In my ideal world, tasting menus would be wall-to-wall dessert. Imagine the joy of an endless series of puds with no need to choose between them.
But as most people are sensible enough to want some savoury options before their sweet, the double dessert finish to the menu at The Plough is as close to the dream as I'll get.
It was on offer last month at the inaugural supper club at the Hertfordshire pub.
Owner, Rob Laub — who I first met when he owned Highgate pub The Bull — had invited me and other local foodies to their five-course tasting menu and networking event.
Having misremembered the invitation times (blame it on my age) I arrived in rural-feeling Sleapshyde after the networking canapes but Rob was gracious in the face of my tardiness.
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Nothing cheesy about the first course Photo: Victoria Prever
I hadn’t had to think twice about going. The pub is fast becoming a favourite — somewhere local to my hometown of St Albans to eat London-level food in relaxed, unfussy surroundings.
It hasn't been open long and they're clearly on a journey. Rob's chef is aiming for the (Michelin) stars and Rob himself is keen to up his sustainability standards to snag The Plough a green star from the gourmet’s guidebook. (The green star was introduced in 2020 to award to restaurants combining "culinary excellence with outstanding eco-friendly commitments".)
The idea of the green star was sparked when Rob’s team started growing veg on the land surrounding the pub. (More to follow on that to follow.) Some of their harvest was showcased on the menu.
Although I’d missed the canapes (which had included Parmesan gougeres and salmon tartare tart with chimmichuri mayo) dark and sticky black treacle bread waited for us on the table together with a glass of top English sparkler, Roebuck. One of the very few plusses of climate change has been that sparkling wines (made in the Champagne method) from the South East are better and better.
The sparkling white was also perfect with the first course — a delicate custard made with Baron Bigod (Suffolk-produced Brie-style cheese) on a crisp sablé biscuit topped with truffle shavings.
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Hungarian dessert wine from MAD winery
There were different, carefully curated wines for each course, which would have been more than worth the £20 supplement, had I not been driving. The wines included a full-bodied Argentinian Malbec and sticky, sweet Hungarian Tokajii from interesting named vineyard — Mad.
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Colourful veggies were a suitable sub for seafood course
Other courses included a seafood ravioli — for which the chef substituted a gorgeously colourful plate of hand-rolled pasta parcels; verdant long stem broccoli stems and a sunny egg yolk topped with crunchy nibs of fried onion and toasted hazelnuts.
First of the puds was a creamy pool of almond milk panna cotta which was light and mouth melting, topped with crunchy crumble rubble and a pleasingly cheffy-looking quenelle of tart, lip smacking gooseberry sorbet.
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Almond milk panna cotta matched perfectly with goosberry sorbet
Dessert two was even more indulgent — a shiny sliver of sticky malt tart (think Malteser) accompanied by salted caramel ice cream and a crunchy, candied pecan.
Prices for the supper clubs — which will take place on the last Wednesday of the month — will vary but should sit around the £70 mark per head. It’s not cheap, but it’s the best food you’ll find in the area, you don’t have to schlepp into London and there’s a car park. Not kosher, but they will provide a vegetarian option if you notify them in advance.
More info here.
[Invitation]
