The White Post Rimpton

It was not long after we had seated ourselves at the table when one of our company said “We had better finish off the bottle because we will need more space on the table.” Eager to be the perfect guest, it would of course have seemed churlish on my part not to have another glass of the Laurent Perrier rosé with which we had kicked off the evening.

One of the problems with having an overwhelming passion for food, evidenced all too clearly by my expanding waistline, is that whether or not it is a burger in a bun or a gourmet meal, I do take it all very seriously. On occasion this can naturally cause concern amongst my dining companions. On the other hand, there are those intrepid gourmets that are keen to introduce me to new experiences and are willing to put up with my cross-examination of the chef in question in exchange for my unbridled enthusiasm for their latest find. Should any one palette wield such power?!

It was therefore with a sense of anticipation that I agreed to travel for the best part of an hour to sample the delights of a ten course tasting menu at award winning pub, The White Post, Rimpton. In my book, no distance is too far when there is the promise of fine food at the end of it. Owned and run by Wessex boy Brett, now in his 50s and no spring chicken, along with a little help from capable wife Kelly, who oversees the front-of-house operation, they seem to manage the fine balance of pub versus gourmet destination; classy enough to satisfy the big spending London crowd, but sufficiently unpretentious to keep the locals coming in.

Straddling the counties of Dorset and Somerset, literally, although billed as a pub, it really is more of a gastro-pub than a place to pop down to after a hard day at work for a quiet pint with your mates, although admittedly, in tandem with epicurean delights there is the usual pub grub on offer, burgers, sausages and mash and their ilk.

I should declare at this point that I am particularly fond of multi-course menus. I have a small appetite but love lots of different flavours, so for me this type of offering, when in the hands of a competent chef, can be second to none. It is however a tricky manoeuvre to pull off with finesse. After 30 years in the kitchen I can price up a plate of food in the blink of an eye. There is no doubt that such menus can cost peanuts in terms of the ingredients used, the mark up is huge. The choice is often about whether or not one wants to stump up for a ‘lot of food’, or to see what a talented chef can do to turn ordinary ingredients into something extraordinary. It is a purely personal choice, but for me, the latter option wins out every time; my reason for eating out rather than at home is to experience this talent, which takes time and energy, and time is money.

It must be around 20 years ago that I celebrated a birthday at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant Aubergine. To this day I can well recall being served three consecutive courses on a bed of spinach; inexcusable and something which I still hold against him, if for no other reason than that I am not a fan of spinach.

In all multi-course menus where no choice is offered there will always be some dishes that are more to one’s taste than others. In the case of The White Post, Brett rather sensibly makes note of guest preferences when deciding what to serve. A menu was available for us to peruse, but I always prefer to be surprised.

Aside from personal preference and overall competence of preparation, in a professional capacity, there are a number of considerations I take into account: repetition of ingredients, balance, presentation, temperature, textural contrast, colour and condition. I am also always on the lookout for tired looking lettuce leaves and the odd stray out of season tomato and tasteless strawberry flown in from foreign parts, which to my mind form no part of any meal prepared by any chef worth his salt.
At The White Post the cost of their ten course tasting menu is £45, if one can call coffee a ‘course’, with an additional £35 for a flight of seven wines to accompany the meal. Not being heavy drinkers, we split the wines between two of us, which turned out to be a good move, providing an interesting added element to the overall experience, although with my ‘wine’ hat on I might have tweaked the choices a bit.

If I were being really picky, which I am, then I would have liked the staff to be more knowledgeable about the dishes they were serving. In an ideal world they would have had the opportunity to sample every dish during its conception. The dining area can also be quite noisy if, as on the night of our visit, there is a large party clearly having a good time.

Celeriac velouté (soup to you and I), butterbean dip and homemade bread – velvety flavoursome soup topped with truffle oil (thoughtfully left off for me, as this is one of my pet hates). The butterbean dip was more of a spreading consistency, and although good it required a little more seasoning. I am also not convinced that it had any connection with the soup. The homemade multi-grain bread was good, but not especially memorable or moreish.

Chicken liver parfait, fig, hazelnut, sourdough bread -  beautifully smooth and all ingredients well matched, although I would have preferred not to have been served bread with two courses in a row.
Roasted scallop, caramelised cauliflower, curry, coriander, raisins – an interesting combination although I could not detect any caramelisation in the cauliflower, which was quite a hefty chunk. The addition of the cornflakes for textural contrast was an inspired addition, and the scallop, complete with its roe, was cooked to perfection.

Beetroot cured salmon, samphire, caviar, horseradish, compressed cucumber – my favourite dish of the meal. A beautifully executed dish, with light, fresh, vibrant flavours, although not enough caviar for me (there never is!)

White lake goat’s curd, freekeh, carrots, coriander seed – visually appealing, the curd was light and fresh, the carrots flavoursome, and the grains added another contrasting element. Not my favourite dish, but I put that down to personal preference.

Salt chamber beef, black garlic ketchup, onions, wild garlic – the only meat dish on the menu. I do tend to like my beef very rare so this was a little too well done for me, although still pink in the middle. The accompanying black garlic ketchup won favour with us all. The marrow bone, used for presentation purposes, disappointingly contained no marrow.

Dark chocolate, milk ice cream, baked white chocolate, sorrel – the chocolate mousse was smooth and light but lacked the density I might have hoped for. Sadly, the baked white chocolate did not appear, being replaced by a chocolate and pear cake, which was a little dry in texture. The milk ice cream did not quite do it for me.

Tropical fruit plate -  another clear winner all round, with a great combination of fruits, including slivers of pineapple, and perfect crème brulée served in passion fruit shells.

Regional cheese, spiced apple jelly – splendid selection, all in peak condition. Sometimes the skill of a good chef is in knowing when to select good ingredients and then just leave them alone.
Coffee and treats -  coconut ice, fudge and mini cakes. All well-made but I found myself asking, where were the homemade chocolate truffles?

Throughout the meal the competence of preparation and combination of ingredients was largely spot on. Visual presentation likewise was top notch, innovative and interesting, but without some of the gimmicks used in other establishments. There was good textural contrast and no repetition of ingredients, which were all seasonal. Portion sizes were just right. I have sampled many similar meals in some of the finest restaurants in the world, including French Laundry in California and Per Se in New York, all costing hundreds of pounds. In terms of value for money Brett could certainly give them a run for their money and why he has not yet fully received the recognition he deserves is beyond me.

I cannot deny that the evening was a lengthy one but when we left, although tired and glad of the lift home, I did not feel too full or bloated.

I am planning to return at the earliest opportunity, if they let me through the door again. This time I plan to take advantage of the great offer of B&B for two in one of their three bedrooms along with the tasting menu, all for the bargain price of £150 per couple. All I need to do now is to find someone to share the bed with.