A Last Taste of Sienna

A few weeks ago we made a trip down to Dorset especially to revisit the Michelin starred Sienna in Dorchester,restaurant of Russell Brown. With great sadness we found out that Russell plans to close in April ,12 years after opening. With this in mind and also with memories of the last  wonderful meal we had there just under a year ago,we decided we had to make a return visit before closure so we could enjoy Russell's magnificent culinary creations for one last time.
We made a reservation for a Thursday night and made our way to Dorchester where we were staying. On arriving at the restaurant we were once again greeted by Russell's wife,the very lovely Elena. We were shown to our table and given the menus to peruse and at once hit upon a problem!! There were so many things on the normal menu that we wanted but couldn't decide on. So we decided to opt for the 7 course tasting menu as this had some of the options on. Good choice. This was to be taken by the whole table which was okay with both of us. For those of you who have never come across a tasting menu it is a menu made up of lots of little plates. This way you get to try a multitude of dishes without eating too much.

Whilst making our choice we were brought out some tasty little canapes. Just the right amount to start the tastebuds tingling. A miniature Leek and Bacon Tart, crispy Cheese Straws and the most wonderful Goat's Cheese Truffle which to be honest if I were to be given a box of those instead of chocolates I'd happily devour. Now with our appetite ready for more we eagerly awaited the first course. This was Celeriac soup with caramelised apple served with a Cheese and Apple Muffin. I think celeriac tends to be one of those vegetables that is quite underused. It is not exactly attractive with its gnarled roots at one end. Those people who decide against it are missing out big time. This soup with its mild celery type flavour was perfect,silky in texture with hidden caramelised apple in it. Also the cheese and apple muffin was a perfect accompaniment, being light and fluffy much better than having bread with it.

Our next course was one of the dishes from the main menu.Duck Liver Parfait with Pickled Rhubarb,Onion and Rhubarb Chutney with Chargrilled Baguette. Wow! as a fairly newbie to rhubarb I was thrilled with this. What have I been missing all these years? The parfait smooth and light not at all like a pate which seems thick in comparison ,the pickled rhubarb and the chutney balancing up the richness of it. Also the baguette was thinly sliced therefore so again not filling you up but leaving you eating just the right amount. Once again a perfect dish.

The next dish a derivitive of another from the main menu , Butternut Squash ,Old Winchester Agnolotti with Sage Beurre Noisette. This is the type of dish which would make me happy to be a vegetarian. It had so much flavour ,the sweetness of the butternut squash coming through and not being overpowered by the sage. The pasta also was cooked to perfection.


The fish course was a delightful chunk of Panfried fillet of Cod with Chorizo,Lemon and Parsley. The cod so meaty and delicious sat on a small bed of greens with the slight spiciness of the chorizo to compliment it. Two little dots of  lemon and parsley intense in flavour just enough to give zing to the fish.
Next came the meat course and possibly my favourite (although when I think back I really think they were all my favourites) . This was possibly the biggest course but I was happy with that. Roast Rump of Lamb with Panfried Polenta,Smokey Aubergine Puree and Red Pepper sauce. What an absolute delight. This is the sort of dish which stops me being vegetarian. A magnificent tasting piece of lamb cooked pink served on cavolo nero (which I think is my favourite green). The iron of the cavolo nero complimenting the lamb perfectly,crisply cooked polenta instead of potatoes and the smokey aubergine (inspired by Sabrina Ghayor) finishing it all off . Yes I think my favourite. A perfect plate of food in every way.

Cheese course next and this was a bit of a challenge for me as it contained pear. Something I loathe. Its the grittiness of it that I don't like .But this year I have pledged to myself to try the things I dislike to just remind myself why I don't like them and to see if anything has changed. (although I still maintain sprouts are out of the question). Gorgonzola Dolce with Fresh Pear and Sea Salt Crackers. What can I say? As on our last visit the cheese is served at the perfect temperature to be able to taste it, not just removed from the fridge just before serving as I've had previously. Many a cheese board can be spoiled by it being served too cold.  I liked this pear,it was not gritty and came in two ways one a smooth puree and the other sliced with a few leaves and a dressing . It was delicious and a pleasure to eat. There was just enough of the creamy cheese which was accompanied by two beautifully crisp sea salt crackers.

Then we had a lovely little surprise a bonus course of a little glass packed with Rhubarb and Ginger Cheesecake.What a lovely bonus,a classic combination,not at all heavy .The sharp rhubarb and spicy ginger being tamed by the cheesecake.

