belated birthday celebrations!

Dear Sheddists,

at long last we're back in Norfolk enjoying the lofty skies and a profound sense of peace. We had planned a visit at the end of January to celebrate my birthday, but a flu infection which struck us both down within days of each other rendered this a 'no-go'.

But now it's time for that special meal we had planned for earlier in the year - another visit to the legendary Benedicts, our all-time favourite restaurant by a country mile.

The little touches that matter

The food on offer at Benedicts is the best we've ever tasted, but there's another even more compelling reason why we it's become such a special place for us.  It's those little touches that make all the difference between a good meal and a great experience.

It starts the minute we arrive. A warm and friendly welcome awaits from the front-of-house staff who demonstrate a common commitment to making diners feel relaxed and at home. So many high-end restaurants offer the exact opposite -  a threatening atmosphere of privilege and aloofness that is a million miles from what we've come to love and expect at Benedicts.

Adam, their genial General Manager asks if we're celebrating something special. We tell him of our aborted January mission and he disappears downstairs to the kitchen only to return a few moments later with a Belated Birthday card signed personally by Chef Richard Bainbridge, one half of the husband and wife team behind this amazing restaurant

Now that's a little touch that really is special!

Fine conversation

The relaxed atmosphere brings an added bonus to our trips to Benedict - the opportunity to strike up really interesting conversations with fellow-diners.  On this occasion we meet Mark the Mole Man and his lovely wife, Vanessa, both of whom offer excellent advice on how best to harness the spirited energy of a new puppy who recently joined our household.

There aren't many restaurants we can think of where such casual conversation takes place so regularly and it's no accident. The relaxed environment positively encourages people to speak, and in our book that's no bad thing at all!

Speak for yourself

The food speaks for itself. We choose the Tasting Menu accompanied by a delicious wine-pairing, the latter is introduced with great enthusiasm and knowledge by the ever-helpful Adam who lends an extra air of theatricality to the proceedings.

Stand-out favourites are the Light Pork Broth featuring Edgefield Shitake mushrooms and local wild garlic, and a delicious cod dish served in a crisp lettuce leaf.

To round things off Richard comes out to say hello at the end of the meal. Once again, you've done us proud, Benedicts!  Many thanks to Richard, Katya and all the Benedicts team for making our belated birthday celebrations so special.

 

 

Wedding anniversary celebrations

Dear Sheddists,

this year my dear wife and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary at our very favourite restaurant, 'Benedicts' in Norwich.

Sweet memories

 Regular readers will be aware it's our custom to eat fish and chips on our anniversary in memory of our very first meal together on our own as a young married couple.  It was all we could afford, but no less special for all that.

This year we had to stretch the definition of 'fish and chips' a little, but it was well worth it!  The fish took the form of brown shrimps, fresh from King's Lynn and the chips were four delicious home-cooked potato crisps nestled gently between the scales of a pine-cone.

The tasting menu

We chose the tasting menu, six courses of sheer bliss, accompanied by some equally delicious hors d'ouevres.  Every course was an epicurean delight, but the star of the show for us was the starter - Thornton Hall heritage tomatoes, summer peaches and coriander. It was absolutely sublime, balancing different flavours, textures and temperatures to create a taste-bud sensation.

Those special little touches

It's not just the food that was special.  Three delightful little extra touches made our celebration meal so memorable.

First was the piece of theatre that introduced the opening dessert, two splendid ice-lollies made from Norfolk strawberries. The waitress carried a mini-freezer to our table and opened the top to the sound of ice-cream chimes within.  Sheer magic!

The second was the chocolate-decorated plate bearing our final course - a deliciously light passion-fuit mousse.  You can see it in one of the photos below.

The final delightful touch at the very end of the meal was the small tube of love-hearts secreted with the metal acorn containing the bill.  What a fitting reminder, not just of yet another fantastic meal at 'Benedicts' but also thirty seven years of an absolutely wonderful marriage to the love of my life.

Thank you, Richard, Katya and team for making our meal so very special!

 

Fine dining in the heart of Norwich

 Dear Sheddists,

we finish off the first month of retirement in some style with a visit to our beloved Norfolk hide-away.

