Why Kent ?
Family brought me to Kent and I ’ m really happy here . British culinary traditions and food culture weave their influence through The Square Peg menu , which stretches to include anywhere British food culture may have influenced or been influenced . This obviously includes the classics but might translate to Indian and Cantonese spices and flavours when the mood takes .
We are a small , independent business , so I actively seek out opportunities to support similar businesses . Terroir and locality are both very important and interesting , but the most important thing is that I am supporting someone like us ; small independent businesses and the people behind them . Consequently , locality and seasonality feature strongly and I am so chuffed to have great relationships with my suppliers . From meat to fish , vegetables to wine , I am directly in touch with nearly all my suppliers and can call on them at any time to talk about what ' s good at any point in time .
The drinks list is almost exclusively British , again featuring small , independent suppliers and producers . The list isn ’ t expansive but there is something for all tastes from still and sparkling English wine , cider , perry , beer , mead , and spirits .
Tell us about the dishes and menu you have created at The Square Peg ?
The menu changes every six to eight weeks , very much driven by seasonality through talking with suppliers . Inspiration can come from anywhere , such as our recent souffle which is a take on banoffee pie . We always have oysters on , and there ' s always a thread to either some food tradition or the locality of produce . I get ex-dairy beef from a butcher in Brighton . They don ' t deliver this far so I take a trip down to them every week but it ' s so worth it . One of the best things about any meat is the fat . Fat is one of my major preoccupations . I use it in pastry instead of butter , I emulsify it into sauces and dressings , I serve it with bread ; I really do try and use it anywhere I can . It ' s not just about reducing waste , which is important of course , but why put it in the bin when you can put it in the customer ? Frankly , it ' s good business to use as much of any product that you can .
What is your signature / favourite dish ?
I don ' t know that I have a signature dish , but there are themes that I return to frequently . I like to think about different ways of using the whole of an ingredient . For example , on our current menu I salt and dry out the trimmings from hake and then serve it as a brandade on the dish . It ' s tasty and it adds to the experience for the diner because it ' s hopefully delivering more than the menu might promise .
What is your guilty pleasure ?
Cookbooks . If the restaurant caught fire , it ' s what I ' d think about first . I ' ve so many notes and scribbles in those pages on that shelf , it ' s not just knowledge but a lot of memories as well .
And I can never say no to ‘ just one more ’.
The Square Peg 46 Camden Road Tunbridge Wells Kent , TN1 2QD 01892 514819 www . thesquarepegtw . co . uk
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