Why The Ferry House ?
I was looking for somewhere that would allow me to keep learning but that also had a more hands-on approach to supply chain . The Ferry House is truly unique in that sense ; we have an acre and a half of kitchen garden where we grow over 150 different varieties of fruits , vegetables , herbs and flowers . Each season brings an abundance of new crops , many of which are unavailable to buy at market . They may be crops considered too low yield and labour intensive , or produce that doesn ’ t transport well . The Ferry House offers a truly special environment for me as a chef to be able to grow and cook with something completely unheard of . Each new season brings with it the excitement of new ingredients , which isn ’ t something that many chefs can say .
The venue is deep in the Harty Estate , a mix of he Burden family ’ s arable farmland and wetland areas , which during the season host our game shooting , providing us with a variety of game birds including mallard and teal ducks , partridge , pheasant and pigeon .
Our onsite butchery allows us to butcher whole bodies of lamb and pork sourced from local farmers , as well as the beef from our own farm . Whole animal butchery enables us to commit to a nose-totail ethos , as well as giving us complete control over the final cuts as we can butcher the carcass with dishes in mind .
Tell us about the dishes and menu you create at The Ferry House .
Working in a restaurant that produces its own ingredients and works very closely with passionate farmers and growers has had a profound effect on me and the way that I view the ingredients we use . One of the biggest factors for me is food wastage as chefs can throw a lot of food away . Often things that are considered the trim or offcuts still have masses of potential flavour and nutritional value . We make a very conscious effort to utilise these by-products through the menus , and to stop and look at what we ’ re about to throw away and consider what the alternative uses could be . All of our dishes are highly seasonal , often led by what we have in the garden , what we can forage from the shoreline and hedgerows , or what ’ s available from local farmers at the time . This often means that dishes will change or evolve as the seasons and the weather changes . We offer a lunchtime small plates menu , a selection
of lighter bites giving guests an opportunity to sample a selection of dishes that showcase individual ingredients , and in the evening , we have a more classic , refined offering .
What is your signature dish ?
I ’ m not sure I ’ ve got a signature dish . Most of our dishes are new for that season and each year we grow and source new ingredients from the previous year . If we do bring a dish back , it ’ s often updated with new skills and ideas for a different result . We ’ re currently working on a quince and medlar sticky toffee pudding . Made with treacle that we make on site from vegetable peelings , it ’ s a dish that showcases what we ’ re trying to do by using local and homegrown produce as well as by-products that ’ s delivered in a comforting and recognisable manner .
What is your guilty pleasure ?
Any sugared jelly sweets . I know they ’ re all sugar and food colouring , but I will regularly consume an unhealthy amount of Haribo Tangfastics , Jelly Tots or Fruit Pastilles .
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