The Desert course was sublime. Saffron,Honey,Raisin and Marmalade Sponge with Clotted Cream Ice Cream and an Orange syrup. This was a perfect final course as the sponge was so light it was a dream ,not at all the pudding that you sometimes can't eat because its just that little bit too heavy. The sweetness of the honey and raisins balnced by the marmalade sponge.The clotted cream not too rich to spoil the rest of the dish. A really good end to a good meal.

We opted for coffee to finish with and were presented along with it a lovely plate of petit fours and more wonderful flavours. A tiny Lemon Curd Tart ,Clotted Cream Shortbread and a Seville Orange Chocolate Ganache. The best way that I could have ended this fabulous dining experience. We left the restaurant having eaten the perfect amount,not too much that it was uncomfortable and not too little that we were looking for the local chippy on the way back. A skill indeed when planning a tasting menu.
Were we glad we returned before Sienna closes its doors for the last time. Most definitely. The quality,choice and experience was as perfect as the first time we went.
What next for Russell. Well he has embarked on a new venture which allows him to follow other pursuits within his field.He has set up a new website Creative About Cuisine which outlines his next moves which include demonstrations,teaching ,food consultancy and photography. The new website will include blogs from Russell and other guest contributors.
I'm also hoping that somewhere along the line there might be the possibility of the odd pop up restaurant so we can once again sit and enjoy a wonderful meal cooked by Russell.

Friars Farm

Friars Farm are local producers of jams,chutneys and sauces.It is run by Steve Reid and Rachel Cooper with a little help from their family.They try to include their own homegrown or local ingredients wherever possible in their preserves .Some of these from their garden and some from a little plot of land they have just outside of town.They sell to the public and also to local businesses including Towcester Racecourse.They also make a sauce 'Vampire's Rock' for the hit rock show of the same name. They also have some pigs on their plot which occasionally end up as fantastic sausages and beautiful pulled pork.
I was recently asked by Steve to come up with some recipes to show that preserves are not just  for the 'cold plate' and are versatile in other ways.He gave me a few jars of lovely goodies to play around with and the following recipes are what I came up with.I hope you enjoy them a much as I did creating them.

Goat's Cheese Parcels
200g goat's cheese (I used the large goats cheese log but any firmer cheese will do)
4 heaped tsp. Friars Farm Apple and Fig Chutney
melted butter
6 sheets Filo pastry cut in half

 Divide the goat's cheese into 4 slices. Layer 3 of  the filo pastry squares diagonally into a 'star shape brushing each sheet in the centre with the melted butter as you go.Add 1 tsp of the chutney to the centre and palce the goat's cheese on top.Bring each corner into the centre leaving the edges sticking out not overlapped to make a parcel.Brush generously with melted butter .Repeat with the other 3 parcels. Place on a greased baking tray. Cook in a preheated oven 200C /fan 180c/Gas 6 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side salad. Serves 4

Cheesy Potato Bake
Friar's Farm Tomato and Red Pepper Relish
approx 450g potatoes ,peeled
melted butter
140g cooked ham
2 eggs
100 g firm cheese ( I used Cobbler's Nibble Gold our local cheese) grated or crumbled
200 ml milk
salt and pepper

Very thinly slice the poatoes and use to layer a greased deep baking dish (a silicone one is ideal if you want to turn it out to serve on a plate).Season with salt and pepper and brush each layer with butter as you go. Cover with greaseproof paper and cook in the oven 200c/180C/Gas6 for  about 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft but not crispy.Remove the greaseproof paper and spread on a layer of the relish .Then layer the ham then the cheese on top of the potatoes . Beat the eggs lightly and add the milk.Season and pour over the cheese,ham and potato. Bake for another 40 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and  spread another layer of the relish on top whilst still warm. Either serve from the dish or turn out and serve with a side salad.This dish could be served hot or cold but we found it delicious served hot. Serves 4

Cranberry and Orange Sauce
140 ml red wine
140 ml chicken stock
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
4-5 tablespoons Friars Farm Cranberry Salsa
1 teaspoon Brown sugar
 Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over a high heat until boiling then reduce to a medium heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened.Season if necessary and serve.I served this sauce with roast duck but it would be just as nice served with chicken or turkey.

