THE MAGIC MUSHROOM

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

We head to Billericay to meet Darren Bennett, the restauranteur and executive chef of a local institution

Q Are there certain dishes that you believe makes you stand out?

A The most popular dish is always the Chilli Fish Chowder. If it is taken o the menu, diners ask for it to be reinstated!

Q How long has The Magic Mushroom been open for now – and why the name?

A I was working in another restaurant in Essex and in 1996 one of the chefs where I was working told me that the restaurant was for sale on a Saturday evening. I went to the restaurant on the Sunday and bumped into the owner of Barleylands – we had a chat and I signed the contract on the Sunday and resigned from my current position on the Monday. The rest as they say is history…

The original restaurant was called Barleylands, but in 2000 I changed the name to The Magic Mushroom – I wanted the name to be di erent and be a talking point.

Q Why is Billericay perfect for you?

A Billericay is the perfect home for the restaurant as it is central to neighbouring areas. Our diners come from all over Essex, which is testament to our high standard of food, relaxing ambience, and excellent customer service.

Q What kind of atmosphere are you looking to create at the restaurant? A The Magic Mushroom Restaurant

MASALA CONFIT DUCK LEG WITH COCONUT DAHL

o ers first class, freshly cooked food from contemporary menus with a traditional influence for lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea.

Q How would you sum up what the menus o er?

A We currently o er an A La Carte Menu (Weds to Sat), Set Lunch Menu (Weds to Fri), Set Dinner Menu (Weds & Thurs), Table D’Hote Menu (Fri), Daily Specials, Collection Menu (Weds to Sun), Sunday Lunch and Afternoon Tea.

We ensure that our menus use produce that is in season, so we change them about four times a year. When we introduce a new menu, we always have a comprehensive vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free option for our diners including our afternoon tea menus. This improves the restaurant’s sustainability and attracts new diners to the restaurant.

We get some amazing feedback on our vegan menus and have noticed a huge increase in demand for vegan and vegetarian options over the last four years. Catering for specific dietary requirements is one of the reasons our clients love coming here.

PAN-FRIED COD

Q What kind of private functions can you host?

A The restaurant o ers a private dining area and a function room, with its own entrance, bar, and facilities, which is perfect for weddings, events, parties and celebrations, award ceremonies, conferences, launches, business networking, private dining, baby showers, and wakes.

I recognized that there was a shortage of venues in the borough, and I wanted people to stay in Basildon rather than have to travel further afield. The restaurant and function room can now comfortably seat up to 180 covers.

Q How do you make private events extra special?

A The key is that we o er a discreet service, tailored to our customer’s needs, o ering exquisite food and outstanding customer service.

My team and I have worked with many brides and grooms to ensure their wedding day is a special day at The Magic Mushroom. The team work with the couples to cater for their needs and requirements and encourage bespoke packages rather than supply standard packages that other venues usually o er. This also applies to other private events that we host.

Q What are you most proud of at The Magic Mushroom?

A I am immensely proud of the fact that after 25 years The Magic Mushroom is still the success it is and is always changing and evolving with times and trends.

We are lucky to have a core base of loyal regular diners, some of which have been dining with us since we opened 26 years ago! When we re-opened after the various lockdowns, we have had lots of new faces dining with us, which was great. Some ordered the Collection Menu during lockdown and others have just heard about us through word of mouth. We do take our reputation extremely seriously and we are renowned for our customer service, of course our fantastic food, but also our lovely sta and the ambience of the restaurant.