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Tuesday 28 July 2015

Lunch at The Woodspeen



Every now and then it's nice to do something a little bit fancy. On this occasion, Fraser and I went to try out a brand new restaurant in Newbury called The Woodspeen.

Opened in October last year, it's run by internationally acclaimed Michelin star chef John Campbell and serves seasonal food from local sources. It's quiet country setting is highlighted in the light and airy interior design with a wall of windows looking out onto the rolling countryside. Both Fraser and I agreed before even tasting any food that we already wanted to come back.

The staff were so friendly and attentive without a sense of rushed hustle-bustle. It was highly relaxing and we were immediately made to feel comfortable. Our first taste of the restaurant was their homemade bread, served with homemade butter and houmous. We ordered our drinks (a decent merlot for me) and enjoyed every last bite of this bread.

We decided to try out the Lunch/Pre-Theatre menu. To start, I had the courgette soup with salmon, sweetcorn and watercress topped with avruga caviar.  Fraser had the smoked ham and chicken terrine served with kohlrabi, apple and yuzu and a side of brioche. Mine came out with the soup in a seperate jug which the waiter then poured around the centrepiece. It really added a touch of theatre to the starter, especially given the bright colours.



Every bite was incredible. We sampled each other's dishes so I can agree that his was just as nice as mine. We followed the starter with a main of braised lamb neck fillet, smoked wet garlic potato, plot peas and pickled beetroot. I wanted this dish to last forever. The lamb was perfection and we both agreed that the potato was the best we'd ever had (sorry, Mum). 



Finally, we finished with a gorgeous dessert each. I chose the pistachio and olive oil cake topped with a buttermilk sorbet and poached apricots. Fraser chose the vanilla panna cotta, with muscat jelly, raspberries and mint. Again we sampled each other's dishes and both were equally delicious. 




The whole experience was wonderful. Especially since the restaurant garden was just across the road and we saw the chef himself wandering around the vegetables there as we were leaving. Just next to the garden is a cookery school where John teaches masterclasses for things like bread-making and steak. Fraser and I are already looking at these courses and planning our next visit. Knowing that their menus change with the seasons, there's always going to be something new to try here.



I've recommended this restaurant to everyone and thought I'd share my experience here. If you're ever in the West Berkshire area, I highly recommend you treat yourself to a meal at The Woodspeen :-)

Tabitha
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