The Horseshoes, East Farleigh

Dee and I often discuss what it is that we like about the places we regularly go back to.  We usually come to the conclusion that actually, when you get right down to it, the equation for producing a successful pub or restaurant is quite simple.  (Of course, the theory is simple, actually doing it and getting it right is much more difficult, hence the vast numbers of pubs and bars closing down around the country!)  We think it boils down to a combination of four basic things.  I'm not putting them in any particular order, because they are all equally important.

We think it must be a nice place to be.  Fairly basic requirement, you might think, but we have all wandered in to pubs that felt bare, old fashioned, run down, even hostile.  Make it a place people actually want to visit, make it somewhere they want to come back to.

It must serve good quality, well kept beer. There doesn't need to be six or eight hand pumps on the bar, just two or three really good ales (local if possible) and a range of good lagers.   A good choice of wines also helps.

It must do high quality food, nicely presented and well priced.  You'll notice I don't say reasonably priced or cheap, there are pubs everywhere that do a thriving trade selling Sunday lunch for less than a fiver, but the truth is what you get is less than a fiver's worth of lunch!  Price it right and people will pay the right price for it.

Finally, it must be well staffed with friendly, approachable people.  It's a great help if some of those people are knowledgable when asked about the beers or items on the menu, but it's quite ok to say you'll just go and check if asked something you don't know about.  You (the customer) are much more likely to go back after your first visit if you liked the people you met there the first time.  Where am I going with all this?  Well....there are lots of pubs that just don't get that these four things will make people come back again and again.

Fortunately for us, The Horseshoes in East Farleigh seems to have grasped all four!  It's a nice, traditional feeling pub that in spite of being essentially open-plan has quite distinct feeling areas that give it a slightly rambling feel inside.  There is usually a small group of regulars drinking at the bar in what is clearly the "pub" area, a lovely orangery that is the main dining area, and there are a couple of smaller, more intimate areas where two or three tables nestle amongst photographs of the area and local landmarks.  There is also a patio area to the rear of the pub that overlooks the local riding school and stables.

The menu is well balanced, offering a good range of sharing platters, starters and light-bites, traditional pub classics and an up-market feeling main courses section.  There is quite often a special menu available, which offers a limited choice of three or four starters and main courses at just £13.95, and offers the option to add a desert for just an extra £3.  Friday night is "Fish and Fizz" night, with a promotion on English champagne and a special menu featuring four starters, then Sea Bream, Mackerel fillets, Swordfish steak or Bouillabaisse.  The main menu has a range of dishes including beef rib pie, fillet steak on duck paté and toasted brioche, venison, crab cakes, home made burgers....something for everyone.

On Paul's recommendation (our host, the manager), we both had the seared scallops with chorizo with a sweet potato puree and watercress to start.  Scallops are just about my favourite thing to eat and I have tried them all over the world.  Let me tell you, these were amongst the best I've had.  Cooked to perfection!  Just a few seconds too long in the pan and they become rubbery, just a few seconds too little time in the pan and they stay slimy, so not the easiest things to cook well.  I was worried that the strong flavour of the chorizo and the sweetness of the puree might overpower the scallops but to my delight they tied together beautifully.

I had hoped to sink a pint or two of Incubus with dinner, a deliciously refreshing beer from the local Hopdaemon brewery, but it was just about dead when we arrived.  Fortunately I am well aware of the charms of the alternatives available, Sharp's Doombar and Harvey's Best Bitter.  (Doombar every time!)  Paul informed me that a new Fullers Summer Ale would be going on, so rather than order a second Doombar I waited.  I'm still trying to decide if I made the right decision, as the Summer Ale was extremely light indeed, both in colour and flavour, and while it would make a great session beer it was a bit lost in the strong flavours of the meal.

For main course Dee fancied some pasta, so she ordered the mushroom and spinach linguine.  Pasta is another one of those dishes that ought to be really easy to cook.  I mean, everyone cooks pasta, right?  Well, yes, but like the scallops, it's difficult to do it well.  Dee and I both like our pasta somewhere between cooked and al-dente, and as luck would have it that's exactly what she got.  And very nice it was too!  I'm always a bit wary of ordering dishes that contain no meat or fish as a main course, carnivore that I am, but the linguine needed nothing more than a tiny pinch of salt.  I'm not sure I would have noticed that it was a vegetarian dish if Dee hadn't told me.

