Mang
31-03-2012, 03:23 PM
Last Wednesday I headed to St. Albans in Hertfordshire to attend the first of what will be many nights of a collaboration between http://the-foragers.com/ and http://www.woodland-ways.co.uk/ The foragers are two guys, George and Gerald, who use nature’s bounty in their dishes. They have gained permission to access a large area of land on the Veralum estate (indeed Lady Veralum attended the meal). The long term aim is to use the longer nights to forage for edibles, bring them back and the chef’s will make the menu up around what’s found. As the light was fading by 7.30 this opening night was started by a talk by Woodland Ways senior instructor Kevan Palmer on all aspects of foraging. I got their rather early and had a rather interesting chat with Kevan before anyone else arrived which was a Brucie bonus.
Let’s start with the night’s menu...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01110.jpg
A shot of the restaurant board explaining their ethos and showing forthcoming events...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01087-1.jpg
A shot of Kevan with George, one of the co-owners, doing his foraging talk...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01090.jpg
The starters...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01101.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01098.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01097.jpg
The mains...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01108.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01107.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01105.jpg
And the dessert (Cowslip, Daisy and Dandelion)...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01109.jpg
I would have had any of the night's dishes and say that most of the people were there as diners (ie not regular foragers or bushcrafters) but whatever your angle, the food was really well cooked and presented and all the staff I spoke to really seemed to have brought into the foraging way. It certainly wasn’t restaurateurs being poncy by just adding some chopped leaves to the top of a dish, but equally it wasn’t really extreme stuff either.
The only drawback was that I got four hours sleep before starting work the next day! I am spoilt on Hertfordshire because I am also close to http://www.thecountrybumpkin.co.uk/ and this has made me realise that I need to get off my butt and visit them too.
Let’s start with the night’s menu...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01110.jpg
A shot of the restaurant board explaining their ethos and showing forthcoming events...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01087-1.jpg
A shot of Kevan with George, one of the co-owners, doing his foraging talk...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01090.jpg
The starters...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01101.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01098.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01097.jpg
The mains...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01108.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01107.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01105.jpg
And the dessert (Cowslip, Daisy and Dandelion)...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e121/Mang1967/escouts/DSC01109.jpg
I would have had any of the night's dishes and say that most of the people were there as diners (ie not regular foragers or bushcrafters) but whatever your angle, the food was really well cooked and presented and all the staff I spoke to really seemed to have brought into the foraging way. It certainly wasn’t restaurateurs being poncy by just adding some chopped leaves to the top of a dish, but equally it wasn’t really extreme stuff either.
The only drawback was that I got four hours sleep before starting work the next day! I am spoilt on Hertfordshire because I am also close to http://www.thecountrybumpkin.co.uk/ and this has made me realise that I need to get off my butt and visit them too.