Pleasures a plenty

The highlights of the week, in no particular order, are three lovely forest walks, two excellent books (Sue Perkins' delightful autobiography, 'Spectacles' and in stark contrast 'The Profession of Violence' by John Pearson, a fascinating journey through the dark life and times of the Kray twins) and a leisurely seaside stroll amid the salt-kissed dunes of Wells-next-the-Sea.

But the best of all, we leave till last. Our third visit to 'Benedicts' in Norwich for lunch, accompanied on this occasion by our dear friend and neighbour, Krissy.

Setting the record straight

We're celebrating my birthday - I'm 58 years young, in recognition of which I'm let off the leash for a whole hour to scour the record shops of Norwich whilst the ladies make good their own plans for shopping.

I'm delighted to find a small but impressive collection of On-U Sound vinyl in 'Soundclash Records' and hard cash parts hands in return for a copy of 'War of Words', the legendary debut album of Singers and Players. It's a dub-centric mash-up featuring amongst others Prince Far I - the voice of thunder, the smooth reggae vibes of Bim Sherman and some backing vocals by the late Ari Up, step-daughter of John Lydon and a founder member of the Slits.

Yet more gems are located just a little further along the street when a brief but spirited search of 'Circular Sounds' throws up two excellent box-sets in the form of 'The Can Box' and Howlin' Wolf's magisterial 'Smokestack Lightening'. Both have been out of print and on my wanted list for some little time now.

So with the dub-reggae, Krautrock and blues bases all soundly covered my musical search is brought to a premature end by the return of my dear wife and Krissy. I'm duly rounded up, ushered from the shop and shooed toward the welcoming doors of 'Benedicts'.

One picture tells a thousand stories

Katya is there to greet us on the far-side of the newly installed black-curtain entrance. As coats are hung we admire once more the stunning simplicity of the decor.  Just plain white walls and two framed prints.

The first, hung just above the stairs to the kitchen, is a photograph of an old cooking-range taken by Katya in a deserted, derelict building.  The second, equally fittingly, is a fine illustration of Geum Urbunum, or as it is more commonly known, St Benedict's herb.

Paracelsus, the fifteenth century botanist, philosopher, physician and astrologer, once identified it as an effective natural treatment for liver disease, catarrh and stomach upsets. Perhaps a case of mixed messages as we sit down to study the menu...

Culinary delights 

As ever, the food is an absolute treat!

We start with the intriguingly entitled, 'Ham, Egg and Chips' which proves to be a dreamy mix of confit hen egg yolk, crispy potatoes, Colman's mustard (well it is Norwich!) and home-cured pancetta.  Krissy is impressed, and there's more to come!

Next up is Squab Pigeon set on a bed of puy lentils and drizzled with fresh lime.  Both the pigeon breast and the lollipop leg are cooked to perfection, set off delightfully by an accompaniment of lightly-spiced sweet potato.

We share life and love stories as we await the arrival of our dessert. Unsurprisingly, my dear wife has selected Nanny Bush's trifle for a third time in a row and is joined by Krissy. I plump for the blood orange tart, chocolate sorbet and campari reduction.

A very special plate

The two helpings of trifle arrive first, followed shortly after by the blood orange tart, born triumphantly to the table on a chocolate-piped plate bearing a special birthday message!!

What a fantastic way to end a lovely meal. The guys and girls of Benedicts have done us proud once more and the photos that follow round off the story with no further explanation required.

We'll be back for more!!!!!


 

Benedicts and another love story

Dear Sheddists,

as part of the wind-down towards retirement I've saved up my annual leave to the end of the year, enabling me to finish in style with a short series of three-week working months.  And so it's off once more to Norfolk and our holiday home.

Work, rest and play

Our journey to the Shed sees the tall skies shrouded in gathering grey gloom, but the passage of scudding cloud allows time for a little maintenance work and one last pre-winter grass trim before the rain sets in. And now a special treat awaits for us in Norwich!

The world is a stage

The table's booked and we're in the back of the bus on our way to the city-centre, a return trip to Benedicts.  During our first visit last month we sampled 'The Great British Menu', pronouncing it the finest meal we've ever eaten. Can it be matched, we wonder?