Again, I went with Paul's suggestion and ordered the bouillabaisse, which is a fish soup/stew typical of Marseilles.  My eyes lit up when it arrived, I could see more scallops, at least three different types of fish, mussels, olives, tomatoes, and I could smell the paprika smokiness.  Perhaps with hindsight I should not have ordered this after the scallops, because both dishes were very smokey flavoured.  That said, the bouillabaisse was delicious, filling, out of the ordinary...everything I look for in a dish!

In the interest of completeness we felt it was our duty to at least try the deserts, even if we were fast running out of room!  It's tough sometimes, but we somehow manage to plough through!  We both chose from the special menu again, Dee opting for cappuccino cheesecake, while I went for a chocolate fondant.  I made the mistake of trying Dee's cheesecake after I had already had a mouthful of my dark chocolate fondant, so the delicate flavour of the coffee was completely lost on me, but Dee assures me that it was creamy and tasty.  My fondant was rich and gooey, warm in the middle and served with a ball of vanilla ice-cream that cut through the intense chocolate very well.

Paul has done a great job of marketing the Horseshoes both on-line and locally.  There is a thriving Facebook page and the pub has its own website too (www.thehorseshoeseastfarleigh.co.uk).  Given that there are very few houses within walking distance it is testament to the hard work of the manager and staff that the place is so busy and entertains such a wide age range of customers.  All four of my criteria for making a success of a pub have been well and truly met.  It's a good job we don't live within easy walking distance of the Horseshoes, we might never leave.

The Hengist, Aylesford

A last minute decision yesterday to reward ourselves for getting so much of the decorating done in our bedroom this week lead to a late booking for lunch at the Michelin recommended Hengist in Aylesford High Street.  The restaurant is one of four owned by renowned chef and restauranteur Richard Phillips (the other three being Thackery's in Tunbridge Wells, Richard Phillips at Chapel Down outside Tenterden and the most recent member of the chain, Pearsons Oyster House in Whitstable) set in an unassuming building that could easily be mistaken for a private house if you were simply walking past.

At lunchtimes the restaurant offers a menu du jour which is such a bargain it is hard to ignore.  A short menu featuring just three starters, three main courses and two deserts or cheese at the amazing price of just £12.95 for two course or £14.95 for all three.  There is a small surcharge for the cheese in place of desert, but given the local cheeses on offer that is only to be expected.  The choice is not limited to the menu du jour though, oh no!  There is the full à la carte menu, featuring a variety of local produce, with main courses starting from around £18, or for the gourmand there is the chefs tasting menu.  For just £48 the hungry and adventurous diner can wade through several exciting and fascinating sounding courses (some of which present the choice of two dishes).  If you are not the designated driver, then go for the £65 option and enjoy a glass of appropriately selected wine with each course.

The dining room circles around an ancient brick fireplace and chimney, clearly the result of knocking two rooms into one.  The effect is a good one, as it lends a certain intimacy, when there can only ever be a maximum of two other tables in your immediate area.  As you might expect in such an old building, the ceilings are heavily beamed and the whole place has a cozy feel.

After ordering, but before our starters arrived we were treated to a choice of three home made breads.  There was a cheese bread, a roasted pepper and tomato bread and most intriguing of all, a rum and prune bread.  We tried all three, and all three were delicious.  I'm not sure I could have told you what the rum and prune bread was in a blind taste testing, but I enjoyed it all the same.

Only a minute or two later the waitresses reappeared with two espresso cups filled with an amuse bouche, compliments of the chef.  It was a veloute (velvet textured creamy soup) of courgette, crème fraiche and basil.  Now, I'm not a fan of courgettes.  I'm not crazy about crème fraiche, either.  But I drained every drop of it and was tempted to see if I could reach the bottom of the cup with my tongue!  My bouche was certainly amused, that's for sure.

