atout
e
Brassica
Homely like cauliflower, stylish like cavolo nero but there’s more super food in
this fresh restaurant than just its vegetable namesakes says Miriam Phillips…
lmost as soon as you walk into this plaudit attracting
Beaminster eatery, it’s clear that combining the cooking
talents of Chef Cass Titcombe with the interior design
expertise of his wife Louise Chidgey is an eating out match
made in food heaven.
A
In the Kitchen
Award-winning chef Cass simply wants his customers to eat great food
and relax. His impressive track record at restaurants
from Bath to London has been building to this moment. This is the business Cass has always wanted,
which he runs with his wife Louise, and every ounce
of passion he has goes into his cooking.
The Dining Room
The room looks cosy and inviting from the Square
outside and when you walk in, it is like a little haven.
Our table was by the log burning fire and we sat on
sheepskin draped over the chairs. The interior,
designed by Louise, is subtle and brilliant. Her background in interior design shines through and she told
us she even travelled to Morocco to source glassware,
rugs and baskets and to Italy for crockery and glasses.
Front of House:
Manager Kate Reeves
The Menu
The menu is so fresh that it changes twice a day. Cass buys the majority
of his products very locally (with the fruit and veg shop and the butcher
situated opposite the Square) and his seafood from local fishmonger
Davy’s Locker. There is a choice of five starters, five main courses, sides
and five desserts. Each dish is cleverly selected by Cass to offer a selection to the diner and include options they’ve never tried. The food is
described simply, with no pretence.
The room was
cosy and
inviting from the
Square outside
and when you
walk in, it is like
a little haven.
The interior,
designed by
Louise Chidgey,
is subtle and
brilliant
What dish would you recommend? “I love the beef Italia,
there’s no other words than absolutely amazing.”
Which dish sells best? “The hogget (meat from a sheep over one
year old) is always popular. Due to the menu changing twice a day
people are willing to try lots of new dishes.”
Which wine? “The Côtes de Gascogne, 2013 (£18) is a very popular
white and the Beaujolais-Villages, Elegance, 2012 (£24) is the best
seller on the red wine menu.”
What sort of customers do they get? “We get a real mix, locals
and people who love good food coming for dinner with friends
and families.”
What makes this restaurant special? “The interior is so well
designed that it is welcoming and inviting. Not only is it a great
atmosphere but the food is really good.”
The Food
The starters arrived beautifully presented on coloured
crockery. The style was simple but from the very first
mouthful we knew we were in for a real treat. We had
fried shrimps with aioli, £9, which we were informed
was the freshest shri