Very Bury - lunch in Celia Clyne's kitchen

More Thai flavourings and jewel-like colours followed in the main course. Hot and sour coconut chicken was fresh and clean as well as beautiful on the eye. A bowl of glossy, turmeric-yellow sauce and perfectly cooked chicken under scattering of micro-herbs, bright green tenderstem broccoli and shards of red chilli and spring onion.

Dessert was equally aesthetically pleasing. A deconstructed peach melba in a champagne coupe. Poached peach, nuggets of crunchy biscuit and snow white pebbles of melting meringue. On the side, a mini glass sauce boat of smooth raspberry sauce. Best of all, was the old-fashioned, utilitarian-looking wooden lidded box on which it sat. Once I’d demolished the pud, I could lift the lid to find a tiny brownie, and two squares of one of my favourite treats — pâtes des fruits, which is like a fruit jelly.

Scott has a thing for wooden boxes, and loves the surprise element of lifting the lid. Expect to find plenty of them at Celia Clyne’s future functions.

They sent me home with a package of delicious parev chocolate fridge cake which the JC office team demolished the next day.  

Funny that I sniff at the prospect of travelling to Hoxton or (God forbid) south of the river for a review, but thought nothing of haring up north. Says a lot for Clyne and Gavin's food. Totally worth the cross-country journey.

www.celiaclyne.com