11 minute read
DINING OUT Our recommendation this month is the small but perfectly formed Magpies in Horncastle.
Lime fried king scallops with king prawn sesame tempura and mango salsa £17.50.
A Restaurant with Rooms: Dining Out at MAGPIES in HORNCASTLE
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This month we’re enjoying a small but perfectly formed dining room in the centre of Horncastle, family-owned and celebrating its 18th birthday...
Words & Images: Rob Davis.
Caroline Gilbert isn’t sure where the name Magpies came from... she and husband Andrew took on the building exactly 18 years ago and inherited the name.
The place was really well established in the town though, and the couple reasoned that any attempt to change the name would still result in it being referred to as ‘the place that used to be Magpies,’ and so decided to retain the name rather than fighting against it.
That’s not to say they didn’t make other changes though. The place was a rather less auspicious restaurant prior to the couple’s arrival, and before that, it was a former village shop and bakehouse.
The couple renovated the building, installed a new commercial kitchen and a lounge area, generally tidied the place up and most crucially of all, brought to the town a really good dining experience very much north of what you might find at even the best pub restaurant.
There’s a single dining room at Magpies, and the place has at most about 35 covers. Yet still in the kitchen there’s Andrew Gilbert and his fellow chef David Morley, which is a pretty decent ratio of chefs to diners, ensuring plenty of time and effort is invested in the restaurant’s dishes.
A bugbear of mine is restaurants which have multiple menus, specials boards, and too many steak nights or early-bird promotions. Happily, Magpies has just one single menu, for both lunchtime and evening service.
The menu consists of seven starters, seven main courses and seven desserts plus a cheese board option. That’s still quite a bit of choice, but as extensive as we reckon it’s possible to be when all of your dishes are prepared freshly in house, ensuring the kitchen is sufficiently well-practised in producing each dish.
What’s more, absolutely everything at Magpies is made in house by Andrew and David. The two bake the restaurant’s own bread in house each day, make their own ice
Sweet treats as part of afternoon tea £19.95, pre-booking required.
MEET THE CHEF
ANDREW GILBERT
Born and raised in Buxton, Derbyshire, Andrew and Caroline met whilst working together at The Old Vicarage in Sheffield. The two took on Magpies exactly 18 years ago and have since run it as a fine dining ‘restaurant with rooms.’ n
on the MENU
Starters Escabeche of red mullet with chilled gazpacho and fried, breaded Camembert with chilli jam £11.95. Slow-cooked pork belly with cauliflower purée and sweet garlic with black pudding beignet and beetroot dressing £15.50. Applewood home-smoked venison with quail egg, Barnstone Blue cheese and candied walnuts £14.50. Main Courses Breast of Barbary duck and savoury Savoy cabbage with carrot and swede, plus haggis and Lyonnaise potatoes £27.95. Loin of cod with baby leeks and broad beans £25.95. Courgette and halloumi fritters with butternut squash and Amaretti lasagne with pineapple chilli salad and tempura of sprouting broccoli £20.95. Desserts Assiette of desserts comprising sweet shop terrine with whisky parfait honeycomb and toffee sauce, and mini-white chocolate crème brülée £10.95. Mini dessert of dark chocolate and orange mousse with espresso coffee £10.95. Cheese with biscuits and grapes £11.95.
NB: This is a sample menu, and featured dishes are subject to availability and change.
Hot strawberry soufflé with strawberry ice cream and fresh strawberries with coulis and pink candy floss, £9.75.
creams and sorbets... even the petit fours served with customers’ coffee are made by the two chefs.
Andrew and David also take full advantage of the wealth of local ingredients available in the county as well. Coningsby-based R H Papworth provides butchery, and greengrocer NHP of Woodhall Spa provides fruit and veg, grown in Lincolnshire where possible.