The omens are good as we're greeted by the ever-friendly front-of-house staff led by Maddie, their indefatigable restaurant manageress.  This time we're seated close to the window, affording us a prime view of the street outside. Characters on the stage pass before us - a blue-haired goth girl riding a black bicycle, a student dressed in what appears to be a pair of curtains. Is that David Adlard, the legendary Norfolk chef, waving?

Our observations are interrupted by the arrival of two simple prawn canapes. We smile and take one each - they are absolutely delicious!

 Memories of food

As we savour the delights of the prawns we reflect on special meals from the past.

Memories of a sun-drenched walk across the Charles Bridge in Prague, climbing the steps past the castle to an early evening dinner beneath a calico canopy. The smell, taste and touch of a simple rosemary-infused bread as we breathe easy and relax.

A feast of fish in the basement of Jewish restaurant in the heart of Budapest, battered and piled high. It defeated us.

And the best of all. The second meal we ate as a married couple all those years ago. The guests at our wedding breakfast long departed we walked the length of the beach where we had courted, hand in hand as teenage lovers.  We married young and couldn't afford anything but fish and chips wrapped in salty paper and we were happy as sand-boys in spume-topped waves of laughter!

The meal

Our starters arrive, a delicate crab ravioli in shellfish bisque, dressed with crisp green brussel sprout leaves and tiny balls of apple.  What trickery is this that a sudden burst of saltiness dissipates in a moment leaving our palates cleansed and hungry for more? Inspirational!

The cod follows, fresh-caught the night before and nestling on a bed of pearl barley. The two-way swedes are sumptuous - a rich puree sitting next to precision-sliced shards of pickled sweetness.

My dear wife finishes, unsurprisingly, with a reprise of Nanny Bush's trifle whilst I feast on a chocolate and thyme delight.

A memory awaits

As we lick the last of the pudding delights from our spoons we reflect again on our wedding memories. Each year we celebrate our anniversary with fish and chips to remind us of just where we started all those years ago.


Perhaps Benedicts for 2016...?

Three love stories

Dear Sheddists,

last week sees us journey down to our holiday hut in Norfolk for a short break. Much to our amazement and great joy we've been able to secure a lunchtime table at 'Benedicts', a new restaurant opened in Norwich just a few months ago by Richard Bainbridge and his wife, Katya.

Richard won both the starter and dessert courses on this year's 'Great British Menu', one of our favourite TV programmes.  This particular series was the best we've seen by a country mile, with three fantastic chefs presenting some truly amazing food to members of the Women's Institute in celebration of its centennial anniversary.

So here's our meal and here's how three love stories come to meet in the heart of Norwich.

In search of good food

Anticipation runs high as Mrs electrofried and I stroll hand-in-hand down St Benedict's Street toward the restaurant. It's sandwiched between the Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals just a few doors from 'Circular Sound', a super little independent record shop I stumbled upon by chance a year a two ago. It goes without saying I'm absolutely delighted at the prospect of a postprandial return visit by way of added bonus!

First impressions

From the outside the restaurant is low-key, unfussy and inviting. By its front window nestles the full-size photo billboard of Richard used in the TV programme and propped next to it 'Betty's Hen House' in which he presented his main-course offering.

Inside, it's similarly restrained. The interior is lit softly and decorated tastefully - small sprigs of delicate white gypsophila and a rolling-pin in which a few circular holes have been drilled to house simple but homely tea-lights.

The restaurant is well into lunch-time service as two young waitresses bustle industriously up and down stairs to the kitchen fetching out course after course of mouth-watering food.

Mrs electrofried is alarmed at one point to see a small saucer appear upon which is balanced a meagre inch of the famous, 'Nanny Bush's Trifle'.  Is this a portent of dessert to come?  She's much relieved to discover it's just a sample for an elderly gentleman in the far corner of the restaurant.  Phew, she breathes again!

The Great British Menu in full

We begin with a canape each - a delicate prawn on a plate sprinkled with dried beetroot crumb. Delicious and gone all too soon.

