REVIEW | The Lost & Found, Knutsford

EVERY Confidential restaurant review ends with a statement explaining that ‘venues are rated against the best examples of their type’. This underlines the point that none of our writers would visit an average roadside greasy spoon to offer a disappointed report because their bacon butty wasn’t made from rare-breed pig in slow-proved sourdough. And so we approached The Lost and Found understanding that this was a pub restaurant owned by Marston’s, who also own 1699 others (under various different guises) across the UK.

Marston’s have pretty much nicked the Botanist idea, but without overdoing the garden theme

The Lost and Found is the third branch of its type after Leeds and Birmingham. Each centres on the idea of a Victorian hideaway curated by a fictional female character; a free-thinking expert on flora, fauna and suchlike. Knutsford’s intellectual bohemian heroine is ‘Emily B Kingsley’ and we are to be transported into her world of butterflies and botanicals. Sound familiar? Welcome to Botanist-Lite. Marston’s have pretty much nicked the Botanist idea, but without overdoing the garden theme. Here they wisely use plates and glasses rather than garden trowels, precarious miniature wheelbarrows and plant pots.

The venue was originally Knutsford’s Old Town Hall, a romantic, gothic, Grade II-listed building created by Alfred Waterhouse – designer of Manchester’s Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum. Downstairs is the bar area and access to the upstairs restaurant is granted via an unnecessary checking-in process. “We need a name,” insisted front desk lady. I offered it and pondered on my way up two flights of stairs whether the only purpose might be to give to the ambulance crew in case we tumbled down.

The whimsical wonderland theme fits well within the building, assisted by a £2m fit out - as long as you don’t look upwards. Instead of incorporating the pipe work sympathetically into the design, they’ve betrayed it, exposing galvanised ducts and conduit trays much like you’d find in a thousand hipster burger joints. I could only remain in the wonderland zone if I kept my eye line below the top of the lovely arched leaded windows.

Kingsley’s world of butterflies and botanicals

Oh

They make a big deal out of cocktails, dividing them into two eponymous groups; ‘Lost’, based on classic recipes, and ‘Found’ which they’ve invented. I got ‘lost’ in a Make Yours A Flip (£8.25) with Bourbon, Briottet de Figue and PX Sherry shaken together with an egg. It was pleasantly smoky and sweet, but I’m not sure what the egg added, apart from a bit of protein and a faint whiff of damp dog each time I took a sip. The ‘found’ Sloe Gin Cobbler (£8.25) was ‘essence of garden party’ complete with pansy garnish - much more refreshingly on theme.

The food hasn’t wandered too far away from pub classics; beyond the fantasy, they’re keeping it real, but there’s enough creativity in there to keep things interesting. A fancier establishment might have re-adjusted the balance of textures and flavours in my smoked salmon, pickled cucumber, apple and fennel salad with dill cream cheese and rye bread (£6.95) but it was fresh and light.

Smoked salmon, pickled cucumber, apple and fennel salad with dill cream cheese and rye bread

Cured duck breast, roasted peaches, walnuts and chicory

Cured duck breast, roasted peaches, walnuts and chicory (£6.95) was simple but showed some skill. It wasn’t clear whether they’d cured the duck by way of their Josper Grill, but they’d used it to roast the peaches and the walnuts had been candied to add a crunchy sweetness. The only niggle was that both dishes had been identically garnished with the same honey mustard dressing. As had a third dish, a main course of honey and cumin roasted squash, feta, chickpea, couscous, hazelnut and pepper salad (£9.95) which worked better on paper than it did in reality. Instead of using naturally sweet roasted peppers, straight-out-of-the-jar Pepperdew peppers bullied all other ingredients for the attention of our taste buds. This vegetarian dish was more nottelenghi than Ottelenghi. Same with our side order of Josper roast cauliflower and broccoli (£2.95) which suffered from an untimely removal from the fancy oven before having the opportunity to reach optimum softness and caramelisation. The kitchen team needs to work on a better relationship with vegetables.

Lost and Found is located within Alfred Waterhouse's Old Town Hall in Knutsford

Honey and cumin roasted squash, feta, chickpea, couscous, hazelnut and pepper salad

Perhaps Head Chef Edward Saunders, formerly of Mobberley’s Church Inn and Simon Rimmer’s Earle, is a committed carnivore, as our meatier main course of Josper smoked and braised beef short rib with triple cooked chips and pickled red cabbage slaw was a triumph. It was enormous, tender and superb value at £16.95, with a subtle but unmistakeable smokiness offset by the finely shredded pickled red cabbage. I’d struggle to order anything else on return, despite the promising looking pizzas alongside the generous pub classics and steaks.

We shared pudding which was good, but not quite what I expected. Perhaps I’d got carried away with the Victorian daydream, expecting plum and vanilla sweet cheese (£5.95, main image) to be some kind of old fashioned pressed and jellied affair. It turned out to be a nice enough ramekin of cinnamon infused stewed plums with a cheesecake topping, roast hazelnuts and white chocolate crumb.

Josper smoked and braised beef short rib with triple cooked chips and pickled red cabbage slaw was a triumph

At this point, we realised we’d been there for well over two hours. Service was polite and attentive but almost painfully slow. It’s early days but when the manager did his rounds he lamented the fact that there doesn’t seem to be much desire for hospitality jobs in Alderley, Wilmslow or Knutsford. The Lost and Found is an enchanting place to lose an afternoon or an evening, but it’s definitely not for those in a rush.

The Lost and Found, Old Town Hall, Princess Street, Knutsford WA16 6BY Tel: 01565 760 096

Rating: 13/20

Food: 7/10 (cured duck 6, smoked salmon 6, couscous 5, short rib 9, broccoli/cauli 6, sweet cheese 8)

Atmosphere: 3/5 Botanist-Lite with added pipe

Service: 3/5 Polite but painfully slow