The Restaurant - An Introduction

The Chef's Special

If there is any single feature that clubs of quality expect to be particularly distinctive, it is the restaurant for it is there that members not only dine themselves, but need to entertain friends and colleagues in style.

When the family planned Ashwells they knew that three specific factors would make or break the restaurant - the quality of the facility itself, the quality of the food and, perhaps the most important of all, the quality of the chef and his staff to produce it. The fact is that since opening in 1987 the restaurant has acquired a fine reputation in all those senses, which only goes to show just how successful they were.

It is not big, but then a big restaurant might never have achieved that feeling of "cosy intimacy" they hoped for when they planned it. Positioned at the far end of the "old barn", it retains a sense of discreetness, without losing the feel of being part of the social atmosphere which spills over from the adjacent bar and lounge.

In such surroundings our chef is able to give full rein to skills he has honed up over the years in some of the finest restaurants in Essex, producing menus which show great character as well as variety.

Offering dishes ranging from the ever popular, such as Tournedos of Beef with Mustard Sauce and Poached Chicken with Julienne of Vegetables, he teases the taste buds with culinary eloquence - and very often with some of the flavourful sauces he specialises in.

The mark of a great chef however is the effort he puts into not just the flamboyant dishes, but in everything that leaves the kitchen from sandwiches, up to "Chef's Specials" and on to the A la Carte. He can conjure up buffets, canapés and banquets for almost every occasion from business meetings and Bar Mitzvahs, to weddings and product launches.

The fact is that whether it is bar snacks, weekly lunches, special occasion menus, or his famous Chef's Specials, Chef ensures it reaches the standards of quality, in every sense, that he demands. Like any chef he knows that the reputation of both the restaurant and himself is vital to both, so he sets standards high.

He is supported by a very experienced waitress service, all of whom have been with the club for a long time, and is able to call on a fine selection of wines from the club cellars.

The restaurant, which can comfortably accommodate up to seventy diners, at table placings which can be anything from a discreet "table for two", up to dinner for twenty, is one of the jewels in the Ashwells Crown. It will be delighted to discuss any special requirements or menus on request.