South Africa-born Jean Delport, opened Interlude at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens in wealthy West Sussex in 2018 and was awarded a Michelin star there the following year. His restaurant was also awarded a green star in 2023. He appeared in the 2025 series of the BBC’s Great British Menu and became one of the few competing chefs ever to present two of his dishes at the final banquet.
Delport had been invited by Aktar Islam to cook at Opheem and it seemed a pity not to seize the opportunity to attend what promised to be an interesting evening. I enjoy collaborations but those in which sponsors push their cause too far are trying I find. This is particularly irritating when it is revealed that a sponsor will be talking to the captive audience of diners only once the diners are seated at their tables, netted and entrapped.
It evolved that this particular collaboration was organised by Prept, which has been set up to promote cooking, perhaps as a future career, for children. A good cause, among many, I suppose but the representative of the company was slick and pushy and reminded one of a candidate on The Apprentice trying to promote his cause to gain the favour of Lord Sugar and I felt slightly resentful about it all. I’ve paid my money and really don’t want to feel cornered to empty my pockets even more especially when all I came for was to be served a good meal.
The evening began in the Opheem lounge, as ever, where the exalted familiar amuses gueules were served. There’s no reason to describe them as they have appeared in this blog before but, as ever, they were delicious and all part of the Aktar Islam contributions to the menu.
Thence to the main dining room. After a delightful croustade on to Delport’s first contribution to the meal - Onion Royale - a delightful, deeply flavoured broth which would have been quite satisfactory all by itself. The N25 caviar, presumably oscietra included to give added umami, was a luxury for this special dinner, but the broth itself would have stood alone very nicely and sometimes the simple is often the best.
The dishes presented by Aktar and his team were all familiar to those who regularly (or at least fairly regularly) like to bask in the indulgent pleasure of Opheem’s fine food and the next course brought Badami korma, an immaculately cooked scallop with mooli, apple and almond, prepared as beautifully as we would expect. Alternating with Jean Delport’s dishes there were also our dearest friend Aloo tuk and later, Hiran karahi, unimpeachably cooked saddle of venison with bhuna sauce and Aktar’s refreshing dessert, Seb which put the emphasis on apple and had more to do with Birmingham than the subcontinent and was none the worse for that.
Delport’s next course - his fish presentation - was aged Atlantic cod with a plump Cape Malay mussel, wild garlic and lardo. It was very tasty and finally cooked though it had the air of sous vide about it and so it never really fully appealed to me. Then on to Delport’s main which was first presented uncut to the diners and was centred on very pink salt-aged duck stuffed with boerewors (a South African sausage) with the accompanying flavour of lid rose which did not work for me. I needy something gutsier - cherry or orange - there’s a reason why they are long recognised flavours for duck. Still, this was an opportunity to dine on food prepared by a meticulous and innovative chef but on the whole I preferred the dishes which had been born in our Birmingham homeland. Delport ended the meal with a delicious dessert centred on chocolate mousse and with that I was replete.
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