In a vain attempt to be good, we decided to stick with the menu du jour today.  The choices were far from easy to make, even given just three options.  To start, Dee chose the paté de campagne, with à la grecque garnish and balsamic and honey jus, while I opted for mille-feuille of cured red mullet with smoked aubergine caviar and tomato and cumin dressing.  The overlooked choice was a plum tomato consommé with truffle, mushroom and black pepper ravioli.  As we hoped, and secretly expected, the starters were a delight to look at and even better to eat.

The paté was rough cut and served with lightly toasted bread and an assortment of pickled vegetables.  Rich, filling, meaty....everything you want from a paté.  My mullet, however, was nothing like I was expecting.  In my mind I had built a picture of a hot fillet of mullet in between layers of the mille-feuille pastry, what arrived was a cold piece of pickled fish on top of some discs of pastry, garnished with the caviar and sauce.  Once again, my preconceptions were shattered and I enjoyed every single mouthful.  My only criticism would be that the cured red mullet was a little too pickled, the vinegar overtones could easily have overpowered the dish.  The smoked aubergine caviar was strong enough flavoured to cut through that though and bring it all together.

Just for a change, I broke another of my rules and had a glass of white wine with my lunch.  (What?  I hear you cry!  Not drinking red?)  Having ordered two fish dishes, I thought I'd better stick with white for a change.  On the extensive wine list was a 2009 Granfort chardonnay from the Languedoc region that we visited in May, and at just a few pence more per glass than the house white I thought I'd give it a try.  Then I thought I'd better give it another try as the first glass seemed to evaporate before my very eyes.  As many of you who know me will already be aware, I usually practice the ABC rule of choosing white wine (that's Anything But Chardonnay) but on this occasion I'm glad I didn't because it was delicious.

For our main courses we both chose a fish dish.  I opted for herb crusted salmon with horseradish creamed potato and beetroot puree, while Dee chose the steamed south coast plaice with butter bean puree, palourde clams and citrus risotto.  While I enjoyed my dish immensely, I have to give this round to Dee.  Her plaice was presented beautifully and just melted in the mouth.  The risotto was a little sharp on its own, but with the sweetness of the clams and butter beans the flavours combined very well.  My salmon was cooked to perfection, but the herb crust was more like a herb jelly than a crust.  The horseradish creamed potatoes were a revelation! All the flavour of horseradish but with none of the heat.  Once again, the whole dish was balanced by the beetroot puree adding a rich depth to the over all flavour.

We chose to share a dish of mixed vegetables as a side order, which consisted of buttered Jersey Royal potatoes, sugar snap peas, fine green beans with beurre rouge and sweet and sour carrots.  All delicious, all interesting (in a way that vegetables so often are not!) and it was a great shame that the green beans were so al-dente they were almost raw because other than that they were tasty, well thought out dishes.

I'm sure you've all guessed by now that neither Dee nor I like desserts very much, so it was with nothing but a sense of duty to the loyal readers of this blog that we, against our better judgement, ordered puddings.   Having already had a sneaky glance at the desserts on the menu, I couldn't wait to find out what a Michelin recommended restaurant does to justify putting what is basically jelly and ice-cream on the menu!  They don't call it that, of course.  They call it Strawberry & Vanilla Delice, which is strawberry jelly with mascapone ice-cream.  As it turned out, it was more like a bit of a blancmange, a thin layer of sponge with a light layer of mousse-like jelly mixed with cream before it set, and a thin layer of strawberry jelly on the top.  Light, tasty, and perfectly accompanied by some red wine soaked strawberries and a ball of fresh ice-cream.  Unfortunately, once again, I have to hand this round to Dee though.  Her little set rice pudding with poached blueberries and a coconut tuille has to be the best dish of the meal.  It was delicious.  It was surprisingly light, creamy and exactly the right thing to follow her plaice.  Hands up, I should have ordered that.

Most unusually for us at lunchtime, we finished with tea and coffee.  It is always odd to be offered English breakfast tea at lunchtime (and even weirder after dinner!), is there no English lunch tea?  Dee had a pot of it, whenever it was named after.  My coffee came black and was accompanied by a jug of hot, steamed, frothy milk.  A moment after she had delivered the hot drinks our waitress returned with a slate slab covered in petit fours!  An unexpected delight, featuring home made fudge, a tiny slice of battenburg, a banana marshmallow, a chocolate truffle and a pistachio biscotti.