Andrew will acquiesce to suppliers further afield for products like speciality game supplier Vin Sullivan and Colchester-based Direct Seafood’s, but where there’s quality and availability, the two love working with local ingredients. Meanwhile at front of house is Caroline, who’s invested in making sure each of her diners have a really great experience, and Caroline also welcomes guests into each of her three comfortable en suite rooms. Andrew and Caroline reckon that their catchment area for diners is an hour, with customers visiting from Lincoln, Boston, Sleaford, Skegness, the East Coast, Louth, and Brigg & Caistor.
Tart of Cromer crab, £14.95.
For a really special evening, Magpies also hosts its bi-annual wine dinners in May and October, where Ed or James from the couple’s preferred wine supplier, Corney & Barrow, introduce a series of wines sourced directly from smaller vineyards and wineries. There’s plans afoot, too, for a regular pudding club at the restaurant later this year. Undoubtedly there’s a huge amount of expertise, creativity and good ingredients invested in each dish, and in creating a comfortable intimate environment in which to dine.
The quality of dining on offer and cosy setting definitely makes a refreshing change from a pub restaurant. Magpies is a great place: small, perhaps, but perfectly formed! n
Fillet of Lincoln red beef with shittake mushrooms and horseradish mash with sweet glazed beets and carrots £29.50.
DINING OUT AT... Magpies
Location: East Street, Horncastle.
The Pitch: Small family run, award winning restaurant, having been awarded 2 AA rosettes for its English/Classical French cuisine.
Opening Times:
Closed Monday/Tuesday, open from noon to 1.30pm and from 6.30pm-8pm Wed, Thurs, Fri. Saturday 6.30pm to 11pm. Sunday noon to 1.30pm, 6.30pm to 8pm.
Magpies, East Street, Horncastle LN9 6AA. Tel: 01507 527004. www.magpiesrestaurant.co.uk
In the KITCHEN
These chunky vegan burgers are great for summer barbecues, made with a mix of spicy Mexican quinoa, roast sweet potatoes and tender black beans...
QUINOA & SWEET POTATO VEGGIE BURGERS
Preparation Time: 20 minutes. Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes. Serves: 4. For the burgers • 2 large sweet potatoes, weighing at least 500g • 400g tin of black beans • 250g cooked spicy Mexican quinoa • 2 limes • 20 semi-dried tomatoes • 50g ground flaxseeds • To serve (optional) • Burger buns or pitta bread • Avocado or guacamole • Harissa chilli relish • Kimichi or pickles • Vegan mayo • Salad leaves • Chilli jam • Roasted peppers • Tomato ketchup or salsa
Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and slide into the oven to bake for 20-40 mins till they're soft and cooked through. A skewer should slide easily through the baked sweet potatoes. While the potatoes bake, drain and rinse the black beans, then tip half of them into a large bowl. Lightly crush them with a fork, then add the remaining beans. Tip in the ready-cooked spicy Mexican quinoa. Finely grate in the zest from the limes. Cut the semi-dried tomatoes in half and add those to the bowl. Mix everything together and set to one side. When the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly. Leave the oven on, if you’re cooking your burgers straight away. When cool enough to handle, halve the sweet potatoes and scoop out 300g of the soft flesh into a bowl. Add the ground flaxseeds with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then mash till smooth. Add the sweet potato mix to the bowl with the quinoa and beans. Mix well till combined. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if you think it needs it. Divide the mix into 6-8, then shape into patties about 2cm thick. You can use a large round biscuit cutter to help with shaping, if you like. Place them on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and brush one side with a little oil. Slide them into the oven to bake for 40 mins. Flip them over after 20 mins and brush the upturned side with a little more oil. Return them to the oven to cook for 15 mins. They should be darkened in colour and lightly crisp.Remove from the oven and build your burger with your chosen toppings. n
In the KITCHEN
These perfect little pots are rich, creamy, intensely chocolatey and vegan friendly. They’re made with velvety smooth avocado, a splash of soya cream, dark chocolate and a dash of coffee...
