The Doors Are Open
Wow! Well, after such a wealth of effort and a hectic few months, the doors are finally open to the British Larder, Suffolk! Reality has set in and impaled itself upon mine and Ross’s lives, and although it feels like it has already been a turbulent rollercoaster ride of a lifetime, the journey has only just begun.
The living embodiment of the British Larder materialised with a bang at the official VIP launch party on Tuesday 3rd August, and to our delight, approximately 180 guests turned up to see what the brand new British Larder Suffolk is all about.
With the doors thrown open and all the little finishing touches in place – the freshly painted walls, stripped wooden floorboards, pots of herbs on each table, jars of goodies adorning the bar, crates of vegetables and jars of jam – the British Larder, Suffolk is finally real. I can still hardly believe it…
Ross and I set to work in the kitchen to make tasters of food for guests, and the menu featured Dingley Dell pork belly, Hill Farm mash with a port wine sauce, Five Winds Farm shoulder of lamb, watercress pesto and cob nut garden salad, orange soused East coast mackerel, fennel and kohlrabi slaw and beetroot tart tatin with broad bean crème fraiche, among others.
Public speaking isn’t really my forte but I took great pleasure in welcoming all the guests to our new restaurant venture, and the food certainly went down a treat! From journalists and local suppliers to council representatives and British Larder fans, the guests seemed to be really savouring the wonderful food, drink and atmosphere at the British Larder, Suffolk. So exciting!
I have to admit it has been a challenging time for all of us – so many people have been involved in this project to make it happen and I can’t thank them enough for the support and effort they have given me. I do feel a sense of relief that it’s actually happening now, the limbo period of groundwork has been put in place, and now it’s time to really get things moving.
The British Larder, Suffolk has begun to feel like home for us – we have settled in and are incredibly excited to build upon this dream and make it a tangible, long-standing business success. It has been so hands-on from the beginning – I even personally planted all the trees and flowers embellishing the outside frontage!
With all the hard work that has demanded pretty much all of my time and energy, I have been slightly less involved in my website blogs, but fear not, it’s all settling down and I will establish a routine that will allow me to balance cooking, writing and running the restaurant (phew!).
I am really excited about getting down to writing more recipes and gathering some fantastic inspiration from my new rural surroundings. Having a daily changing menu is a wonderful way of demonstrating the best of the local, seasonal produce at its freshest, as well as expressing our creativity in the kitchen!
We really look forward to welcoming you through our doors to visualise, taste and experience the British Larder, and to share our passion for food and drink in the beauty of the Suffolk countryside, so pop in and pay us a visit!
For bookings please contact us on: 01394 460310
The British Larder, SuffolkOrford Road
Bromeswell
Nr Woodbridge Suffolk
IP12 2PU
I know you’re all hungry to see an example of our menu at the British Larder, Suffolk, so I have posted one here…
British Larder Suffolk
Dinner Menu 05th Augusts 2010
To Start…
Bread Basket & Slightly Salted Butter £2.00
Spinach and Garden Pea Soup; Goats Cheese and Thyme Cigarillo (V) £4.75
Warm Mackerel and New Potato Salad with Creamed Horseradish and Radishes £5.75
Upside down Beetroot Tart, Broad Bean Cream (V) £5.50
Pinney’s of Orford Smoked Salmon Plate, Capers and Lemon £8.50
To Share …
The Orford Smoke House Experience: Smoked Prawns; Smoked Salmon with Capers and Lemon; Smoked Trout Pate £10.00 per plate
To follow…
East Anglian Cauliflower Cheese with Roasted Vine Tomatoes (V) £11.00
Slow Cooked Bramfield Reared Shoulder of Lamb; Hill Farm Rapeseed Oil Mash; Salt Baked Beetroot and Griddled Leeks £15.00
Oven Roasted Sutton Hoo Chicken with Crushed New Potatoes; Sautéed Savoy Cabbage and Pancetta £14.50
Pan-Fried East Coast Line Caught Hake with Clams Cooked in Aspal Cider and Buttered Spinach £14.50
Bramfield-Reared Rib Eye Steak, Crispy Onion Rings, Chips & Béarnaise Sauce £19.00
Lavish Mersea-Landed Lobster Macaroni Bake £23.50
To accompany…
All £2.50
Rosemary and Sea Salt Roasties / Pan-fried leeks, Peas and Wilted Spinach/ Leafy Summer Salad/ Glazed Carrots with Garden Herbs
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Hi,
Congratulations on how far you got in ‘Britains best Dish’ Just finished watching. Marvellous.
Merry Christmas
Blimey! Was in Woodbridge at the weekend and din’t know about you. Spent a fruitless hour looking for ‘The Dog’, then tried The Turk, then ended up at Tescos and made our own! Will definitely be stopping by! Can’t wait. All the very best,A llen
hi Maddy,
long time no see!! the restaurant looks great. im back in london now working as sous chef at 40/30 on the top floor of the gherkin. i spent 6 months working for heston at the fat duck until september this year. my dad’s just brought a house near woodbridge, ill be sure to bring him down for dinner next time i visit him. great to see your doing well. the food looks amazing. hopefully see you soon. take care
Jason
What a thoroughly agreeable way to spend a lazy Sunday, great menu, super wine list and thanks to Veru for her yummy dessert wine recommendation … We just polished off the last of the bottle with our friend who joined us today. Will definitely be back for Xmas Day lunch and poss New Year’s Eve too.
Only tweak we’d ask for would be for you to pop a cheeky bottle of Tio Pepe or a manzanilla in the fridge…
thanks for looking after us so well.
This looks absolutely fantastic!
Even as a devoted blog reader, I feel a sense of proudness
If I ever touch down in the UK I will be sure to take the first cab out to Suffolk!
Congrats
we had a lovely meal the other night, the food was delicious and came up to expectations. everyone is so friendly and the atmosphere is very relaxing. I love the decor and cannot believe the transformation. we had a drink in the bar beforehand which is also a nice area to sit and chat.we will certainly be returning in the very near future. well done, a fabulous addition to the area. I cannot wait to take any guests that come to stay, they are sure to be impressed.