I'm a fairly modern girl with fairly modern tastes, so when I decided to go to the first Supper Club evening at the Hop Pole in Bath, with a menu inspired by 1960s chef Elizabeth David, I wasn't really sure what to expect.
But as it turns out this is a woman who really knew her stuff, and the dishes had certainly stood the test of time, and could rival many of those produced at top restaurants today in terms of inventiveness.
Elizabeth David, was the chef credited with popularising, in the mid 20th century, many European dishes and ingredients which are now taken for granted in the UK, such as pasta olive oil and courgettes.
The idea for the monthly supper club came from head chef and manager Alice Bowyer, and her partner Sarah Greenwell, who together run the pub on the Lower Bristol Road.
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| The Dining Room at the Hop Pole |
They moved from London to take over the pub 18 months ago, and in September gave the dining room a refurbishment, and since then have been trying to grow the food side of the business.
And it was this space that started the ball rolling for the Supper Club.
Alice said: “We were thinking of things we could do to make use of the restaurant, and to fill it up, and the idea was born from that.
“And I though Food Heroes would be a good theme.”
“On theme for our monthly supper club of our food heroes, it made sense to start at the beginning with Elizabeth David CBE.
“I first came across one of her books, An Introduction to Mediterranean Food, a fair few years ago upon my own journey as a cook. Self taught, I took up as much education as I could and looking back now, what an education from David.
“Much of the influence on my cooking comes from her ethos and chefs who were, in turn, inspired by her writing.
“I appreciate her style – narrative and opinionated rather than listing recipes. We can learn the historic stories of the dish, the ingredients, her travel tales, all in one.
“She brought a romance to food that can't help but make you want to cook. In a time where chef's skills have been on the decline, a culture of pre-packaged foods being served in pubs and restaurants, I urge chefs and indeed anyone to read her books and fall in love with food again.”
And it is a testament that 60 years on, and in a time when chefs seem to be becoming increasingly experimental with the use of unusual ingredients and techniques, that David's recipes can still hold there own.
When preparing the food Alice was insistent that the recipes were followed as closely to the letter as possible in order to make the finished result as authentic as it could be.
And the results were certainly not disappointing.
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| Salmon trout, horseradish and watercress |
The starter of baked salmon trout, horseradish and watercress, (taken from At Elizabeth David's Table) was an intriguing melange of flavours which burst on to the taste buds.
The salmon was moist and accompanied by a perfectly crisp piece of skin, which added a crunch to the dish, and the saltiness was a good contrast to the almost sweetness of the fish.
The horseradish and watercress sauce was an exciting little surprise and not at all what I was expecting. Served warm it was buttery, and almost creamy in texture, but with a hint of peppery freshness from the watercress, a slight warmth from the horseradish, and I was sure that I had detected the tang of wild garlic creeping through as well.
The main coarse of pot roast chicken, Biarritz potatoes and tarragon sauce (French Country Cooking) may not have sounded overly inspiring but was an absolute delight.
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| Pot roast chicken, Biarritz potatoes and tarragon sauce |
The tarragon had completely permeated the chicken giving it a depth of flavour so often missing in chicken. The tarragon sauce was creamy and perfectly seasoned so that the tarragon did not over power the chicken.
I had never eaten Biarritz potatoes so was not sure what to expect. It turns out that Biarritz potatoes are potatoes mashed with ham hock and red peppers and they were delicious. The red peppers added a sweetness, perfectly complimented by the slight saltiness of the ham.
I am not usually a huge fan of desserts but on this occasion the dessert, a chocolate and almond cake with espresso ice cream (Italian Food and Social History of Ice and Ices) was the hero of the evening.
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| Chocolate and almond cake and espresso ice cream |
The cake was soft and velvety, with a texture hovering somewhere between an brownie and chocolate fondant.
Looking at the ice cream, which was pale cream – almost indistinguishable from vanilla ice cream – there was no idea of the taste explosion which was to come.
It had the deep, almost bitter, warming flavour of a freshly roasted coffee bean while at the same time the silky creaminess of home made ice cream. It was a taste sensation which was both surprising and charming.
I wasn't sure if recipes from the 60s would be able to hold their own with today's modern palette, but I am pleased to say that I was proved entirely wrong.
Alice's passion for food and cooking is obvious and she clearly love sharing her passion with people coming out of the kitchen at the end of the evening to talk to the diners about the dishes.
And even before them, everyone was given an insight into the evening ahead with a carefully prepared dossier with some information about Elizabeth David, the food, and even the recipes.
When asked about future Supper Club evenings and which food heroes might inspire them Alice's face lights up.
“There's so many,” she said. “Rose Gray, Simon Hopkinson, Alastair Little, Jane Grigson. I'm not sure which will be next. It would make sense to do it chronologically, but I'm not sure.”
And in between the Supper Club evenings Alice will be concentrating on the pub's main menu.
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| Sarah Greenwell and Alice Bowyer |
Since moving in to the pub Alice and Sarah have been trying to grow the food side of the business. Alice works in the kitchen, while Sarah is front of house meeting and greeting the customers while working behind the bar.
“It's been going well,” said Alice. “It's nice to exceed expectations. We know we are a pub, not a restaurant, but there are a lot of very average restaurants in Bath - it doesn't matter if we are serving fish and chips or bangers and mash, we want to do it the best it can be.”
The Supper Club will be help on the last Thursday of each month and costs £20 a head for a three course meal, excluding drinks.
Find the Hop Pole at:
7 Albion Buildings,
Upper Bristol Road, Bath BA1 3AR
T 01225 446327
E hoppole@bathales.co.uk
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