food/drink
THE PAVILION CAFE ****
Penarth Pier Pavilion, The Esplanade, Penarth.
029 2071 2100 / www.penarthpavilion.co.uk
On a sunny day, and several less sunny ones, Penarth Pier Pavilion is undoubtedly
a beautiful place to be. This recently restored Art Deco building is a gorgeous
place and is designed to let lots of light seep through into its stylish interior.
The Pavilion Cafe, situated at the back of the building on the pier side, makes the
most of this light with plenty of big windows that frame beautiful views of the sea.
We had come in for brunch and, perusing the menu, struggled to make a choice
between the delicious sounding options.
Eventually I decided to indulge both my sweet tooth and love of a hearty, meaty
breakfast and went for the pancakes served with Welsh sausage, hand-carved
bacon, fruit compote & maple syrup (£6.95). The big dish that was served to
me, on a wooden board and a tin plate, was amply filled with flawlessly cooked
pancakes which went startlingly well with the high quality sausage and bacon.
The maple syrup went well with the meat, and the generous helping of fruit was a
refreshing way to finish off the dish.
My partner went for the eggs Benedict (£7.50) and was extremely happy with the
result which consisted of perfectly poached eggs, toasted breakfast muffins, plenty
of carved ham (on this they did not skimp) and a well made hollandaise sauce.
The prices are pretty good for an upmarket breakfast, but with the high quality of the
produce and the unarguably beautiful location, this is far from a standard place. The
Pavilion Cafe is well worth a trip and I’ll be back there the next time the sun comes
out (or maybe even before, they were good pancakes...). HEATHER ARNOLD
POP UP SUPPER CLUB WITH KATHER’S KITCHEN
(AT HUMBLE BY NATURE) *****
Upper Meend Farm, near Penallt, Monmouth.
www.humblebynature.com / www.katherskitchen.co.uk
We all know and love the happy Springwatch presenter and all-round cheery
animal-loving Kate Humble, the plucky ex-Londoner who has given up dinner
parties to take on and rescue a Monmouthshire farm, with her husband Ludo.
Kate has created a working farm, which hosts courses from rural skills to animal
husbandry, holiday accommodation, masterclasses and, most recently, a host of
monthly supper clubs held in one of their purpose-built barns.
We went along to one of the farm’s regular supper club hosts, Katherine of
Kather’s Kitchen, who uses organic, seasonal ingredients in all her dishes. When
Katherine devised this evening’s menu it was during a spate of very hot weather;
unfortunately, by the time the evening had arrived, it was belting down. However,
the two courses on offer were fabulous. Chilled spring soup with mint, goats’
cheese and lemon mint and smoked salmon and asparagus terrine started us off.
Beautifully fresh mains consisted of spring chicken stuffed with feta, olive and
tomato, with tomato and basil salsa, Jersey Royals and seasonal vegetables and an
asparagus and leek risotto. What’s not to love about asparagus?
Dessert arrived in the form of elderflower and lemon tart, plus a white chocolate
and earl grey tea crème brulee. All dishes were as delightful as they sound. The
crème brulee recipe is one I’m waiting to arrive (Katherine promised to send it!),
given it was one of the best I’ve ever tried.
The location and the quality of the food is excellent, and there are many clubs
coming up over the following months: go to www.humblebynature.com for further
details. All supper club evenings are £29.50 per person; BYO wine or there is a
small selection available. ANTONIA LEVAY
TREFLOYNE MANOR ****
Trefloyne Lane, Penally, Tenby, Pembrokeshire.
01834 842165 / www.trefloyne.com
Rare Hideaways member Trefloyne is an elegant manor house overlooking an
18-hole golf course, run by Tom Beynon and his family.
There are elegant rooms in the main house and the upgraded accommodation in
the barns are beautifully restored. The terrace restaurant sits in a pleasant
space that is a huge light-filled conservatory overlooking the course.
The menu is locally sourced and seasonal. We stayed in mid-May and dined on
smoked salmon and spring onion tartlet and pan-seared scallops with a pea and
mint puree and crispy Parma ham... followed by a homemade beef and Guinness
suet pie with chips and mushy peas, plus an 8oz burger in a toasted brioche bun
topped with chilli cheese relish and onion rings. Not the most adventurous choices
from the more than adequate menu, and the range was varied, but you can tell
from homemade classics if the chef is worth his salt. They were delicious, fuss-free
and just made as it should be: fresh and cooked properly.
Desserts were equally as good and we shared the obligatory crème brulee, which
again was excellent.
A beautiful venue, run by a family who genuinely care and have their customer’s
interests at heart, perfect for a romantic getaway or a golf trip stay-over. I
recommend The Daffodil retreat set in Trefloyne’s ancient woodland; future
plans include a spa and a purpose built yurt village. ANTONIA LEVAY
BUZZ 36