Pictured above from left to right: Shauna Brame (Chef-de-partie), Lenny Carr-Roberts (Chef Patron), Marco Pierre White, Harry hardman (Trainee Chef) & Simon Bell (Sous Chef)
Eating out for the English is a relatively new experience, my early memories of eating out with my parents was in a Hotel, I don’t think restaurants existed 50 years ago in England, maybe in London.
I have been “banging on” a Graham Hill expression, for some time about how lucky we are in Hampshire to have such a wealth of fantastic locally produced food. Well here in Twyford is a refreshing example of a Chef putting my words into practise. The Bugle Inn Twyford, was purchased by Lenny Carr-Roberts and his partner Francesca Luckett in 2008, and the business has gone from strength to strength based on “Localism” .
I met Lenny today at The Bugle, and we had a real foodie talk, myself being easily excited about food found his background of 25 years in the business and the odd name dropped like Marco Pierre White and Albert Roux a bit like talking to a star, well at least a Michelin star, but his success also comes from 8 years working for the DeVere Group where no doubt he learnt the all important lesson of how to make money in the restaurant business.
Lenny’s enthusiasm for buying local was amazing, meat from Jody Sheckter’s Laverstoke Farm, local asparagus and watercress and fish from Viviers in Portsmouth.
The menu at The Bugle changes almost every day, whatever is brought in fresh that day, and locals are encouraged to trade their vegetables for a pint of beer or a glass of wine, who said bartering was dead.
Lenny was not ashamed to admit the majority of his dishes were aimed at the ladies, I thought the men paid the bill, but at least you don’t have to discard unwanted salad and the slice of orange, or has that had its day. There is a hint of French cuisine to most of his dishes, Lenny having spent some years in France, and I believe that will continue, but not as some of us regard French cuisine as heavy covered with cream but light and full of complex flavours.
Monday is Special Offer Night.
Well done Lenny, hope to revisit you soon.
HAMPSHIRE PRODUCERS OF FOOD AND DRINK
