❤ LOVE LOCAL ❤
‘I’m not a chef ’
HE MAY NOT BE A CHEF ANYMORE, BUT HE SURE KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT INTERIOR DESIGN, SO AN AFTERNOON WITH MARCO PIERRE WHITE REVEALS…
I
had no idea what to expect when I visited Marco Pierre White’s latest renovation project. Hidden away, just outside Bath near Corsham, the Rudloe Arms, previously Rudloe Hall Hotel, has been re-named and revamped to suit its new owner.
I somehow overlooked the series of nude pictures as I entered the Rudloe Arms, but there was no missing the neon ‘Aloha’ sign hanging above the bar; or the beaming red face surrounded by daisies from Blackpool pleasure beach, and there was certainly no missing the 17ft Chesterfi eld.
I had just about managed to get my
jaw off the fl oor when the man himself waltzed in. His unruly hair, specs, pinstripe jacket and checkerboard shoes, coupled with the quirky surroundings and his unequivocal presence reminded me a little of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka. Marco proudly showed us into the next
room, highlighting the old bumper car signs hanging from the ceiling. There is a prominent fairground theme throughout, along with photographs of actors, models
44 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
and other famous faces taking up every spare inch of wall space, not to mention the ‘great White wall’ (covered in photos of Marco). “Eyes must always be amused,” he proclaimed, as we followed him through to the dining room. Here, the same ‘Card Room’ green peeps through the gaps between pictures, but the room has a more elegant feel.
“Eyes must always be amused,”
Once seated, we ordered from a simple, yet appetising menu, undoubtedly infl uenced by Marco, but certainly not cooked by him. Asked if he missed being in the kitchen, his look of disdain says it all.
“I’m not a chef. Chefi ng is a young man’s game.” Nevertheless, the food packed as much punch as the decor. Powerful French onion soup followed by smoked fi sh pate, before I was meticulously presented with a square of
pork belly fl avoured with honey and star anise.
When it came to pudding Marco moved up to our end of the table. He ordered the salted caramel ice cream and I followed suit, being ordered to dig in by Marco, as he polished his off. “I like recognisable puddings,” he declared, “not dessert.” The produce used by Marco’s Wheeler’s establishments (Rudloe is his ninth) is local where possible, although the emphasis is on consistency. He buys his duck, crayfi sh, fi sh, venison and other game here in the South West. “It’s easier to buy locally because people’s love for producing is enormous,” he says, giving Somerset’s Keen’s cheddar as an example. But, while I’m sure Marco has infl uence over the menu and the sourcing of ingredients, it’s clear that’s where his involvement in the kitchen ends. These days you will fi nd much more of Marco hanging on the walls and dangling from the ceiling.
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