Two michelin stars and deep fried pigs head
Chef Tom Kerridge hit the road running with the Hand & Flower - not only did it receive a Michelin star within a year of opening back in 2005, but it recently received a second star, making it the only pub in the country to do so. However, it's a little disingenuous to describe the Hand and Flowers as a pub, even a gastro pub. You won't find anyone propping up the bar with a pint and a packet of crisps. The cosy, heavily beamed interior is given over entirely to rustic candle-lit dining tables which you're best to book (even for midweek lunch) to guarantee your spot among the romantic couples lingering over their Michelin starred meal.
And linger you can't help but do. The building sits uncomfortably close to the side of one of the main roads exiting Marlow in Berkshire, but this quickly becomes forgotten once inside. The restaurant is so warm, the candle-light so relaxing, the leather banquettes so comfortable, the ceilings so cosily low and the staff so attentive, that it's hard not to find yourself hypnotised into a delicious stupor - and that's before the food even arrives. Read more....
Since Kerridge converted two nearby cottages into four en suite rooms in 2011, The Hand and Flower is now a destination restaurant - a restaurant with rooms if you like - enabling you to splurge on a blow-out meal and then stumble a few yards down the road for a food and drink-induced sleep. The rooms are converted from a pair of humble cottages, so the noise insulation between properties is rather lacking but no expense has been spared with regards to fittings. One cottage offers an outdoor Jacuzzi, another a huge beamed fireplace and another a huge copper bath. The beds are incredibly comfortable with piles of feathered cushions and duvets, the rooms are generously heated and the waterfall showers are piping hot. All the rooms offer a huge television, a fridge, a Nespresso machine, homemade cookies and WiFi. So while the cottages may not be the prettiest from the outside, and the noise of the commuter traffic outside is inescapable, the rooms still provide an oasis of luxury. The perfect way to round off a blow-out meal, in other words.
Restaurant & bar: This is two Michelin star fare that doesn't disappoint anyone with a taste for rich, rustic food. Chef Tom Kerridge doesn't stint on salt, fat and sugar, but it's so expertly conceived and executed that you'll fall upon this coronary-thickening, waist-expanding food with total abandon and without a care in the world about any health impacts - after all it's special occasion stuff rather than everyday eating.
Kerridge's signature dishes include the slow-cooked duck breast with triple fried chips; roast hog with salt baked potatoes and apple sauce, and deep fried whitebait with Marie Rose sauce served as a pre-starter. You can also expect meaty celebrations such as deep fried pigs head (a succulent rillette in a crispy fried coating), and rare cooked venison served with venison mince stuffed cabbage leaf, as well as gutsy fish dishes such as the salt cod Scotch egg with a salty slice of chorizo served on a pool of sweet red pepper sauce.
Given Kerridge's bold flavours it's no surprise that the chocolate cake with a centre of salted caramel is to die for. More surprising, and a riposte to those that question whether the Hand & Flower warrants not one but two Michelin stars, is Kerridge's supremely subtle balancing act that is the raspberry soufflé with buttermilk sorbet and toasted oat cream. This towering mousse is as light as a cloud and yet suffused with the taste of raspberry. The earthiness of the warm toasted oat cream adds weight and depth while the cold buttermilk sorbet refreshes with its old-fashioned note of sourness. Clever, well-balanced and lightly-done.
Location: Located in the well-heeled town of Marlow close to the banks of the river Thames, The Hand & Flower is perfectly placed for a weekend getaway. From the hotel you’re a few minutes' walk from all the boutique shops in town and not far from endless stretches of rambling country walks. There’s also plenty going on in town in the evenings from music concerts at the Vine House (9 Glade Road, Marlow) to boutique cinema nights at Clayton’s (16 Oxford Road, Marlow). TS
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