The quiet village of Castor is only ten minutes from the centre of Peterborough and right in the heart you’ll find the old Fitzwilliam Arms conversion to a wonderful couple of restaurants. One is The Yard, a casual area to dine, have desserts, cocktails, coffee and a general relax in a lovely glass setting currently decked with deers, rabbits and festive drawings. However, today we are sat in the main Chubby restaurant ready for their Festive Tasting menu (available until January 5th)
We were greeted by Khyrah the Assistant Manager and Sylwia Restaurant Manager and offered drinks in the bar area or to go straight our table, we opted for the later so we could start our lunch invitation. We sat in the middle of a long restaurant with plenty of seating, all set with large white tablecloths. There is cosy seating areas for two as well as larger tables for groups with plenty of privacy with each tabled area. Decked out with Christmas bits and pieces around, it was a nice initial welcome.
Initially, we were served canapés of cauliflower foam, a truffle hash brown, a black pudding brioche with salted and malted butter. All very welcoming from the chill outside and to get our tastebuds awake. They certainly became wide awake with that little hashbrown doing its job in one bite.
The Festive Tasting menu comes with five dishes and options to add cheese & biscuits, wine and starter, if wanted. We were offered a tender lobster tail with a wonderfully fresh cucumber twist salad alongside a soy mayo and the Imperial caviar – a first every try for us– served with three blinis and garlic butter to start. Both a delicious small dish to commence for what was to come:
Venison | Belhaven Smoked Salmon | Turkey | Posset | Christmas Pudding
Sylwia brought out the first dish…Omgosh…The aroma reaches your nose as it arrives – the Venison Suet Pis smelt amazing, on slicing open and trying it, it simply melts in the mouth with a gorgeous red wine jus to enhance the meat.
The second dish, Belhaven Smoked Salmon, is so light. It arrives looking just like a mini cream dessert with sprinkles, however they shock the palate with a crunchy furikake of sesame seeds, seaweed, herbs, etc., a surprise to the smooth wasabi foam. A mixture of flavours you want to keep on eating.
Our third main was, of course as it’s a festive menu, the Turkey Classic Roast Stuffed Breast. Served with a tart cranberry side of sauce, circled by a creamy sweet carrot purée ring and to enhance it there was a separate dish of brussels, chestnuts, roasted carrot, two mini sausages in blankets, cabbage and a large classic roastie hiding in the bottom. It certainly gives you the festive feel with a delicious gravy in a mini jug and it’s enough to fill you.
Next on the table was a silky smooth, fresh palate-cleansing Posset of passionfruit, coconut and Malibu started our dessert trip. ‘Please sir, can I have some more…’ wow! That is an amazing taste in the mouth, silky smooth and sharp and sweet at the same time.
And finally, but not forgetting, a traditional mini semi circle of Christmas Pudding served up with brandy butter, and a Kirch cherry 🍒 which was small but mighty. A great finale.
Now as my husband is diabetic, we all know the sugar content of a Christmas pud so he was served up a Chocolate Ganache dessert with a blood orange sorbet. It had been made especially as a low-sugar dessert. I couldn’t resist a taste (being a chocolate fiend)…. a gorgeous fresh tang of the sorbet contrasts against the very strong, thick and chocolatey ganache, but, delicious again.
Everything was presented with elegance.
Each course is served with the appropriate cutlery then removed once finished.
Chef Patron Adebola Adeshina shares his vision for sustainability in modern British restaurant. It’s about being passionate for the provenance, sourcing, and ethics of the ingredients and where possible they source locally as well as being able to enjoy zero food miles as it’s grown on-site in their garden area. Adding a celebrity touch, Ade honed his culinary skills under the tutelage of Gordon Ramsay! We didn’t see Ade today, but caught of glimpse of a hard working team in the kitchen.
After two hours of stress-free bliss I’m totally full and shocked at how good this was. In fact I’d say it’s actually mind-blowingly good. It’s definitely somewhere to go for a special treat. Thanks to the kitchen staff for their amazing creations.
(If anyone has any allergies or requests for food, then make them known before you arrive so that the chef can accommodate – which was done wonderfully for us.)
As I said we were in the main restaurant, this lunch time was quiet with another table at the same time as us, however we will be back to try The Yard. They have a 3 course festive menu which is charged at £36 per person, you can also add the lobster tail and caviar if you fancy them before you commence.
