(great restaurants)
Colleys
Revisiting yet another one of her old workplaces (is there nothing this moonlighter hasn’t turned her hand to?), LAURA ROWE heads to Lechlade for a taste of brasserie cooking at its best
OKAY, I’LL ADMIT it. I’m a bit of a workaholic. My very first job, aged 12, was as a sweep-
up in a hairdressing salon in Fairford, but alongside that I also worked at various shops, events (including RIAT) and restaurants. One I remember most distinctly, though, was Colleys in Lechlade. More than 10 years ago, when I first started working
there, it was very different. Called Colleys Supper Rooms, it was one of several restaurants (with branches in Bristol and Reading) that promised traditional fine dining in every sense. The interior was old-fashioned, the uniforms were criminal (they had me dressed-up head to toe in black Victoriana shirt and skirts, with a frilly pink pinny), and the set-up was as classic as could be. Guests would be seated at a set time, invited to help themselves to an hors d’oeuvre trolly, before being presented with a six-course supper. Dishes would be brought out from the kitchen and presented to the guests, before they made their choice. The highlight, however, was the pudding round. Not only was there a delicious choice of around four or five different seasonal puds, but, lo!, you were allowed two portions! Nowadays Colleys has broken away as an independent,
and decidedly less formal, restaurant. The head chef, Donald Cartwright, is now chef patron; the interior has had a makeover more befitting the menu (and decade); and there is a new string to the bow of the business alongside set-course dining – the brasserie. It was this that I was keen to test out. I’ve always been a fan of Donald’s cooking. I still have
a scribbled recipe for roasted fennel with a chilli and Pernod butter (as good as it sounds) he once gave me that I treasure to this day. The new menu doesn’t disappoint. It fits under that odd culinary umbrella called ‘modern British’, but dishes dot all around the globe. We started with a colourful plate of local beets (£5.50), sliced in red and golden glory, with lambs lettuce, toasted hazelnuts and crumbled Feta. Delicate, fresh, delicious. Forks went to war over a local pork and mustard Scotch egg (£5.50) with its rich, creamy yolk, crisp, golden crumb, well- seasoned piggy duvet and fiery chilli ketchup. A Thai hot and sour squid salad (£5.50) was a triumph. Tender squid rings had been pepped up with chilli and
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lime, while crunchy slices of celery (so under-used and so welcome here) and green beans married it all together. Cauliflower pakoras (£5.50) were a surprise hit. I had been dreaming about the Colleys burger (£13.95)
ever since Donald shared the recipe for it back in issue three of Cotswold Crumbs. Served on a wooden platter, stabbed with a steak knife, the thick, 8oz hamburger is served medium and so melts in the mouth, along with a layer of cheese, fresh salad and onion rings. Even the bun is good, thanks to the addition of some duck fat. There’s actually a really good range of ‘grill’ dishes on the menu worth exploring – from steaks and barbecue baby back ribs to an American pulled pork and coleslaw sandwich. A bowl of Thai red curry (£13.95) proved exactly how
versatile this kitchen is. Finally, a Thai curry served in a British restaurant that packs a punch! Cheek-clenchingly sour here, tongue-tickling hot there, sweet, savoury, smooth and creamy. This was a full-on Harlem Shake of the mouth. Sublime. And that’s before you even get onto the duck leg it was served with, which melted off the bone, or the crunchy green beans, bamboo shoots or fragrant Jasmine rice topped with caramelised onions. A special of ham hock (£12.95) was served on a bed of
creamy mash, summer peas and sweet pea shoots, alongside juicy girolles and a mustard sauce. Side dishes are similarly eclectic, and just as tempting,
✱ COLLEYS LECHLADE, High Street, Lechlade, Gloucestershire, GL7 3AE; 01367 252218;
colleyslechlade.co.uk
and we tried the crispy Mozzarella sticks (£3.50), which oozed with every bite and successive dunk into a perfectly sweet and sour barbecue sauce. Puddings are a mix of Colleys
favourites and the more adventurous. A Belgian chocolate tart (£5.50) was like a slab of pure decadence served with orange sauce and toffee ice cream. An
‘apple crumble panna cotta’ (£5.50) was misdescribed – the panna (cream) wasn’t cotta (cooked), so instead of a set wobble we had a runny custard with stewed apples and a crunchy crumble top. But it was delicious nonetheless. It was the traditional Colleys bread and butter pudding
(£5.50), though, that was my favourite – I remember lugging this bad boy round the restaurant a decade ago. “Here we have a delicious bread and butter pudding layered with toasted almonds and laced with Amaretto,” I used to proudly say as I showed the customers, secretly hoping there would be enough left at the end of the night for us staff to have a snaffle. Few puds comes close to this, in my opinion: gorgeous sweet nut flavour, juicy sultanas, soft insides bathed in custard, and a crisp, sugary crust. Pudding perfection. Like Donald, there are some staff that have remained since my days at Colleys, but there is plenty of young blood too – student serving staff and the charismatic restaurant manager, Brian Street. With such good food, and loyal and well-trained people, it’s little wonder this place has lasted so many years. I’m just not sure why I left it quite so long to venture back…
Afters
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