Thursday 19 February 2015
Our Team
There’s going to be a lot of choice in The Old Stocks when we finally welcome back guests to the hotel, and we’ll have a number of places for them dine in. Whether it’s something really informal and quick for lunch in our café, to try something different over drinks in the bar, or the full dining experience in our restaurant, there really will be something for everyone.
Our bar menu will be about socialising and fun. We will serve smaller dishes, so our guests can enjoy a couple of dishes with friends – our own British tapas if you like. There won’t be any need to book to eat at the bar – people can just drop in and order as much or as little as they like, and our troupe members will be on hand to offer suggestions as to which dishes go best with which drinks.
On the bar menu, guests can expect to see some Cotswolds classics, so there’ll be dishes like braised pig’s cheek, with sweet but tangy apples and peppery radishes, and baked duck eggs. However, I’m also keen to bring in a few dishes that really bring back memories for our diners. For example, some of my fondest childhood memories are of seaside holidays, and nothing evokes thoughts of those days out on the seafront more than fish and chips. So when someone bites into our miniature fish and chips dish, I want them to experience the tang of the salt and vinegar, the fresh taste of the fish, and really imagine being sat back on the promenade eating fish and chips out of the paper.
The bar menu will give our customers a taste of what they can expect in our restaurant. Like in the bar, we’ve taken classic British dishes and have given them a modern twist. At lunch, diners can look forward to familiar, hearty meals that have our signature Old Stocks style, like my own take on ham and eggs. However, if they’re looking for something more substantial, then there will also be a chargrill menu of local meats, which offers juicy, local steaks, homemade burgers and a whole grilled fish.
Dinner will be where we can be more adventurous, really experiment, and show what we can do. We’ll still carry the theme of modern British along into the restaurant, and one of my favourite dishes that will feature on the new menu is our pave of lamb with a side of shepherd’s pie. I really like this dish because it’s not quite what people expect when they taste it – they’re just expecting shepherd’s pie and veg, but they’re getting a whole lot more. To create the sauce for the shepherd’s pie, I use freshly roasted lamb bones to make a stock, before reducing it down to really intensify the flavour. On the soft and creamy mash, I sprinkle a caramelised shallot breadcrumb to create a deliciously crispy contrast. It’s then served with lovely young local carrots, which really helps to finish the dish. At its core, shepherd’s pie is a very simple meal, but by adding my own twist, we’ve made it into something really special.
All of our dishes will feature delicious local produce, and we’re proud to offer an authentic taste of the Cotswolds. We’re delighted to work with suppliers like Aubrey Allen and Todenham Farm, and we’re also working closely with Chase Distillery, Purity Brewery and S H Jones to ensure we are able to pair the perfect drink to each dish.
At the end of any meal at The Old Stocks Inn, I want people to walk away and not only say they enjoyed themselves, but to take their experience with them and remember our twist on a dish whenever they cook it at home or try it elsewhere. When we open, I’ll be popping out into the restaurant from time to time, so if you see me, come and say hello and let me know what you think!