And last but not least Friars Farm Chilli Jam .I used this as a glaze for both some Friars Farm sausages and the gammon that I cooked and roasted to go into the Cheesy Potato Bake. It would be equally as nice on grilled salmon or pork roasted in the oven. Just brush the chilli jam on 5 - 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Duck and Waffle

We visited the Duck and Waffle as a surprise treat for my husband's birthday one very cold, sunny day in January. Before we even reached the restaurant itself we were greeted by an amazing sight of London in the glass fronted elevator which zoomed us up to the 40th floor where the restaurant is situated.On entering the restaurant you walk into a seating area with an island bar in the middle.As with the rest of the restaurant this was bathed in light from the large glass windows. Our coats were checked  into the cloakroom and we were escorted to our table.
Unfortunately by the time we got there all of the daily  specials had gone (note to self; book an earlier table next time) so we just had the lunchtime menu and the wine list to peruse.At this point it's really difficult to concentrate on either the menu or the  views both of them vying for your attention. My husband asked if they had a non alcoholic beer,which they hadn't but they offered a non alcoholic cocktail instead. As he didn't know what to have our waiter said that he would bring a surprise.Out came a wonderful pomegranate based cocktail which went down very well.My son and myself chose a bottle of red (which happened to be the cheapest .A lot of the wine being above our price range).Then the difficult part.What to choose from the menu.The problem wasn't that there were pages and pages of dishes to choose from it was that the dishes that were there all sounded so good we took ages trying to decide.Changing our minds a few times.We thought that if we each had a different starter then we could all have a taste of 3 different dishes. A good move!!

 I chose the Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut.I had seen this dish posted again and again on social media and had been so wanting to try it.I was not disappointed.Served with apricot jam and smoked paprika sugar the dish had a sweet kick but was totally savoury if that makes sense..Beautifully tender ox cheek in a fluffy savoury doughnut sat on top of just enough of the apricot jam.Absolutely fantastic!! My husband chose the Foie Gras Creme Brulée .Again a sweet sounding dish but definitely not.The foie gras brulée topped by butter roasted lobster was melting and creamy.The lobster sweet and fresh.Served with toasted brioche on the side this was an indulgent and delicious starter.Well worth trying.The last starter we chose was the Wild Cornish Pollock Meatballs served in a lobster cream with Parmesan.Once again a beautiful dish .Light ,fresh fish 'meatballs' served in a lovely creamy sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan. Well balanced with the parmesan not overpowering either the meatballs or the sauce,this dish was brought to the table in a little cast iron casserole which was piping hot.A nice way to present the dish.

For the main event I chose the eponymous Duck and Waffle.Crispy confit duck leg sitting on a waffle with a fried egg on top.It came with mustard maple syrup in a little jug that was drizzled on top. The only thing that put me off this let's face it unusual dish was the fried egg as I am not a lover of fried egg white.This year I have decided to eat more of the things that 'I don't like' and in this case I was right to do so as the egg combined with the rest of the dish was not at all like the rubber egg white that can so easily happen but was actually very tasty.Once again although a 'sweet ' dish this was so well balanced that it worked so well the different components complimenting one another to make a very good plate.My husband and son decided on the sharing plate of the Longhorn Rib Eye from Thirsk.This was served with roast onions, heritage radish and love it or hate it Marmite hollandaise.This dish actually looked like a work of art on the plate.The rib eye was cooked medium (as recommended) and came sliced on the plate dressed with the onions and radish and green leaves. Nestled in the middle was a marrow filled bone .A little spoon provided to scoop out the silky delicious marrow in the middle.A really tasty extra.The steak had been cooked to perfection and had a fine flavour to it.A good piece of beef.Marmite hollandaise.What can I say ?We are a family of Marmite lovers (apart from 1! There's always one) and so were quite happy to try the hollandaise.I am sure that even if you are a Marmite hater that you would love this as we did.A very clever balance of the Marmite. Just enough to flavour it but not too much to overpower it.Perfect.An idea I might have to steal.With our mains we ordered a side of Ratte Potatoes described as potatoes with pine and Marmite. I couldn't detect a taste of pine but once again there was just the subtle hint of Marmite which made for a different but very tasty potato dish.

In between our mains and desserts the waiter very kindly brought out a litte plate with happy birthday written in chocolate on and little delicious sweet titbits ,crowned off with a candle.A lovely touch.
For our desserts two of us went for the Orange Posset which was smooth and fruity topped off with an Aperol granita and a wondeful pineapple crisp.My son opted for the Pistachio and Dark chocolate Macaroon Sandwich which was as grand as it sounded.The plate being dressed with drunken cherries and crystallised white chocolate . A very nice end to a fantastic meal and a wonderful experience.
A meal at the Duck and Waffle is not just about the food.Although that's the major part.Its about the all round experience, the service and the views.An experience that I'd highly reccommend and really want again.