The canapes are followed in short order by a lovely butternut squash veloute decorated with pumpkin seed oil. Whilst this didn't feature in Richard's TV menu it is quite delicious, the pickled mushrooms at the bottom of the bowl adding a piquant surprise to the last few spoonfuls.

Next up is the first of Richard's two winning dishes, 'We All Stand for Jerusalem'.  There's no musical accompaniment, but the waitress takes great care to ensure the bowls are turned precisely to show the key-word etched in a grey band at the top.  This band also bears two other inscriptions that sum up perfectly the Women's Institute - 'Educate' and 'Inspire'.
 

The confit lamb at the centre of the dish is cooked to perfection, set off by crisp Jerusalem artichoke, a slice or two of truffle and a bold green parsley sponge.  The dish is bound together sublimely by a rich egg yolk which breaks open on first fork-touch to coat the meat.

We move onto the fish course, 'For Home & Country'.  The smoked trout carries just the right earthiness for a river fish and is complemented by a thinly sliced and fanned plum.

The standard of presentation continues to impress, as does the service of the two young waitresses. Despite the unrelenting ferry of food to the tables they take time to explain with obvious  enthusiasm what's in each dish.
 

Next up is the main course, 'Betty in the Hen House', one of my favourites from the day.

The locally sourced quail sits on a bed of pearl barley, accompanied by a side of carrots all of which is dressed generously with a rich garden herb jus.  Mmmm, my mouth waters just thinking of it!

Mains over I clear the palate with the wonderful, 'Sister B's DIY Victoria Sponge Cocktail' while my dear wife takes a rest.  The DIY element involves the mixing of a small vial of vanilla flavoured gin with strawberry juice from a mini milk-bottle.  It's topped off with cream and a light sprinkling of crumbed vanilla sponge.

Cake and alcohol... what a truly splendid combination!

And so to Mrs electrofried's much-awaited favourite, the legendary, 'Nanny Bush's Trifle'.  Apparently Richard has fore-warned his pastry chef to expect making it for some significant time to come, and having tasted it we can understand why.

Each trifle arrives with suitable panache, dressed in a calico tent stitched by Katya - one of sixty she's made for the Women's Institute celebratory banquet. The tents are removed revealing the sumptuous trifle in all its glory.  A splendid end to a truly splendid meal.

 And so to love ... the first story

Really good eating places encourage really good conversation and we're delighted to chat over lunch to the couple sitting next to us. She's from Holland, taking lunch with her son - apparently for the third time in a few short months.

She tells of her incredible love story with a young man from the Indian sub-continent who she met on a back-packing holiday.  He separated from his family and a looming arranged marriage and they fell in love - a relationship that lasted some forty years until his death last December. She talks of the complications of the funeral and her plans to celebrate the memory of her husband in just a month or two's time.

We're touched and honoured she has shared her story with us and as her taxi arrives we wish her well for the December celebrations.

And so to love ... the second story 

One final surprise.  The restaurant has now cleared and the young waitress who has served us so well asks if we would like to meet Richard. Would we indeed!!!

And just a few minutes later he comes bounding down the steps from the living quarters above, as large as life. Richard really does come across as he's shown on TV - enthusiastic, passionate and dedicated to providing the best possible experience for those who eat at his restaurant.  That he makes time to speak to us between answering emails upstairs and prepping for the evening onslaught says so much.

Richard tells of family roots and his grandfather's move south from the Lake District, his eight years of learning at Morston Hall and his decision to turn down a senior position and accompanying fat salary in favour of opening his own restaurant.  He doesn't want to say he's a man who never tried.

The love Richard has for delighting others and building a team that shares this vision is absolutely inspirational. He talks with great fervour of delivering fine food, fine wines and a relaxed atmosphere underpinned by great service.

The family feel Richard has created in such a short time (as much a credit to him as his food) is mirrored in the conversations we have with the waitresses during lunch. They tell us just how much they look forward to sitting down together for the daily staff meal.

And so to love ... the third story

The day is well and truly made and we leave 'Benedicts' with food for thought in so many different ways.  We have forty years of our own story to celebrate as we step out together into the streets of Norwich on the next stage of our journey in love. It won't be long before we return!