It’s off the beaten track, but the new restaurant at Beaverbrook is firmly on Surrey’s culinary map, says Catherine Whyte.
If you're looking for a truly delectable banquet, I’d suggest you stop off for lunch at the recently opened Garden House Restaurant and School of Cookery at Beaverbrook – in the grounds of the former Cherkley Court, near Leatherhead.
I say this for several reasons. Firstly, I am not often genuinely surprised by the food that appears on my plate. But hats off to chef Kaz Suzuki whose fabulous cooking did indeed surprise.
We went for dinner. Intrigued, I ordered the gnoccillini. What’s gnoccillini I hear you ask? Gnocchi fashioned into tortellini that’s what – filled with goats cheese, then decorated with little gems of sweet date purée and deep fried sage leaves along with pistachio for some crunch. What an inspired dish it is.
And it wasn’t an isolated success. The Big Man ordered the Brussels sprout and pancetta side to go with his Chicken Milanese. I was surprised because ordinarily The Big Man hates Brussels sprouts but he wanted to see if Kaz could change his mind. Amazingly, Kaz did.
Then there’s the setting: so peaceful, so country, so English. The Garden House is tucked away in a walled garden in a secluded spot in the grounds of the estate formerly known as Cherkley Court. This is bucolic idyll – Surrey-style.
The food is fresh and bright, laid back and rustic – though don’t confuse rustic for humdrum – standards are high (the restaurant has an excellent resident sommelier, too). Expect good things from the School of Cookery, which is set to open later in the spring.
Naturally, ingredients are sourced locally where possible with herbs from the onsite kitchen garden, bread from Chalk Hills Bakery in Reigate and meat from East Horsley butchers F Conisbee & Son. You’ll find Albury Vineyard’s Sparkling Wine in the cellar, too.
As well as being open to the public, the restaurant also serves the 11-room boutique hotel. And while it has the air of a 19th-century orangery, the hotel has been styled in that elegant but quirky country chic so popular these days. Think ‘Agatha Christie meets Alice in Wonderland’ and you’ve got the idea.
Although we ate in the evening, The Garden House is also an ideal spot for breakfast or lunch – especially if you’re out for a good walk. As it’s off the beaten track, there’s also ample parking, and with views over the restored kitchen garden and on towards the Surrey Hills, it’s really going to come into its own in the summer.
Once a private family residence, The Garden House sits apart from its better-known neighbour, the château-esque building that Lord Beaverbrook famously called home. Renovations on this stunning building – now known as The House – are well under way, as is work on the new spa and health club, which will have an indoor and outdoor pool. Both are expected to be in full swing by the summer.
Hopefully, the good people of Surrey will go out of their way – either with hound or without – to dine at The Garden House. If the standards here are anything to go by, then the future of Lord Beaverbrook’s estate looks rosy indeed.
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