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Relish Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells T: 01892 544522 E: relish.relish@yahoo.co.uk
Transformation isn’t easy for restaurateurs. For all the punters crying out for a change in your café/pub/bistro, there will inevitably be as many (if not more) dead against. Relish, in the Camden Road end of Tunbridge Wells, has steadily built a reputation over the past couple of years as a fine deli, and provider of super sandwiches in a relaxed, pleasant setting. Manager Neil Cotterill has now made the bold step of reinventing the deli as a serious restaurant; offering an affordable (but not sandwich-based) lunch menu, as well as an impressively broad evening menu.
“ The rigorous philosophies of Head Chef Darren Velvick lend the new venture
an air of credibility”
The logistics of this change of clothes has not involved altering the simple charm of the interior (brickwork is still exposed; battered, aging signs still hang), but has meant an exciting addition to the staff. Cotterill’s principal coup has been in tempting one of Britain’s most enterprising chefs into the bowels of the Relish kitchen. The man in question is Darren Velvick, a chef (un?)lucky enough to have worked under Gordon Ramsey as Head Chef at Petrus (the restaurant in London’s Connaught Hotel). The rigorous philosophies practiced and preached by Velvick include the non-serving of produce if it does not meet the chef ’s high standards and an almost total ban on the use of microwaves. Employing
these rules lends the new venture an air of credibility, and immediately raises the bar of expectation; not quite to potty-mouthed Ramsey levels, but still high. With these anticipations intact, KUDOS swung by to sample the mid-week evening menu, a reasonable, compact affair with a good number of tricks up its sleeve. Proceedings got off to a roaring start with two beautifully presented appetizers. The Spiced Carrot & Tomato Soup was served simply with slices of ciabatta bread, and a swirl of cream, and the Salmon & Smoked Haddock Fishcake with Fried Quails Egg & Tomato & Ginger Chutney was a neat tower of colour. Surprisingly
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thrilling for a soup, the former balanced the earthy vegetable flavours with a potent shot of heat, whilst the latter was treasure trove of unusual culinary combinations. Mains were of a similarly professional standard. The Seared Tuna, with Pickled Beetroot, Baby Artichokes and Avocado Salsa was, again, delicately layered; the fluffy salsa placed teasingly on top of the expertly pink tuna pieces. The Scallops with Pancetta, Artichokes & Rocket (from the specials board) was well organised; rather than a pile of ingredients, it was rather an alternating circle of
scallops and artichokes. Both dishes demonstrated the level at which Velvick has pitched his ambition; neither were indulgent in their size, but every mouthful of each was infused with intense, unexpected flavours. Dessert is that stage in a meal where all of the intricacy and care of the preceding courses can be undone by an unsubtle slab of reheated chocolate cake; a trap well avoided by Velvick and Relish. The Cheese Selection & Biscuits was supplemented by soft slices of quince and a robust chutney, the cheeses all tasting fresh and wellkept. The Baileys Brulee was a small
wonder, the thin caramelized crust protecting a light, sugary concoction that was satisfying without ever being overpowering. Bearing in mind that the sum total of these dishes was a ludicrous £15 (excluding the special board scallops, which were £9.25), then this is a Relish worth sampling again and again.
Relish is running a bespoke St Patrick’s Night Menu on 14 and 17 March and is currently booking for Mothering Sunday Lunch on 22 March
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