Following on from our previous reviews of the North West & N. Ireland chefs appearing in BBC’s Great British Menu , week 3 sees a heat for chefs from the South West, Judged by Sat Bains (whose restaurant, Sat Bains, we reviewed previously and yet again there’s access but no disabled facilities – maybe the BBC are doing this to make a point?? ..Doubt it, so we will !!). I did talk to Sat Bains and he said there has been no issue with people in wheelchairs using his restaurant or the toilets, even though there are no grab rails? I’m going to visit soon so will let you know.
First up is Dominic Chapman who also worked with Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck and The Hinds Head in Bray. He’s now head chef at The Royal Oak, Paley Street, Berks where he earned a Michelin star & three AA rosettes. He came 3rd in this heat but his cooking looked brilliant especially his starter of ‘Mock Turtle Soup’ a consomme made from a calf’s head. The Royal Oak has flat access except for a small step into the restaurant and the garden is step free but there’s no room for a disabled toilet ‘they would have to remove the gents’. I’d rather share than not have a DT but planners say you must have a certain number of toilets based on occupancy …….so the disabled get left crossing their legs!! Why no common sense?? They get a provisional 2 BBS Ticks.
Next was Josh Eggleton who became one of the youngest pub and restaurant proprietors in the country by taking over The Pony & Trap in Chew Magna near Bristol. It won a Michelin star in 2011 which has been maintained. They actually have information on access on their website and there are 4 steps down to the restaurant in the 200 year old building. However, in the front (Pub) part, it is accessible and they have tables for disabled diners. There’s no disabled toilet but they know they should have one and the good news is they have plans for an extension with a disabled toilet in oct 2014 – well done!! A provisional 2 BBS Ticks until then. Oh and by the way he came a close second with some well presented dishes that sounded delicious to me – “Rations on the Home Front” (deep fried pigs head fritters and chilled pea soup topped with pork crackling and crispy pancetta, served with little jars of pickled vegetables) and “Normandy rabbit” (doughboys, rabbit faggots, stuffed rabbit saddle, salt-baked carrots, chargrilled broccoli and rabbit broth), served in a helmet.
The winner however was Emily Watkins from The Kingham Plough , which we previously reviewed and gave her a provisional 2 BBS Ticks. They have a ground floor disabled toilet, there’s one step into the bar and four into the dining room. So access isn’t brilliant but I think a disabled toilet is more important, if I have to choose. Her cooking on GBM was a bit erratic/chaotic at times but she won through with some lovely sounding dishes especially her fish and dessert dishes – “Fight Them on the Beaches” (flasks filled with cockle broth along with griddled scallops, sea greens, shells, braised morels in mess tins, and finally tobacco tins with dehydrated seasoning) and “Street Party” (blackberry jelly cubes, blackberry gel, fresh blackberries, lardy cakes on mini cake stands, blackberry mousse, blackberry buttermilk sorbet & poppyseed remembrance tuiles). Her presentation won the day in my opinion but the main course from Josh sounded the best to eat.
So the South West Chefs all have old pubs with varying degrees of access but only the winner Emily Watkins has a disabled toilet. It’s the Central region next and I can’t wait to see what’s revealed in the accessibility stakes!!