Cafe spice namaste

A few weeks ago I won tickets to Cafe Spice Namaste's Khaadraas Club Dinner. A Parsee Wedding Feast. This was to celebrate Cyrus  and Pervin Todiwala's flagship restaurant being open for 19 years.We arrived and were asked to choose a seat at one of the long tables.I liked the seating arrangements as we were not individually seated but were sat near to people that we hadn't met before but went on to have some enjoyable conversation with. This is a great way to chat away to folks you wouldn't normally meet. On the table already were popaddoms along with 2 types of Mr Todiwala's chutneys.One quite spicy and the other slightly more sweeter.Both just right to get the taste buds going.

Before we went onto the 'feast' Cyrus went on to explain exactly who the Parsees were and how they fled Persia and came to live in India.We found this very interesting. He also told us how their food integrated into Indian cuisine.

We started the meal with Patra No Machchi-Haddock wrapped in fresh green coconut chutney ,rolled in a banana leaf and steamed .Served with Bheenda Purr Eeda -Eggs steamed on a base of diced okra cooked simply with garlic and fresh coriander. Light and delicious.This was a lovely way to serve eggs which I intend to cook at home. The second course Sali Murghi Nay Rotli -Chicken in a tomato based sauce flavoured with whole spices,finished with apricots and served sprinkled with fine straw potato and a chapatti. The sauce in this dish was rich with a hint of sweetness from the apricots once again so good.
The main course Gos No Palav Taraela Masala Na Papaeta ,Masala Ni Daar and Cachumber-Lamb Pulao with spiced lentils and red onion salad with chunks of fried spiced potato. The lamb 'hidden' underneath the rice beautiful,tasty and tender .One of my real favourites, the lentils were like no others I've had before .Simply fantastic!!! Not like the dhansak that you get from Indian takeaways these were cooked down into a delicious sauce actually tasting of the spices that were in it. Probably my favourite.
Last but not least came the Pista Kulfi.the beautiful silky ice cream typical of India,this time flavoured with Iranian pistachios.
The Khaadraas Club dinners are held regularly usually with some sort of theme. The next one being paired with glengoyne whiskies. The one after that a celebration of Burn's night.If you can make one I can highly recommend it.
 One final point, on leaving the restaurant there is an area that has awards and newspaper reports of Cyrus and Pervin's achievements and shows how passionate they are in supporting local and British suppliers providing their restaurants with excellent quality produce.

Cafe Spice Namaste

Mixed Game Suet Pudding and Frontera wine

I was recently asked by Andy Hunting of Andy's Kitchen to review and develop a recipe using Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon wine.After some thought of what I would make I opted for a suet pudding to go with the colder weather.This is an easy recipe that I cooked in 2 stages.The addition of the wine made a rich flavoursome sauce.Try it and see what you think.

Mixed Game and Suet Pudding

300g mixed diced game(I used a mix of pheasant,venison,partridge and mallard)
1 medium red onion,chopped
2 medium carrots ,chopped
3-4 mushrooms ,chopped
1 pint chicken stock
1 bay leaf
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
250 ml  Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon red wine
1 tablespoon mushroom ketchup (optional)
225 g Self Raising flour
115g suet
140 ml water
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon

For the first stage I used my slow cooker but you could use a low oven and slow cook this way.Add the game, onion, carrots, mushrooms, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme, red wine and mushroom ketchup if using .Cook until tender depending on your slow cooker this is usually about 4 hours on low setting. (About 2-3 hours in a low oven but cover tightly so it doesn't dry up).When cooked set aside the game and vegetables and put the remaining stock/wine into a saucepan. Season to taste.Mix the cornflour with the 2 tbsp wine and slowly mix into the saucepan and then bring gently to the boil, stirring until thickened.Leave to cool.