CHOCOLATE, COFFEE & AVOCADO POTS
Preparation Time: 20 minutes + chilling. Serves: 4. Vegan. • 100g dark chocolate • 100ml soya cream • 1 ripe avocado • 1 tsp instant coffee • 50g sugar • Berries, to serve
Half-fill a medium pan with water, set it on the hob and let it come to a simmer. Tip the dark chocolate buttons and soya cream into a heatproof bowl – it should be the right size to sit over the top of the pan without touching the water. When the water is simmering, take the pan off the heat and sit the bowl on top. Stir the chocolate and cream together. The heat from the water will gently melt the chocolate as you stir. When the mixture is thick and smooth, take the bowl off the pan and set it aside to cool. Meanwhile, tip the instant coffee into a pestle and mortar and grind it into a powder. No pestle and mortar? You can tip the coffee into a sturdy bowl and use the bottom of a jam jar to crush it. Halve the avocado and discard the stone. Scoop the flesh out into a bowl and mash it smooth with a fork. If you have a food When the chocolate and cream mixture is cool, stir in the coffee, avocado, sugar, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well till smooth and fully incorporated. Divide the chocolate avocado mixture between small pots, ramekins or bowls and pop the in the fridge to chill for 3-4 hrs till set. Delicious served with fresh berries or drizzled with a little extra olive oil. n
New Botanicals from Belvoir...
A brand-new range of three, nature-inspired sodas, Floral Fizz, Bitter Orange Spritz and Spicy Ginger Fizz. Bringing something deliciously different to adult soft drink market... From the Vale of Belvoir, best known for its elderflower cordial, some Belvoir Fruit Farm’s new botanical sodas. Spicy Ginger Fizz, using a fresh root ginger infusion, Floral Fizz including the farm’s signature elderflowers, and a Bitter Orange Spritz, invigorating and with a citrus tang like a Mediterranean style aperitif. Truly uplifting and indulgent drinks, alcohol-free and fewer than 20 calories per 100ml, £1.75 / 500ml / 0% ABV.
The Wine Cellar
Wine of the Month
Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet 2016, Napa Valley £145 / 75cl / 14% ABV
American wine for 4th July! Chateau Montelena made its name in the legendary Judgement of Paris, in 1976, when it beat the best of Burgundy and Bordeaux in a blind tasting judged by the world’s top wine experts. This is their flagship wine, rich and opulent, with flavours of black plum, blackberry, redcurrant, cinnamon and coffee. Expensive, but very much worth the investment in luxury! Available from majestic.co.uk.
ENJOY A SUMMER OF LOVE THIS MONTH AS WE PRESENT SOME FIZZY FAVOURITES TO ENJOY WITH STRAWBERRIES AND RASPBERRIES, PLUS SOME FLORAL FIZZ FROM BELVOIR...
A TRIO OF ENGLISH SPARKLING WINES TO ENJOY WITH STRAWBERRIES...
Pret à Boir
The Perfect Gin Martini!
1. Hush Heath’s Balfour Brut Rosé is hailed as England’s most exclusive pink fizz. Traditional Champagne grapes, fine raspberry and strawberry on the palate, £39.99 / 75cl / 11.50% ABV.
2. Maud Heath Vineyard Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé, a sparkling wine made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes grown on a family run, award-winning vineyard in Wiltshire. There’s a wonderful depth of flavour, with balanced acidity, £28.99 / 75cl / 12% ABV.
3. Hattingley Valley Brut Rosé, delicate pale pink with lively bubbles, redcurrant aromas and strawberry flavours to complement the toasty notes, £37 / 75cl / 12% ABV. The perfect Gin Martini, ready to enjoy without the faff! Straight from the Handmade Cocktail Company comes the Gin Martini, made using the very best copper pot-still gin and a very precise amount of top quality dry vermouth. Not only does this allow you to enjoy a carefully measured Gin Martini easily whenever the mood strikes, mixing the vermouth with the gin before bottling has the lovely benefit of maintaining freshness, too!
£26 / 50cl / 42.30% ABV.
n Our featured wines are available from the best local independent wine merchants, supermarkets and online, prices are RRP and may vary from those stated.
