There's something about events with a 'secret' location that seem to get everyone excited - we've seen it in Bristol with the marketing of festivals and raves to keep an air of mystery that draws cool people like a magnet. I'm a bit less enthused by the idea, but having been invited to Butcombe's Secret Supper Club, I felt intrigued to give it a try.
The only information aside from the date and time was that it would be hosted by chef Neil Rankin, and would be in a central Bristol location. On the morning I had to ring a mobile number, to be met with a pre-recorded message informing me of the location that night.
As you might expect from Butcombe, it was a pub and upon arrival the bar was filling up with students and post-work drinkers. I awkwardly leaned over the bar to ask where the 'secret supper club' was and expected to be met with a bemused look, but was instead given a knowing nod and instructed to head upstairs.
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The entrance led through a doorway into a cosy candlelit dining area, taking us right past the kitchen and welcoming us with a waft of delicious scents as we shook off rain-soaked coats. Most 'supper clubs' I've heard of are hosted by cooks in their own homes, and there was a nod to that informality as the chefs greeted people from behind the pass while they prepared for the first course.
After being seated with a delicious whisky cocktail - a nod to the chef's Scottish nationality - we took a look at the menu on the tables. One difference between a supper club and a standard restaurant meal is the choice being taken out of your hands, which is ideal if you're someone who regularly suffers from indecision or food envy.
There were three courses written on the paper: chorizo and bean pie to start, doner kebab for main and chocolate and banana 'spring rolls' for dessert. We were then presented with an unexpected platter of three appetizers each to start off with, which I had fully planned to nibble on to save room for the main event, but ended up completely devouring.
The first bite set the bar high - a crisp samosa stuffed with a flavoursome filling that we guessed to be lamb and vegetables. It was as good as any samosa I've ever eaten at my favourite Indian restaurant, which is saying something. Next was a Mexican-style crispy taco base topped with creamy avocado, pink pickled onions and a sticky, smoky sauce, and last was a spicy mixture we assumed to be minced pork, encased in a lettuce leaf with mint and coriander.
It was full of tasty and aromatic Thai flavour but too much chilli for my (admittedly pathetic) spice tolerance. That shock to the system as my eyes streamed was topped, however, by the passing comment our waitress made when clearing our plates, as we commented on how delicious it had all been. "I know, and it's all vegan!"
We exchanged baffled glances - hadn't we just eaten a plate full of meat? She explained that no, each 'meat' is actually a mix of fermented vegetables that's seasoned and spiced to look and taste like the real thing.
I was still astounded by this revelation when Neil came out to introduce the evening and offer some more information to those of us who hadn't bothered to Google him beforehand. Formerly known for perfecting the art of barbecued meat, he's had a bit of a career change and is now the mastermind behind simplicity foods, which supplies hundreds of restaurants and chefs nationwide with meat alternatives to use in their menus.
He casually named Gordon Ramsay and Tom Kerridge among the better-known customers but mentioned Butcombe as one of the biggest partners - the Whitmore Tap, for example, sells a symplicity plant burger with fries and slaw for £16.75, if you want to go along and try it out without committing to a full three-course meal.
I was interested to see if this knowledge affected my expectation or enjoyment of the dishes yet to come, having eaten the appetisers with no suspicion that it was vegan. I'm not a massive meat eater but it's my love for cheese and other dairy treats that has so far stopped me from switching to an all plant-based diet, although there are some incredible vegan places in Bristol that are bringing me round.
When it came to it, the dishes were so distractingly tasty that any prejudice I had didn't make much difference. The pastry on the pie still felt crisp and flaky despite the lack of butter, and the ample oozy filling tasted just like smoky chorizo, albeit with a slightly different bite to it.
The posh 'kebab' was probably my least favourite course, mainly because I was already so full by that point that a bread-heavy dish was a bit daunting. It was baffling to me how they'd managed to achieve the texture of the 'meat', though, which fell apart almost like a pulled pork.
For dessert the 'spring rolls' were packed with a bitter chocolate filling, balanced by a miso caramel sauce and caramelised banana. It was incredibly rich, maybe a little too rich to finish off on, but again proved that vegan food can pack a punch of flavour and deliver pure indulgence without the need for butter or cream or the other ingredients I would usually expect to find on a standard pudding menu.
Butcombe will be running more supper clubs soon, with all details to be announced via its social media pages @Butcombe. You can find all the simplicity stockists here.
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