Chef Phil Corrie – who’s also one of the business owners at 1863 restaurant in Pooley Bridge, in Ullswater, Cumbria, has launched a new lunchtime tasting menu. Savour writer, Deile Purvis, samples the five-course menu.
When the clock strikes 5pm, Phil Corrie and his team all sit down to a ‘family’ meal before evening service starts at restaurant 1863.
It’s a time for the brigade to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labour – by tucking into dishes they have created. But having met Phil, who’s seriously passionate about his role, it’ll no doubt be a time of research and development, too – because you don’t get to produce this level of food without knowing your game and constantly striving to up it.
The landscape, the village and “things that are close to my heart” are all key ingredients of Phil’s menus – as well as the unity of his team, who all bring something to the table.
The new lunchtime tasting menu features five courses and Phil’s trying to keep things traditional with a veggie, fish and meat dish on it.
Snacks come in the form of a chicken leg croquet topped with a lovage mayonnaise, followed by a malted soda bread with winter tarn butter, and set the standard there and then; both are nothing short of sensational.
The beetroot dish is done three ways: pan-roasted crapaudine (one of the oldest varieties of beetroot), salt-baked baby beets, Ragstones goat’s cheese set cream, pickled beetroot gel, pickled golden beetroot and frozen goat’s cheese. It’s an absolute gem of a dish, well thought through when it comes to flavours and presented wonderfully, too.
One of Phil’s go-to dishes off his new tasting menu is the lemon sole – and it was mine and my husband’s favourite. Steamed lemon sole is drizzled with warm tartare sauce, petite jersey royals, with a yuzu gel, squid ink tuille and topped with sea herbs. In a word: WOW. In a few more: tender and flaky, the lemon sole’s slightly sweet taste was balanced perfectly with the tangy notes of yuzu and that drizzle of warm tartare sauce was just divine.
The heartiest dish on the menu is the Cumbrian lamb rump, with spiced carrot puree, lamb fat carrot, rainbow chard, pickled carrots and a truly stunning lamb breast sauce. I could have licked the plate!
Phil is massively passionate about local produce; “we like to know where our produce comes from, as we don’t want to lose track of the chain.” Not only does his lamb come from the Cumbrian’s larder, but the restaurant also features its own kitchen garden (just up the road) where local growers, Jean and Alan, provide the kitchen with an array of produce.
Next, a bergamot parfait and this colourful dainty dish was oozing with class, style and taste. The bright basil sorbet features zesty notes, then you’re hit with the sweetness from the white chocolate crumb.
But the pièce de resistance of desserts was the pink lady apple. A pretty dish with a caramelised apple taking centre stage, topped with vanilla custard and brown butter ice cream. You can literally taste the passion in each layer.
Petit fours consist of strawberry, lime and chamomile pate de fruit rolled in lime sugar along with a pistachio and orange nougat. We washed the meal down with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, Trascampanas to share. The lunchtime tasting menu is £55 or £95 with a wine flight.
To book, visit 1863ullswater.co.uk