Next mix the self raising flour,suet, salt and pepper in a bowl.Add the water a little at a time until a soft dough is formed.Divide 2/3 of it and roll out to fit a lightly greased 1 pint pudding basin.Add the cooked game,vegetables and then top up with the gravy leaving a 1/2 inch gap at the top. Reserve any left over gravy for serving.Roll out the remaining  pastry to make a lid and secure with a little water and then crimp ensuring a tight seal with no gaps. Next take a large piece of greaseproof paper enough to cover the pudding and make a pleat down the middle and  cover the pudding .(this allows the pastry to rise).Secure with string. Next put the pudding into either a steamer over a saucepan of boiling water or into a deep saucepan on an upturned saucer at the bottom. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours topping up water as necessary . If using a pressure cooker to cook refer to the manual as the cooking times will be a lot less.
After 1 1/2 hours carefully remove the pudding from the saucepan and remove the greaseproof paper taking care as the steam is released.Turn out onto an upturned plate and serve.

Serving suggestion :serve with mashed potato,carrots and roasted parsnips.
Serves 4




Just a quick note on the wine .I found the Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon not only wonderful to cook with but also an easy drinking wine.With a dark ruby colour and a fruity taste I found that it complimented the game in the pudding reall well.

Sol y Lunas Northampton

I recently visited Sol y Luna with my family for a night out to celebrate my birthday.It was the second visit for some of us and for the rest it was their first time.We opted for a late table as we wanted a leisurely meal rather than knowing we had to be finished by a certain time for the earlier sitting.The reason for this being that it is not an overly large restaurant but is extremely popular and therefore very busy at times.We were asked to wait in the new outdoor seating area at the back which is very pleasant and will be lovely extra seating to eat in the summer,whilst they cleared the table .We ordered our drinks and had a good look at the menu whilst we waited.One point that I will make is that one of our party doesn't drink and unfortunately like an enormous amount of other establishments the only drinks on offer are orange juice (and J2o type drinks) and the normal fizzy coke and lemonade.There are so many fantastic alternatives out there now why not use them? We did point this out and were told that the possibility of home made lemonade is on the cards....a much better offering.
This visit we decided to once again go for the majority of the menu but decided against the pinchos this time (sliced bread served with various toppings) opting for something from the specials board instead.As the dishes were cooked they were served to us.Beautiful small plates of well cooked tapas.On the vegetable side we went for the well known Patatas Bravas served with a generous dollop of garlicky alioli (a wonderfully garlic mayonnaise),Patatas Camperas con Salsa Verde - potatoes with a herby sauce and Padron Peppers simply fried and sprinkled with salt.It is said that eating them is liking playing russian roulette with spicy heat.Only the odd one is hot whilst the others are mild.We had no overly spicy ones on our dish but they were still very tasty.The Champignones de la Granja (flat mushrooms stuffed with melted cheese and tomato) were still juicy,the cheese just melted right.

On the cheese front we also opted for Queso de Cabra baked goat's cheese with caramelised onion and redcurrant rather like a baked camembert all melted and oozing.
The fish options we chose were all time Spanish holiday favourite Calamares a la Romano.However these were not the chewy,bouncy rings of package holidays but cooked to perfection and rather nice dipped into the alioli.We also had 2 other squid dishes and were glad we did as these were also not the chewy squid that everyone imagines but were once again cooked to perfection being perfectly tender (chewy squid can put people off for life.You must try these if you visit).Chipirones en Salsa Tomate was squid simply cooked in a tangy tomato sauce.Simple but nevertheless delicious.The other one from the specials board was perhaps a braver choice for those of us that had never had squid ink before. Chiperones en Su Tinta - Baby Squid cooked in Cuttlefish Ink.Apart from the ardent non fish eater amongst us we all agreed that this dish was absolutely delicious and we would choose that one again with no problem.Along with large juicy prawns cooked in olive oil,chilli and garlic (delicious) we also had the chilled mixed seafood salad with olives ,pepper and onion in a vinagrette.Although this was a nice dish I personally wouldn't choose this next time.I didn't find it as appealing as most of the other dishes.We also had the deep fried whitebait in breadcrumbs which although not to my taste were devoured and declared fantastic!!

The meat dishes had to include the old favourite of albondigas the little meatballs in a rich tomato sauce that most of us associate with tapas.There were however dishes that i hadn't tried before and that I found very good indeed Carcamusas,a rich stew of tomato,peas and tender pork shoulder...tender being the word.Pollo Limonero lightly seared chicken with lemon ,rosemary and white wine,a light dish with a delicate flavour .We also had another mushroom dish,this time with melted cheese and salty serrano ham,a perfect combination. of course a tapas meal wouldn't be complete without  a chorizo dish.....or two! The first one being Chorizo del Inferno,spiced chorizo chunks ,fire roasted red peppers and chilli oil.A lovely kick .The second dish being Chorizo slices cooked in a cider sauce .Once again a lovely dish.Great with bread to dip up the lovely juices.Finally from the specials board we went for our only pincho of the night,Pincho de Morcilla con Queso Azul y de Tomate or Rustic Bread with Spanish Black Pudding ,Blue cheese and tomato jam.A nice little bite on  a plate with an unusual combination.

