Following in Ramsay’s Footsteps: Part 1 – The Westhouse

For those of you who have seen Gordon Ramsay throwing apocalyptic size tantrums on the now famous ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Kitchen Nightmare’s’ series, it may comfort you to know that in 2010, he did a one-off series called ‘Britain’s Best Restaurant’. The show ran for nine episodes and featured two restaurants from different cuisine categories vying for the elusive title of ‘Britain’s Best Restaurant’. There were 16 finalists in total, covering Britsh, Thai, Chinese, North African, Spanish, French, Italian, and Indian cuisine.

We start our journey with one of the finalists in the British Category; The Westhouse in Biddenden.

My friend Lillian and I discovered we had a mutual love of the show in the most unlikely of circumstances. We were on a road trip to Maidstone in Kent to see a dear friend and colleague from work get married. Having failed to find a farmer’s market and having a couple of hours to kill before heading to the hotel for the reception, our conversation turned to where we should go for lunch.

Swept up in the moment of discovering that we not only had both seen the show, but also loved it, we quickly googled the show and discovered the name of the nearest restaurant was ‘The West House’. When we called to make our reservation, they told us that lunch orders finished at 2pm, but it was 1:45 and we were 30 minutes drive away. To our eternal gratitude they kept our reservation until 2:15pm, and from the very start it was a culinary treat with few parallels in either mine or Lill’s experience. Little did we know that this would spawn the beginning of a foodie odyssey to visit all 16 of the restaurants featured in the series.

The quaint exterior of The West House.

The restaurant is situated in the quaint town of Biddenden in Kent. The exterior exudes the essence of a 16th century coaching inn, but upon stepping inside, the rustic wooden fixtures and unassuming fireplace among the small number of tables belies the grandeur of the food, which could be easily served at the grandest of Mayfair’s hotels. The only sign of the credentials of the chef (which include a Michelin Star) is a small bookcase in one corner, featuring trophy tokens of his accolades.

The comfortable and rustic interior.

Our waitress (Jackie, wife of the chef and co-owner) was lovely and attentive, and it wasn’t difficult to feel at home in the space; it was high-end cuisine, presented in a room that felt like a well-appointed family dining room.

We started with an assortment of crackers, biscuits and lemon infused green olives. The word ‘crackers’ seems like an unfair epitaph for these crispy, cheesy, slices of heaven.

Next came fresh bread (both sweet and savoury) with homemade butter to accompany it. The butter for the sweet bread has the consistency of a light mousse, and was so creamy I could have eaten it straight from the spoon.

For our starters we both ordered the quail (how do you turn down quail?). For such a sparse plate there was an avalanche of flavours on offer; in short, this dish is a must for anyone visiting this restaurant. What made this dish so special? Mustard seeds were contrasted with maple glazed parsnip, and that was before tasting the sweet, smoked quail meat.

Smoked Quail with maple glazed parsnip, crisps and mustard seeds.

Our mains diverged: I had the the Suckling Pig and Lillian had the Rabbit.

Suckling Pig with Cauliflower, Truffle, and Homemade Black Pudding.

The Suckling Pig featured roasted cauliflower and homemade black pudding. Ethos point is in essential to mention that it was the unity created by the different flavours on the plate that made this dish extraordinary. It was the culinary equivalent of being wrapped in a blanket in front of a roaring fire with the faint, distant hum of bagpipes rolling across moors.

Chorizo roast loin, rabbit and squid rillettes, pepper sauce, and wild garlic croquettes.

The Rabbit was also lovely, but I stood by my choice of main.

Dessert was called ‘Milk and Honey’, an airy mass of milky mousse with crispy honey flavoured nuggets, and the most decadent ice-cream.

Milk Mousse with Caramel Ice Cream, Honeycomb Crisps and Nuggets, and Caramelised Chocolate.

Not content with one dessert we also split a cheese platter; a delightful assortment of British fare, both hard and soft cheese. The goat’s cheese in particular was wonderful.

The Locally Sourced Cheese Platter.

To finish we were treated to tea and homemade chocolate truffles . . . and to be honest it was hard for the meal to be over. Despite our gluttony we easily could have continued our dining experience.

Afterwards we were fortunate enough to thank the chef himself, Graham Garrett. For a Michelin star chef, his humble nature as he smiled bashfully and said how glad he was that we enjoyed the meal while wearing  a cartoon t-shirt, showed a man that isn’t interested in accolades and glory. This is a man content with celebrating his talent and sharing it with all those who pass through the doors of his restaurant. Talking with him reminded me that a truly talented chef knows that great food speaks for itself. Both he and his wife should be proud to have created such an astonishing gem of a restaurant.

CONS: Biddenden, while picturesque, is not as accessible as other parts of England, and a car is essential if you wish to visit The West House.

PROS: Michelin star food, great service, and comfortable surroundings make for a truly wonderful dining expirience. We would happily eat here again.

If you would like to find out more about The West House, please visit their website at: http://www.thewesthouserestaurant.co.uk

If you would like to see the episode featuring The West House, please visit the following link: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/ramsays-best-restaurant/on-demand/49724-004