The Factory House, which sits underground on Lime Street at the base of the Lloyds building has now launched The Factory House Supper Club. Already well known for its great atmosphere of cocktails and food, when I was invited to the inaugural Supper Club meal, I was rather excited.
The idea of a Supper Club is to allocate a time when you can sit as a group of 4 or more and share a meal in what would typically be a family way. So, each week, Sean Davies, will devise menus that showcase the best of British cuisine as well as highlighting British seasonal food. Guests can book a table of 4 for £100 where they can expect to enjoy a sharing style main course and pudding with all the trimmings, alongside a bottle of wine or selection of beers.
The inaugural Supper Club dinner menu was:
• Platter of British charcuterie and English Artisan Breads
• Hearty Venison Casserole accompanied by creamed cabbage and mashed potato
• Pear and Apple crumble with Crème Anglaise
The matched wine included to accompany the meal was Vacqueyras Château des Roques, 2009.
So with wine being poured, and water for anyone too, the starters were served.
The cold meats looked like an Italian selection, but each one was actually made by UK farms and Delicatessens. The very Italian looking Salami was in fact hand made by an English deli in Islington using British beef. The range to try were:
• Oxsprings air dried ham from Oxsprings farm in Suffolk
• Fennel salami and British ‘chorizo’ from Lanes farm in Suffolk
• Salt & pepper salami from Islington
• Beer stick – British pork with cayenne and chilli
The Vacqueyras Château des Roques, 2009 was a good choice to go with the venison, but also with the Pear in the dessert. Vacqueyras is an appellation for wines from the vineyard-strewn area around the parishes of Vacqueyras and Sarrians in France’s southern Rhone Valley wine region. The wine had a strong smooth body of redcurrant and spice, filling the mouth and bringing the best out of the meat.
With the dessert it just defined the Pear and Apple flavours a bit more giving a more fruity experience.
The Venison casserole was brought to the table in its dish, the lid being removed once the side dishes had been placed. It was slow for 5 hours with carrots, celery, thyme, garlic, red wine and venison stock. That was served alongside creamed cabbage and mashed potato.There was a lot of venison in the Casserole, and most of it was in decent sized chunks, so you really did feel like you were having a steak at some times. Fortunately is was cooked to perfection, and cut easily on the plate, with the Casserole sauce having soaked deep into the meat giving it the lovely creaminess to the taste yet maintaining the dry venison meat flavour.
The sides of creamed cabbage and mashed potato were served in iron skillets, each holding more than enough for 2 people, so when placed each side on the table it was easy to take from. It may sound like a little thing, but it makes the supper so easy to eat, without having to pass food around. the creamed cabbage was just how I like it; crunchy and oven roasted, the cream binding it together. Perfect.
This casserole was more than enough for four people, and you were never worried about helping yourself without asking!
Then after a suitable and unhurried break, the pudding, a lovely Pear and Apple crumble, served in a deep iron skillet
It comes with two pots of Crème Anglaise, enough for everyone to enjoy this English classic; and enjoy it we did. Crumble that was light, pear that was soft but not over scented, and crisp chunks of apple that simply cried out to be covered in crème.
To be able to come as a group, sit down and not have to think about the food, wines, who is having what etc. makes this experience work really well. The Factory House sets the meal, with top British seasonal food, matched with wine, and serves you as if at a traditional family mealtime. You can sit in the open tables or in the smaller 4 seater snugs, so conversation can be fun, friendly and frivolous; but at £25 a head it won’t be about the price.
Bookings can be made by calling The Factory House on 020 7929 4590. The weekly Supper Club will take place every Thursday.
The Factory House
No. 10, Lime Street
London
EC3M 7AA
(entrance on Leadenhall Passage opposite Lloyds Bldg.)
020 7929 4590
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