For the dessert I was quite disappointed that they had run out of the Crema Caramelo (they also earlier run out of the tortilla) as this is one of my favourites and one of only 3 dessert dishes on the menu.I consoled myself with Sorbete de Frambuesa .Fruity Raspberry sorbet with fresh berries and
berry sauce. This was indeed also very good.The others went for the Hebdo de Caramelo y Nueces
Salted Caramel Ice Cream, drizzled with Moscatel sauce and finished with walnuts which they also said was equally as good.
All in all this was a fantastic meal ,the food and atmosphere of Sol y Luna is very good and makes for a great evening when socialising .They are also have the tables outside (at the front as well ) and welcome people popping by just for a drink.A highly recommended evening out.

Sol y Lunas

The Dairy Clapham

The Dairy Clapham

We recently spent a few days in London and decided to try out The Dairy.I'd seen some fantastic pictures of food on twitter and had read also how much effort they go into ensuring that their staff are well fed on food from the restaurant. This made me want to try it all the more. After getting off the tube you find yourself on a rather pleasant high street on which The Dairy is situated. On the day we went we arrived to find Mary Berry sitting in the window after just having filmed something for the BBC there. We were seated at a high table with old school science lab chairs.Looking around it has that feel of somewhere really relaxed and informal (there were even bar stools made from milk crates fixed together).Definitely an eclectic mix of furnishings but very pleasant.There were large doors at the front which they later opened as the weather was so sunny and warm.





We looked at the 2 menus that we were given and decided to go for the £25 special 4 course lunch. This meant choosing one from each section of  Snack - Garden -Sea or Land and a Dessert. Although the menu was not an extensive one we still had trouble choosing as the combinations sounded so good we had the dilemma of which one to choose. As we were waiting we were bought out some little canapes which we devoured before I  could even snap a photo.We were then bought out a little warm hessian type bag with a small  bread in accompanied by absolutely wonderful hay smoked marrowbone butter served on a pebble.Then came our 'snack' my hubby chose the Truffled Brie de Meaux on a fig &walnut toast with rooftop honey ( their own).The truffle sprinkled on top unsparingly. I opted for the Galician octopus,fresh coco beans and Sicilian tomatoes. The octopus in this dish was so well cooked it was so tender and not at all chewy.The octopus as tender as the beans.  
Next course was the 'Garden' course.This time hubby had Soft Bantam egg with wild mushrooms.The combination of the earthy mushrooms with the eggs simple but delicious!

My choice was the Hay smoked curd,Jerusalem artichokes,roasted onions and chanterelles. The Jerusalem artichoke is a vegetable which many people turn their nose up at.This was a dish which you wouldn't be able to do this with. The artichoke was cooked in different ways which gave the dish many textures, the smokiness adding another aspect which finished it off.Another very good dish.

We both chose the same dish for the 'Land' selection. This was a really difficult choice for myself as I found it really difficult to choose.I think I could have had all 3 very easily!! We opted for the Yorkshire venison,celeriac,game sausage and blackberries. a rather pretty dish with a good balance of the fruit with the game.The venison cooked pink and the little nuggets of sausage had  a nice gamey spiciness.



For dessert hubby had the Roasted pears ,hay milk pannacotta and brown butter.An unusual dessert but pronounced delicious as it was demolished! I had the Salted caramel,cacao and malted barley ice cream.I very rarely  go for anything chocolate related for dessert but as the other 2 had pears and apples in (not my favourites) I tried this.I'm so glad I did.Because it was cacao instead of chocolate this was not overly sweet but was full of flavour,the ice cream perfectly complimenting it.
Feeling a bit naughty we also decided to add the cheese course in to the end of our meal.Again we were so glad we did .36 month aged Comte with strawberry grapes and homemade maple and thyme crackers. The right amount of a good cheese makes up for masses of bland cheese.
The final surprise came as we were waiting for our bill a couple of lovely Petit fours served in a little old  fashioned tin.A perfect end to a perfect meal.
We would highly recommend The Dairy.The food is not the normal run of the mill but very cleverly put together ingredients that really work well.An all round very enjoyable experience.This is somewhere we would definitely return.