CONFIDENTIAL PROMOTION
1847 HAS been quietly extending its empire across the country with restaurants in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Brighton and rumours of more to come. Locations are unconfirmed but with all this emphasis on the Bs, Buxton seems like a good bet.
If this seems like an unlikely success story for a vegetarian restaurant, the food at 1847 is something else - stand-out dishes served with fine-dining flair that just so happen to be meat free.
The a la carte menu is a testament to what can be done with the best of seasonal produce
New executive chef Máté Gal has created a new seasonal menu for the restaurant group. It's full of festive flavours and rich colours. Ingredients such as cabbages and root vegetables are at their best at this time of the year and these humble ingredients are elevated to worthy centrepieces.
The mushroom crostini is a perfect opener to a meal at 1847. The mushroom and walnut pâté is soft and moreish, the two ingredients matching each other well whilst the pickled quince brings it all together.
Merguez and mash is a hearty main that feels just right for this time of year; it's a dish that is comforting in its familiarity yet is lifted by the addition of more exotic flavours. The classic bangers 'n' mash is updated with puy lentil sausage and Middle Eastern spices and a beautiful wintry turnip and sage mash.
Desserts are just as tempting and also just as inclusive. The chocolate and pear, a soft ganache and port-poached pear is quite a feat. Luxurious and creamy in taste and texture, it is actually a vegan option and doesn't contain cream – not that you'd ever realise.
The a la carte menu is a testament to what can be done with the best of seasonal produce but the tasting menus take things to a whole new level. Each restaurant has its own unique tasting menu designed by Gal and its head chef. The dishes uses very local ingredients so that the whole menu becomes a reflection of the place and its culinary identity.
Gal's cooking is inspired by his travels and his fine-dining background. With experience at the Michelin-starred Simpson's in Birmingham and stages at L'Enclume, La Trompette, Pied à Terre and Texture, Gal certainly understands cooking at the top of its game. For him, it's all about using these precision techniques to create something that is more welcoming and accessible.
A meal is about trying something new, but it's also about feeding yourself and comforting yourself with familiar dishes that bring back happy memories as well as creating new ones. Gal recognises this and ties together all these elements to make sure a meal at 1847 is exactly what you'd hope for from a great neighbourhood restaurant – and more.
Máté Gal
