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.

The Lordship Tea Room and Food Hall

At last!  
You can almost hear the Foodies of Essex shout with joy as the Lordship Tea Rooms, come deli, come gift shop arrives in Writtle, care of, Wilkin and  Sons Ltd, better known to you and me as Tiptree Jams.  A short bike ride from the centre of Chelmsford and you're in the world of 'local produce' far away from the crowded shopping lanes of Tesco and Asda. 


This charming shop is overseen by manageress, Tina, who said that since opening in December, business has been brisk and as we were stood chatting the place was certainly filling up quickly.  Not only is the shop providing a really important service to the people of Writtle and surrounding area but it is also providing jobs to several local people. With all the doom and gloom around it is good to hear that business is thriving! 

Apparently, Wilkin and Sons, have opened three other tearooms in Dedham, Heybridge and Tiptree all very lovely places to visit. 
The tea room seems to be particularly popular with cyclists even on a cold January day they were sat outside enjoying a sandwich or piece of cake to help them on the next leg of their journey.  I imagine in the summer the tearoom will be doing a roaring trade!

Wilkin and Sons:  The firm was originally founded as the Britannia Fruit Preserving Company in 1885. The then owner, Arthur Wilkin, stipulated that has jam should be free of preservatives, colouring and glucose. In 1905 the company renamed to Wilkin and Sons, to avoid confusion with 20 or so other companies running under the Britannia banner. In 2010 the Queen visited the Tiptree jam factory as the company celebrated 125 years of making preserves.



Ok, back to present day. I applaud Wilkin and Sons for sourcing as many of their products from local suppliers including sausages and raw meats from Great Garnetts, Barnston and handmade breads from Danbury Fine Foods to name just two.  

Tony Hopkins - Farm2Table

Nowadays all too often the traditional family butcher has been disappearing from our high street.  It is a wonder that children know what a cow or a turkey even looks like!  Fortunately, for many of us, Tony Hopkins, a butcher for 25 years, of Farm2Table is continuing the great traditions but with a modern approach.  He is very keen to ensure that animal welfare and complete traceability of his products remains of paramount importance.  


Coming from a catering background myself I understand how nowadays customers want to know where their Sunday fore-rib has come from and whether the eggs to make the Yorkshire pudding batter are British and Free Range.  You can either buy from Lordship Food Hall, online or find Tony at Great Garnetts Farmers Market which starts again on Saturday 11 February.  


We certainly enjoyed our handmade pheasant pate with a slice of delicious Poppy Seed Plait.  If you enjoy haggis I spotted a few in the chiller so I for one will be looking forward to Burns Night!


The place is packed with loads of other goodies including chocolates, handmade meringues, patisserie, cheese, Maldon Salt, and as you pay at the till you can consider ordering your vegetables from Rocket and Rhubarb.


I would have liked to see some smoked meats and perhaps a few more deli options such as olives but overall a great start to the New Year!