Horndon on the Hill

Before we talk about Horndon on the Hill I thought I'd give Grahams on the Green a little mention.  Writtle's number one restaurant with views of the green and well populated duck pond.  I've visited this restaurant on numerous occasions and enjoyed every visit including this Friday's lunchtime excursion.  However, the restaurant is beginning to show signs that it is now in need of a little tender loving care from the management.  The front of house team do a great job, always very welcoming and entertaining which is somewhat lacking in many British restaurants today. I don't know how you've done it but customer communication and care is top notch at GOG!

In these frugal times we decided upon the new Special Lunch Menu at £9.95 per person which includes a main course and your choice of beverage.  The menu selection is fairly extensive providing a good choice.  After much deliberating we finally went for the following dishes Classic Hand Cut Suffolk Ham, free range eggs and homemade chunky chips; Pie of the Day - Steak and Kidney and House Salad with poached Salmon!

The Suffolk ham was soft, succulent and delicious, free range eggs perfectly fried and enoromous chips were just perfect.

Steak and Kidney Pie was a delight, soft kidneys were a joy none of that rubber like texture!

Eton Mess

Eton Mess, a seasonal must, includes crunchy meringue, fluffy cream and delicious berries was just too tempting by far to pass by!  Desserts are £3.50 each and they don't mind if you share. Overall, a great venue, great food and brilliant friendly service.

Okay lets go to Horndon on the Hill, situated in Thurock, just off the A13 which sounds about as delightful as a petrol station on the M1. Well, you'll be amazed at how attractive and charming this little village is with commanding views of Sheerness on a really good day and the odd petroleum station in the distance. You just wouldn't believe that you're in the beating heart of industrial Essex.  The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Horninduna and also the possible location for an Anglo-Saxon mint.  The church sits atop the hill, dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, consecrated in 130AD, is reputed to be the last resting place of Anne Boleyn, whose ghost is said to haunt the area. 

The Woolmarket is the historical jewel in the crown for Horndon which was erected in 1525 by the Shaa family.  Today the centre of the village is closed to traffic and turned over to a varied selection of food and craft stalls to help celebrate the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul.  Staffordshire bull terriers are very popular in this part of the world with many a proud owner parading their favourite pooch up and down the high street.  Fancy some ferret racing, old car gazing or perhaps some bee training?  The food side of the fayre is not up to the likes of France but there are some great stalls selling chocolate, fudge and cream teas to name just a few.  There are also some very interesting craft stalls that demonstrate true crafting skills, including Marquetry that might take your interest.

Overall the event provides an entertaining walk for everybody whether you're out for a pint or a chance to catch up with some old friends!

Well worth a visit - Saturday 23rd June and Sunday 24th June, open from 10am to 5pm.

Graham's on the Green - Writtle

Deciding on where to go for a meal can be difficult especially when the choices are limited.  Good quality and value for money restaurants are few and far between especially it would seem in and around Chelmsford.  That's not to say there aren't any good restaurants in Essex before anybody blows a blood vessel!  Restaurants such as Barda, The Anchor of Hullbridge and The Contented Sole are three excellent restaurants that I've visited in the past.  The challenge of where to go was even aired on Twitter but I'm afraid the response was fairly mute.  In the end we decided to return to Graham's on the Green, a firm favourite.


Writtle, a small village on the outskirts of Chelmsford is blessed with two quality restaurants, Graham's on the Green and the Blue Bridge which was apparently frequented by Posh and Becks a year or two ago. 


The restaurant was already in full swing when our small party arrived and we were greeted by the Maitre D and her team of willing helpers. The restaurant is fairly narrow with a long bar on the right side. Seating is also available at the front of the restaurant but as it was -6 degrees we passed on 'drinks on the terrace'.  The restaurant is tastefully decorated and has a number of 'booths' that provide a bit of privacy. The kitchen is on full view to the customers which I for one really like as it's always good to see the guys in action.  


Drinks are quickly ordered and brought to the table without too much fuss apart from the missing 'lemon' for a hot water. We chose from the a la carte menu which consists of eight starters, seven main courses and side order options. Many of which I'd had or seen before so it was a bit disappointing not to see a few new offerings.


Starters are priced from £5.00 for Leek and Potato soup finished with Roquefort cheese to Pan Fried Scallops on Rocket, Crème Fraiche and chilli jam for £9.50.  I couldn't fault the soup which was delicious with flavours perfectly balanced even though there was no bread offered.  Graham's House Salad was a hit with the other diners but for me the presentation was flat and boring only rescued by a good dressing.


A welcome lemon sorbet was brought to the table as a little surprise and to help clear our palettes. 

Main courses is where the action is in my opinion and they didn't fail to please. Prime Fillet Steak on Chicken Liver stuffed flat mushroom with vine cherry tomatoes and rich beef jus was stunning. 


Yes, the cherry tomatoes look ridiculous in the picture but the flavours are magnificent, the steak is soft and the jus is unctuous and sticky. Where was that piece of bread for dunking?! 

Halibut is a tremendous fish and it has to be the 'fit' fish of the sea as far as I'm concerned. It is such a beast!  Pan fried fillet of Halibut with spinach, roasted new potatoes and a red wine and shallot sauce.  Chunky, firm, white flesh served with a delicious sweet onion sauce. Divine!


While we're waiting for dessert I'll tell you a little about the great team.  I think everybody took a turn to assist at our table and whilst that might be a bit odd for the traditionalist it was great.  Service is speedy, helpful and always with a smile. Plus, they take criticism on the chin with style. We all like desserts especially if chocolate is involved.  So, we were all looking forward to a delicious treat!  Unfortunately, I've forgotten the name of this dessert but the picture will help.  A rather firm milk chocolate ganache on a ginger biscuit base, a physalis and a thin line of coulis.  We all agreed that it lacked sufficient flavour and more ginger was required, ideally mixed into the chocolate to really give it some flavour.  I suggest you ask the boss to take you to Pollen Street Social to investigate what Jason Atherton does with his desserts!

Overall, we enjoyed the bubbly atmosphere, a great meal that was well presented and served by a team who obviously enjoyed pleasing their customers. The dessert may have been below par but the teams' 'can do' attitude was obvious to all concerned. The meal was reasonably priced at £38 per person including a delicious Petit Chablis, coffee and some very tasty dark chocolate ganache truffles.  We'll be back!


Graham's on the Green.