More online
www.thecaterer.com
Grace Dent finds Whyte’s in Hackney, London, “weird but still pretty wonderful”
Down an alley off Mare Street, and tucked into the side of an office block, Whyte’s is little more than some roaring hobs, a few tables and a bit of strategically daubed graffiti. I’ve sat in plusher minicab office waiting rooms. A dramatic plate of tempura octopus tentacle was deliv- ered to the bar where we were perched watching chef Whyte Rushen at work. The tentacle was in a puddle of chip shop- style curry sauce. “Here you go,” said the server. “We call this the battered sausage of the sea.” That came shortly after a round of pickled onion Monster Munch-topped oyster and snail Rockefeller and before a whop- ping great platter of tandoori John Dory, a whole fish with a name like a Britpop B-side, served on the bone, skin rubbed with spice mix, all fragrant, crisp and with perfect flakes; it came with hot bowls of good homemade chips. Rushen’s food errs towards comfort-food classics – burg- ers, spag bol, fish and chips – but quickly pivots into post- modernism. Familiar recipes are broken down, reimagined and paired with popular 20th- century food icons. Why is there a slice of grilled Dairylea on top of my black cherry gateau? Why
to navy, deep red and the hotel’s own cyan. Books are every- where: stacked up in rooms, in the Library and even piped into the loos – guests can listen to
Cathy Adams is left rested and well-read at University Arms, Cambridge Here is a hotel that could only exist in Cambridge. The Uni- versity Arms, which dates back to 1894, was sensitively reno- vated for £80m in 2018 by the architect John Simpson and interior designer Martin Brud- nizki, who kept its distinct sense of place. The pea-green lobby, scented
by geraniums, is characterised by chandeliers shaped like celes- tial orbs and a rather severe por- trait of Sir Winston Churchill. Suites are named after famous Cambridge alumni (Darwin, Newton and Byron among them); the colour scheme varies from rich university-scarf green
www.thecaterer.com
Alan Bennett reading The Wind in the Willows. Downstairs, the swish brasserie Parker’s Tavern serves modern British dishes, all sourced from local East Anglian producers. A stay here will leave you feel-
ing not only well fed and rested, but also smarter and better read. All rooms, regardless of category, are Edwardian in feel and deco- rated in rich tones of blue, green, red and yellow, with comfy arm- chairs, sofas and curtains in com- fortingly heavy fabrics. This is a city hotel at heart, although there are some extra perks for guests. In 2023, three guest rooms were turned into dinky treatment rooms, doing a series of facials and massages using Aromatherapy Associates products.
Kate Houghton is feeling smug after dining at Docket No.33 at Whitchurch in Shropshire Our meal opened with tiny, pop-it-all-in-at-once soft diced potato wrapped in a fine beer batter, with teeny tiny pops of cucumber and a dill oil, with popped barley on top. Salty and creamy and crispy and unctu- ously delicious, I could have eaten a platter full. Next, the mysteriously described chickpea, chicken, saffron, chive. This is in fact Docket No.33’s signature dish, on the menu consistently since Stuart [Collins] developed it, due to customer demand. These little wonders are then to be dipped in a chilled cream cheese enhanced with saf-
is this delicious cheese plate served with Hobnobs? Does the steak tartare really need the addition of Rice Krispies? In the wrong hands, Whyte’s
could be quite wearisomely wacky, but it isn’t; it is com- pletely charming. This is an extremely talented chef clearly having some “mad scientist” time, not least because there’s no one to tell him not to. And, yes, obviously those Monster Munch-encrusted oysters will not be to everyone’s taste,
particularly not to bivalve snobs, who consider even a little shallot vinaigrette a bit déclassé. All this can and will change
quickly. The best way to enjoy the place is to take a friend, arrive hungry and not remotely “on a diet”, wear something spongea- ble, sit up at the counter, and pre- pare to eat, laugh and at times be slightly startled. I’m not sure what Michelin would make of it all, but Whyte’s is already in my little black book under “weird but still pretty wonderful”.
fron, for a taste and texture and mouthfeel sensation that makes Whitchurch feel like a town worth visiting every week- end. Just glorious. Next came a dish I was
unsure of on reading: tender- stem, Jerusalem artichoke, miso and parsley. Wow – can that man cook veg. The broc- coli was at perfection point, firm without being raw, the arti- chokes were made into crisps and the miso was presented as a fine purée, alongside a walnut and kale pesto, all sitting in an incredible turnip butter sauce. The main meat dish [was] seasonal venison with endive, swede and cocoa. The meat was the prettiest of pinks, dusted along its edge with cocoa, and served with a venison sausage and salt-baked swede, draped with the most incredible red wine sauce. My table manners were intact enough not to lick the plate, but it was a close call.
8 March 2024 | The Caterer | 13
HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/WHYTE_RUSHEN/?HL=EN
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
