The Ethicurean, Barley Wood Walled Garden

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Sometimes you have a meal you enjoy so much that all you want to do is shout about it from the rooftops. For around 2 years I have been following one of the chefs from The Ethicurean on Instagram and drooling at every photo they posted. With it being near to Bristol I knew that at the first given oportunity I would have to go there. Finally, after spending last week in Dartmoor we decided to take a detour on our way home and go and try it our for ourselves.

Last year The Ethicurean won the Observer Food Monthly Best Ethical Restaurant award and 2013 will see the release of their cookbook They will be in good company as it it being published by Ebury who have published both Yotam Ottolenghi & Moro's cookbooks. The whole menu looked so good that it took a while for us to decide on what to order. The staff were all so friendly and knowlegable on everything they served. It really felt like you were sitting in your friends dining room with the stunning views over the Walled Garden (built in 1901) and the Mendip hills an added bonus.

To start, Tim had the clear ham hock with swiss chard and a poached egg which he thoroughly enjoyed with some delicious sourdough bread that is collected from a little bakery in Bristol every day.

I opted for the cured & smoked roe deer which was unbelievably tender and just melted in my mouth. Even Tim, who is about iffy about trying new things tasted it and absolutely loved it. This was served with a carrot & cardamom sauce, walnuts, wood sorrel & land cress.

We were then treated to a little taster of another one of their starters which was the soused mackerel with fennel, carrot, rock samphire & gooseberry ice. Needless to say it was very well received and disappeared in seconds.

Then it was time for our mains. Tim went for the Merguez Sausages with sante mashed potato, seasonal greens & mushroom sauce, he very kindly let me try a bit before finishing it off in 10 seconds flat.

I liked the sound of the Confit leg of creedy carver duck which was served with a quince jelly, a beautiful salad and their own homegrown salad. The duck literally fell off the bone and was the best I've eaten. Tim also tried it despite previously saying he didn't like duck and it completely changed his opinion on it.

By this point we were bursting at the seams but couldn't leave without pudding. When we saw the West Country Cider ice with the '99 cheddar flake we knew we had to try it. The punchy cider ice balanced so well with the cheese and it was the perfect ending to a superb meal.

To top it all off, they make their own apple juice from the apples from their orchard, it was so delicious that we had to take a bottle home with us. Luckily Tim drove the next leg of the journey which meant that I could lay back and recover from the epic meal. We are already trying to make plans to head back to the west country so we can come for another meal. If you're in the area, its not to be missed!

The Ethicurean
Barley Wood Walled Garden
Somerset
BS40 5SA
01934 863713
To find out more about The Ethicurean visit their website- www.theethicurean.wordpress.com