496. ‘Bâtard’, New Faces At The Wilderness.

 

  Alex Claridge was organising another dinner at The Wildetness to try out new dishes on customers before wheeling them out on to his menus definitively. As usual the diners were expected to give feed back which would help to decide whether or not the dishes made it to the medal winners stand. From August, Claridge is aiming to change his menus to make them more accessible to the dining public and not just in the financial sense. Hopefully he will successfully capture the atmosphere of the mid-2020s rather than the late 20teens, an atmosphere which I admittedly rather enjoyed. This particular attempt to engage the vox populi he named Batard which sounded controversial but, though being playfully provocative to those who do not know, was simply invoking the name of a French bread - the batard which tells us more about Alex’s current thinking on direction than one might first think.

A real batard.

  There was also something else new about The Wilderness that evening - being the first to arrive and having an easy view of the kitchen, I spotted two newly arrived young chefs - young but familiar, late of Simpsons, Evan Holliday and Jordan Johnson, who had appeared earlier this year, quite memorably, in Masterchef The Professionals, cooking then very much in the style of Simpsons and their then mentor, Luke Tipping. The Wilderness had also recently appointed the fine young pastry chef, Lewis Perks (recently awarded second place in the Young Chef of the Year competition) which further depleted the talent in Simpsons’ kitchen (though I have no doubt that there will be many more talented young chefs wishing to work in that restaurant’s kitchens depending, I suppose, on just what Simpsons’ future is to be given that Andreas Antona has announced that he intends to sell the business - maybe there’s a reason they are all leaving).

  However, The Wilderness has also experienced an important senior staff departure with the loss of former Head Chef, the immensely talented Marius Gedminas, who, I was told is presently doing some travelling in Europe before returning to the United Kingdom to do some agency work.

  All these changes! But to the food. 

  Gougères - pleasingly - seem to be the order of the month as the amuse gueule of choice and when you’ve got a highly talented new pastry chef, put him to good use. And of course it all brings La France to mind and I have the feeling that Alex Claridge is finding thoughts of French cuisine crowding in on him. Which is good.

  I am becoming worn down by the ubiquity of Chalkstream trout but the next dish restored by ability to eat - nicely cooked to a perfect texture and perfectly married to wasabi and a buttermilk sauce studded with a brunoise of darling summer peas and other vegetables. This was an excellent dish.

Evan Holliday, Jordan Johnson & Sonal Clare

  Jordan Johnson served me his notable contribution of a fine beef tartare elevated by the zing of mustard  and mustard ice cream. Classic combination. A fine dish.

Jordan Johnson

  Then another triumph. This was a devastatingly perfectly cooked red prawn with spicy tomato jam and Café de Paris butter alongside a crispy brioche (looking rather like that previously served at Simpsons) and prawn head and a slice of lime to spray deliciously over the dish. Big prawn flavours and more besides.

  We moved on to a choice of Cornish plaice with Champagne sauce or Iberico pork presa with mustard sauce. I was delighted to have chosen the delightfully cooked fish with its fine sauce, pickles, the texture of pine nuts and a sea herb garnish. One of my dining companions opted for the Iberico and found it very toothsome. The dishes were accompanied by a splendid Caesar salad and barbecued potatoes which were a littleal dente for my taste.

 Then to the desserts and what a delight to be served pastry. Lewis Perks is clearly making his mark in his new home. Firstly there was a tremendous lavendar tartlet, generously portioned, the lavender subtle and not overpowering - in fact quite the nicest lavendar dish I can rember having - and made beautiful with a glistening raspberry sorbet and the humorous use of ‘sparkles’. 

  Then a little macaron, by way of a mignardise, crispy on the outside, gloriously gooey at the centre. I assume that Mr Perks was also responsible for that little gem.

  Just one thought - in coaxing the admittedly lovely brioche out of Lewis, perhaps Alex Claridge might have suggested to him to bake a bâtard loaf instead.

Rating:-🌞🌞🌞

10 July 2025.