Hand & Flowers Live Up To Their Two Michelin Stars
Hand & Flowers, Marlow. Review
So we decided to take the Aston Martin DB9 over to the Hand and Flowers in Marlow. The chef is Tom Kerridge and in 2011 he had the distinction of being the first pub to receive two Michelin Stars, putting him up there with chefs like Michel Roux at Le Gavroche and Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. As we were on a British Luxury Tour, this pub seemed like the perfect stop for lunch on our way to Cliveden Hotel and Spa, where we were staying the night.
Be warned though they are booked up well in advance, however you can always find a little place at the bar, which is actually a great place to eat and watch the trendy British crowd. This is the Marlow set, everything from older yahoo Henry’s who moved out from Sloane Square years ago, to the more corporate entrepreneurs making their mark in tech, liberally scattered with the usual property bods. The atmosphere is posh gastro pub with little decorative touches everywhere and a convivial warm atmosphere. You immediately feel you are somewhere fun and exciting where you are assured of a good meal.
Originally from the West Country, Tom started in country house hotels and restaurants in Gloucestershire. He moved to London in his early twenties, where he worked with well-known chefs such as Phillip Britton, Steven Bull and Gary Rhodes. Leaving London, he moved to Norwich where he was Head Chef at the one Michelin starred Adlards.
Tom and his wife, Beth, set up The Hand and Flowers in 2005 and they were awarded one star in the Michelin Guide in 2006. Since 2012, the pub has held two stars in the guide.
In 2013, Tom published his first book, Proper Pub Food, with a BBC television series. As a chef he has appeared on the Great British Menu, MasterChef and Saturday Kitchen.
Soon after we were installed and supping a light champagne, the waiter brought over some fried whitebait in a newspaper cone as an appetiser, which was absolutely delicious, myself and my colleague who normally dislikes small piscine starters thoroughly enjoyed them. The accompanying sourdough bread was also soft, plump and satisfying.
First up I had Salt Cod Scotch Egg, a picture of rounded loveliness that perfectly balanced the soft flowing egg with the salty fish texture. My friend went for her preferred dish of Carpaccio of “Unsmoked” Salmon with Avruga Caviar, Home Made Sea Salt, Whisky and Blinis, which was every bit as good as it sounds. You may notice that Tom has a love of sea salt and I heartily concur in this passion.
For a main course my colleague had another starter, she is thinner than Posh Spice, but that’s how she stays that way and plumped for the Glazed Omelette of Smoked Haddock and Parmesan, which was beautifully presented in a heavy iron pan, that melted in the mouth. For my main I picked very well with the Slow Cooked Duck Breast with Savoy Cabbage, Duck Fat Chips and Gravy. I could have had two of those, the duck was moist and flavoursome with immaculately carved chips and crispy cabbage. The sourdough bread came in very handy for finishing the fine gravy.
At last it was time for the deserts and we both went for the Hand & Flowers Chocolate and Ale Cake with Salted Caramel and Muscovado Ice Cream. This was a chocolate heaven and made far greater than the sum of its parts by the addition of a small tumbler of Connoisseurs Choice N01 Quadruple Ale. A fantastic fusion of flavours. This brown beer is known in Belgium as a Grand Cru for the way it is made and is much stronger than normal ales, typically around 10%. It’s brewed by the Sharps Brewery in Cornwall, makers of the now famous Doombar beer.
A perfect finish to a perfect lunch, had we not been driving it would have been a great pleasure to investigate the Ales a little more closely, but we still had a little drive to Cliveden for dinner.
Marlow is very fortunate to have this little gem of a pub in the town, please could others take note and bring this new level of cooking sophistication and quality to the rest of the UK.
