The Three Chimneys, Sissinghurst / Biddenden

Having seen The Three Chimneys listed in the Michelin Guide as "recommended" we thought we'd better go see if it was worth our seal of approval as well.  The Chimneys is a picturesque country pub in the middle of nowhere, just off the road between Biddenden and Sissinghurst.  Rumour has it that French prisoners were kept nearby during the Napoleonic war, they were told that although they were more or less free to roam they should not go further than the three-way junction or "trios chemins" as they called it.  The pub building pre-dates the Napoleonic war by several hundred years and certainly plays to its strengths inside.

 Ales are served straight from the barrel, tonight there was a New Zealand Pale Ale, Adnams Best and Tribute available.  The pale ale was a little too bitter for my liking, but the Tribute was very good indeed.  It's always nice when beer comes in the correct branded glass, I know it shouldn't matter but it's interesting that so many pubs (and presumably breweries) have cottoned on to this fact.

There are two bars, a bar food area and the restaurant.  The restaurant itself is split into various small niches and groups of two or three tables which gives the place a cozy, intimate feel.  There is also a large orangery which looked comfortable and inviting, I'll bet it's a delightful place to eat in the summer too.  The beams are decorated with hop bines, the walls are thick with wine labels and brewery mementos.  We sat next to a roaring wood-burning stove that proved so effective we had to switch places, a sort of turn and baste every 15 minutes exercise!  Fortunately our waiter was able to turn it down for us, it was gas powered and not a wood burner at all.  Fooled me.  (Not too difficult, i hear you cry!)

The menu changes very often, it seems.  So much so that there are no printed copies, just a large blackboard with that days offerings listed on it in chalk.  All the meat is sourced locally, as is as much of the other ingredients as possible.  We chose quite different starters, a large flat mushroom stuffed with caramelised red onion and goats cheese for Dee and deep fried brie with home made fruit sauce for me.  We were astonished at the size of the portions, given that these were only starters they were massive!  I've bought smaller chunks of brie from the supermarket, I'm sure.  Both plates were well presented and both dishes delicious, just far too big.  Never thought you'd hear me say that, did you?  No, me neither.

We both chose the braised shoulder of venison as our main course, although if I had known the portions would be so large I would have gone for the scallops.  The venison comes from a deer park near Sevenoaks, it was served on a bed of parsnip mash with cabbage and carrot, all with a splash of a rich gravy.  The meat was so tender it just fell apart.  You could cut it with the handle of your knife with little or no difficulty if you chose to.  A plate packed full of big, rich flavours indeed, but again there was simply too much of it.  I was determined to make it to the homemade deserts, so I'm ashamed to admit that the venison beat both of us.  It was that or go without the amoretto parfait, after all!

A short list of homemade deserts on another blackboard gave rise to the next tough decision of the night.  For Dee it was simple, she was beaten by the sheer volume of dinner and couldn't even be tempted to have the apple and plum crumble, so I knew she was serious.  For me though, there were a few serious contenders, but the parfait won in the end and I'm glad it did because it was fantastic.  For once the portion size was perfect.  It was smooth, creamy, tasty, and perfectly accompanied by a generous pile of griottines (small red cherries soaked in kirsch) and a few raspberries.

It certainly wasn't a cheap meal, but it was all beautifully cooked and presented.  Starters were between £6.50 and £9 and most main courses were £16 - £20.  I am sure we'll come back here again, but perhaps we won't eat for a day or so either side of our visit.  All in all a lovely place with friendly staff, great atmosphere, good food and excellent beer.  Well worth the trouble of finding it, wear trousers with an elasticated waist though!  The highly sought after Fatfoodie seal of approval is indeed awarded.