So how much were we rushed for this gastronomic delight?  Including two good sized glasses of excellent wine, a bottle of sparkling Kentish water, effectively a five course meal if you include the veloute and the petit fours?  Less than £50.  What a bargain.  It's a good job we don't quite live within easy walking distance, I can tell you!  Come one evening for a special occasion, come one lunchtime because you can't be bothered to cook.  Either way, you won't be disappointed!

The Redstart, Barming

After a hard morning of varnishing the new doors and banisters we walked round the corner to The Redstart on North Street in search of a ploughmans or a sandwich.  The Redstart pub changed hands a few years ago and following extensive renovations is now a pleasant, airy feeling place run by a friendly Polish family.  There are petanque pits in the large secluded back garden, regular special events like barbecues and live music, as well as a tuesday night quiz and an occasional Polish night.

The lunch menu was quite limited, but had everything you expect to see on a pub-grub menu.  A range of jacket potatoes, sandwiches, omelettes etc starting from around £5.  There was also a good selection on the a la carte menu, available all day, including some lighter options and all the usual pies and pasta dishes you could want.  Being a hot, sunny day and having worked hard all morning, Dad and I chose sandwiches (ham and cheese for him, classic club for me) while Mum ordered the starter from the specials board, green lipped muscles in garlic and herb sauce.

The mussels were the biggest I have ever seen!  About three times the size you'd expect, all soaked in a lovely rich garlic sauce.  Very antisocial, but very tasty.  The sandwiches came with a pile of fresh salad and a good sized portion of chips.  The ham was clearly cut from the bone and about a third of an inch thick!  The club sandwich was exactly as I had hoped.  Fresh toasted bread, lovely tasty bacon and moist grilled chicken.  Very filling, and excellent value at just £27 for the three of us, including a couple of pints of Harvey's Sussex and a soft drink for Mum.

Hardly gastronomy at its finest, but a really good, filling pub lunch at a good price.  Worth a special journey?  Perhaps not.  But if you're in the area and wondering where to go.......

The Dirty Habit, Hollingbourne

Searching for something a bit different for Sunday lunch, not really in the mood for a roast on such a scorching hot afternoon, we stopped on a whim at a 13th century inn called The Dirty Habit.  Recently taken over by a small chain of gastro-pubs and given a bit of a make-over, this ultra-traditional Kentish building felt welcoming from the start.

The interior is heavily beamed and rambles a bit from room to room around a central bar.  The menu is fairly short, featuring the obligatory Sunday roast lunches and an assortment of traditional dishes very similar to those on the menu at The Farmhouse (see my earlier blog review!) with main courses from £10.50 for Dublin pie up to £24.50 for fillet of Kentish beef with all the trimmings.  

There were various lagers and three real ales on tap, two local Rother Valley Old Dairy Brewery beers and Harveys Sussex from just over the border.  I had a pint of Red Top that, although a little cloudy, was light and refreshing at just 3.8%.

Having all decided we were in the mood for a ploughman's lunch or something similar, we were delighted to see a selection of "light bites" on the menu.  Dee chose smoked haddock fish cakes with poached eggs, wilted spinach and hollandaise sauce (which was also available as a starter), while Mum and I both went for the fish deli-board.  

The deli-boards didn't look like a large portion, and were part of the light-bites section on the menu, but they proved to be surprisingly filling and neither of us managed to finish the lot!  There were some delicious smoked salmon crostini, four ramekins of such delicacies as smoked trout fillet, salmon rillette, crayfish cocktail and fresh anchovies.  I was a bit dubious about the anchovies to start with, my only previous experience of them having been on pizzas or in a caesar salad, but without all the oil and salt they were actually very nice indeed and as it turned out it was the smoked trout that proved too salty for me.  The fresh bread that came with it was soft and tasty, the perfect accompaniment.  Dee's fish cakes were large and mostly potato, but the smokey flavour from the haddock and the hollandaise sauce were enough to keep her interested.  With two poached eggs it was very filling and may be too much for some, but they kept the dish balanced.

The staff were friendly and, although they were not the quickest, got everything right.  All in all a thoroughly enjoyable lunch in a truly lovely setting.  Will we go back there again?  Yes, I'm sure we will.