FOOD + DRINK
AN EVENING WITH JOHN BINGLEY AT …
FIREPIT AT CAVE HOTEL & RESORT BY SAMANTHA READY
Secluded , luxurious and with an air of exclusivity , Cave Hotel & Resort in Boughton just outside of Canterbury , has , as I predicted on its opening in 2019 , become a foodie destination in its own right . Now proudly boasting 2 AA Rosettes , Cave ’ s signature fine-dining restaurant , Firepit , has launched an incredible new series of intimate , winepaired , tasting-menu dining experiences hosted by executive chef , John Bingley . And they are incredible !
Offering modern fine dining in a sophisticated and stylish setting , Firepit ’ s menu , inspired by big , bold , low-and-slow barbeque smokey flavours of the American West and an adventurous Asian culinary influence , is today as refined as the sleek dining space in which the now renowned sharing plate dishes are served .
Arguably the best way to showcase any chef ’ s culinary excellence is via a tasting menu . The new ‘ Evening with …’ concept does exactly that , curating an ingenious seven-course extravaganza showcasing some new Firepit menu additions such as a banana soufflé dessert with lime custard and banana sorbet alongside first menu mainstays like Japanese sweet potato and sticky Thai rice , all paired with a wine flight - a glorious local Chapel Down flight on the evening I had the pleasure to indulge .
Each course is introduced by the main man Bingley himself ; effervescent with evident passion for his restaurant empire and the dishes he has painstakingly perfected - his caramelised black cod was in menu development for some five years before he
acknowledged he had ‘ nailed it ’. The result today is a kitchen team who marinate their delicate fish for five days to penetrate the flavours to the middle of the dish before achieving the perfect caramelised outer sear .
So what should you expect … aside from the most efficient service from restaurant manager Harry McMillan and his team under the stewardship of GM Sergio Gomes ?
Long , deep , fresh flavours from the tempura shrimp canapé with a zingy hit courtesy of a Chapel Down Pinot Noir G & T sets the tone . Next for us came burrata , a perfectly fresh oozing sphere accompanied by a rich and sweet kumquat jam with hits of lime zest ; evidently worthy of its new menu starter stake , it paired beautifully with Chapel Down English Rose Still . The most incredible seared scallops sat atop cauliflower puree and a glorious sweet-sticky caramelised bacon jam , reminiscent of caramelised onions without that often unpleasant sulphuric aftertaste followed , Chapel Down ’ s Brut NV fine persistent bubbles and citrus flavours pairing beautifully with the fresh mollusc .
The second of the newer menu items was the pork belly . Slow-cooked and near translucent with moist excellence , it packed a gentle spiced flavour hit , but the real punch comes from its accompanying fire-roasted cauliflower with deep curry flavours and spicy hits . While not a typical chardonnay fan , the delicate oak ageing of Chapel Down ’ s Kits Coty worked beautifully !
Next came that aforementioned black cod and sticky Thai rice , two of my all time
( and most Firepit regulars ’) favourites ; fresh fried egg is chopsticked through the utterly moreish sticky rice laced with jewels of red pepper , spring onion and sweetcorn dressed with rich aged soy and oyster sauces in a showcase of table theatrics . Again , the choice of Bacchus was a perfect accompaniment here . This was followed by the beef short rib and menu stalwart , sweet potato . Slow cooked for 12 - 14 hours with Mexican birria lime and coriander , the sweet , sticky umami beef rib came with the demerara-sugar-finished sweet potato laced with miso chilli cheese . Fiery , sweet , rich , deep , utterly moreish , you get the picture … yet more rich notes added courtesy of the Brut Reserve 2019 .
And then it was pud . Firepit has , as Bingley would say , ‘ nailed it ’. The narrow , perfectly risen tower of banana soufflé a delicate juxtaposition to the flickering dining room flames and heavy set furniture . The sorbet could be devoured on its own . The lime custard a clever twist . The Brut Rose the perfect finish .
For more ‘ Evening with …’ special dining events , please visit www . cavehotels . com / firepit .
Firepit Cave Hotel & Golf Resort Brickfield Lane Boughton-under-Blean Faversham ME13 9AJ
firepitatcave
100 • www . insidekent . co . uk