Review of Interlude at Leonardslee Garden: a Michelin starred restaurant with an 'undoubtedly and proudly signature menu'
Its been nearly a year and a half since my last visit to Interlude at Leonardslee Gardens but the experience has very much remained at the fore of my mind, writes Nick Mosley.
As holder of four coveted AA rosettes and one of a small clutch of Michelin-starred restaurants in Sussex, it still very much stands alone – unique – in its offering.
It goes without saying that local and seasonal sourcing is at the heart of all of Interlude’s Sussex restaurant contemporaries, with most having their own extensive kitchen gardens, but what sets Interlude apart is the use of plants and mushrooms foraged from across the 240 acre gardens and wider estate that is open to the public. I’m not saying other restaurants don’t embrace foraged ingredients but this really is next level.
Add to that estate’s game – venison, rabbit, pigeon – the most sustainable, healthy and in my opinion tasty meats to be had and you’ve got a unique dining experience that couldn’t be more local. There’s not an ounce of now ubiquitous Sussex wagyu beef to be seen, which is very refreshing.
At the helm is chef Jean Delport who has brought a uniquely South African culinary twist to the menu. Other than the braai barbecue – of which I noted there is one of outside the kitchen door – I think its fair to say that little is known of traditional South African cooking
I went for a walk in the gardens and lunch last Sunday. I only have a page of words to play with here so I’m going to share a few of what I feel are the key dishes and certainly my highlights from the nine courses plus canapés.
To start a drink in the bar, served by the infectiously jolly and knowledgeable sommelier Simba Chitsatso. He was excited to share the estate’s newly released Leonardslee Classic Cuvée and I can understand why. A blend of the three traditional method grapes, this is a multi-vintage combining the best juice from grapes grown on the estate over the past few years.
I’ve quaffed a lot of wine from Sussex over the years and I have to say this really was an exceptional glass that stood apart from many of Leonardslee’s neighbours. Sure, the crisp apple acidity was there but the expected biscuit note was more subtle. What really stood out is the finest of the bubbles – genuinely the tiniest, most vigorous effervescence I’ve had in an English sparkling wine. A veritable party in my mouth and the perfect accompaniment for a quartet of refined, creative canapés.
And so into the elegant, light-drenched dining room for the main event. Original features have been kept but the dining furniture is Ercol-esque light wood bringing a modern elegance to the room.
Described on the menu as ‘Nutbourne tomato, onion and land caviar’, this dish had a lot to it in terms of layered ingredients, textures and flavours. So much more than a tomato consumé, this was a supremely sensory dish – a full orchestra squeezed into a tiny bowl held together by the tomato big band. I found the ‘land caviar’ – I fermented seed from the estate – particularly interesting to compare against a spoon of actual fish caviar.
A perennial favourite course on the menu is ‘Rabbit Eats Carrot’ and it's been part of the line-up of dishes for several years nowIt'sts so popular with both the kitchen and regular customers that iit'snot hopping off anytime soon. No prizes for guessing that the core ingredients in this most theatrical of dishes are rabbit and carrots, presented a bite sized canapés. The fried rabbit was delicious but for me it was the parfait between the lightest crisp wafers that stole the show – smooth and creamy, it was a close to perfection as I think I’ll ever find.
On our menu, the lead meat course was wood pigeon. In advance of the dish, our chef presented the ingredients before heading to the kitchen to do the final prep. The entirety of the bird was served so pan seared melt-in-the-mouth pink breast, with the flavour packed heart and liver morsels to the side alongside estate foraged autumn mushrooms. The legs were fried – claw and all – and provided an interesting comparison to the breast. A rich and earthy dish that certainly reflected the time of the year and the bounty of the Leonardslee estate.
To round off the meal, not one but four savoury and sweet palate cleansers and desserts. I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate but I have to say the ‘bulrush, Sussex chocolate, stout’ was exceptional. It's what the words decadent and indulgent were created for.
The menu is very similar to my last visit but it’s undoubtedly significantly more finessed and self-assured in both cooking and presentation, and I’m a firm believer of ‘if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it’. A few dishes switch in and out and – pickling and fermenting aside – ingredients are adapted as they go in and out of season (and I dare say Jean’s whimsy) but this is undoubtedly and proudly a signature menu.
The confidence of Interlude is clear but that by no means makes it stuffy or pretentious. The whole team are dedicated to their craft yet clearly also enjoying sharing their cooking and service with guests with a great big smile.
I’ve had a pretty decent track record in predicting Michelin guide entries – including stars – in Sussex over the years. If I was a gambling man then my money would be on Jean and the Interlude team adding a further star to their door early next year.
Interlude, Leonardslee Gardens, Brighton Road, Lower Beeding, Horsham RH13 6PP
0330 123 5894 • www.restaurant-interlude.co.uk
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