looked after by two people who understand how to deliver quality and enjoyment through hospitality. This all comes with terrific value for money. I guess if Michael fulfils the promise of his culinary skills, he could well find work further afield. At present, a recent family addition (Congratulations!) might settle him here longer. But we will certainly book again soon just in case. And as long as chef remains we will continue to book.

The only bad feeling I have regarding this place is that I didn’t know of it sooner... so thank you Facebook!

MR P'S CURIOUS TAVERN

Mrs. Cheoff and I dropped in here on February 16th 2017 for lunch on our way home from a Wearside (literally) Valentine's Day stay. The lingering (ever-present) romance meant that we agreed to share the 'Taste by Surprise' menu without too much argument. 

Charcuterie Plate: Hazelnut and Apple Salami, Chorizo, Lomo,
Bread, Oil and Balsamic

All on this platter was quite delicately cured and flavoured. Very thin slices - but about right considering what was to follow. We dipped our bread into an oil which was unremarkable and a vinegar which was certainly much sharper and less sweet than expected or wanted.

Calamari with Marie Rose Aïoli

The disaster. I foolishly assured Mrs Cheoff that this would convince her to include properly cooked squid in her menu options in future. What arrived was a bowl of those elasticated bobbles which are ideal for tidying up long hair but get sent back to a professional kitchen. The 'bobbles' were coated in a poorly seasoned, slightly damp ‘batter’. I still haven’t worked out how the squid could be so over-cooked inside while the outside coating was so limp. The sauce at least had a fruity, acidic hit of tomato.
Chef agreed to send an alternative.

 ‘Seaside’ Pickled Cockles, Mussels and Oak Roast Salmon
Marsh Samphire, Sour Cream and Poor Man’s Caviar

A clever, very pleasing mix here. Great coastal flavours dragged from the promenade stall and given a few richer touches with a smoked element and a suggestion of caviar which wouldn’t normally appear in your polystyrene cup… this was nicely presented in a ‘Kilner’ jar. Back on track.

Potted Clatter Dove ‘Royale’, Smoked Bacon Butter, Raisins, Black Truffle Brioche

My favourite. Let's forget that silly old ‘caviar’ business - this was truly more indulgent. Smoked butter was far thicker than expected... and all the better for that. Hidden chunks of bacon were awfully welcome. Wood pigeon was delicately rich and balanced out by sharp raisins. Is the fecund aroma of truffle on sweet brioche a step too far? Absolutely not… why stop short of complete and utter seduction?

‘Two Chefs’ Braised Pig Cheek Cottage Pie, Smoked Mashed Potato, Marmite Glazed Carrots

Almost a roaring success. This reads as a crowd-pleaser but, apart from the smashing carrots*, the other elements' flavour and seasoning were disappointingly weak and underplayed. So nearly there.
* I take little heed of you Marmite haters.

Tandoori Pheasant, Spiced Squash, Mango Purée, Fennel, Peanuts and Raisins

Again we had all the ingredients and recipe ideas for a treat. Again the flavours which should have come from spices were almost absent. The meat was dry and it didn't help that any suggestion of hot, smoky tandoor cooking was also missing. Our taste buds were not jaded... we were perfectly ready for further challenge.

Crumbed Black Pudding and Mustard Mayonnaise

This was our replacement for the calamari catastrophe. No real frills here but the earthiness of the pudding was given a wake-up call with just the right attack from mustard. The crumb joined in and formed a trio of well-judged textures. Simple, generous and tasty.

Admiral Collingwood Cheese, Landlord’s Pickle

Most cheeses hit the spot in some way. This was no exception. We’d enjoyed the pickle over at Harome on our last visit. It was lovely to make friends again.

Yorkshire Rhubarb ‘n’ Ginger Upside Down Cheesecake

Not the strongest of finishes. Our main concern was the titchy amount of rhubarb. I couldn't identify much ginger. There was a 'cakey' crumb on top but the 'cheesy' section was replaced with a melted custard ice cream. All a tad confused. And the cold numbed any little flavour which might have been there.

Trebbiano di Romagna, Le Coste Poderi, 2014

Wines are usually reliable from 'Pernshire' and our white didn't disappoint. Driving duty restraints limited our exploration here but the rest of the list looks as sound as expected. There is also a generous ginfest for those so inclined.

All in all a bit of a bumpy ride. We have only enjoyed sheer delight at the flagship (mothership?) Star Inn but I recognise that Mr. P's is a different beast. I would certainly return here but probably not risk the 'surprises' which were sprung upon us. Most of the items were available to choose from the  main menu. I'm sure you could find enough to enjoy on a more personally controlled basis. And, as was made clear, the responsive, professional kitchen is perfectly willing and able to compensate for any occasional weakness. 

I'm not here to put you off. Walk around the quirky interior (between courses or on your way to the loo) but be prepared to focus on the food. York has so much to offer and, when all is said and done, Mr. P's holds out the prospect of city centre eating well above average.

Many thanks to our server, Perrie, who provided confident and reassuring advice and acted as a very diplomatic go-between with the kitchen when things weren't quite right.

Many design considerations went into Mr. P's... look for the influential graphics on this bottle from an interesting South African wine producer when you visit.