Menu of the Year
A clean, fresh menu offering excellent value for money were two of the key qualities that won the judges over when they chose the Glasshouse in Kew, south-west London, as the winner of the 1999 Menu of the Year award.
The restaurant, which opened in March 1999, is the creation of Nigel Platts-Martin, who has already devised a winning formula with his two-Michelin-starred restaurant the Square in London. The Glasshouse's head chef, Anthony Boyd, was shipped in from the Square, but the judges were impressed with the way he has made the menu at the new restaurant his own rather than a copy of the tried-and-tested. "It was obviously not trying to be the Square, but was standing on its own," said one judge.
Described as modern British, Boyd's menu consisted of seven starters, seven mains and eight desserts. His fondness for veal was evident among several starters, where it appeared in combination with ham, artichoke and foie gras terrine with walnut and raisin toast.
One of the yardsticks for the Menu of the Year award is the use of seasonal produce. Last year this was demonstrated in a March dessert at the Glasshouse, that used blood oranges as a glazed parfait with bitter chocolate sorbet. Simple puddings such as rhubarb and custard were considered equally impressive.
Menu options
Three courses were offered for both lunch and dinner at £21. Customers were also given the option of a one-course lunch for £12 with two courses costing £15. With wine from the 54-strong list, a typical spend is about £40 per head.
This Catey is unique - it is the only one that does not require nominations. Entries come from Caterer & Hotelkeeper‘s weekly Menuwatch page.
From these, each month, one is chosen to be Menu of the Month, and these monthly winners automatically go forward as entrants for the Menu of the Year award.
A variety of menus have been picking up the award during the past year. Last May London's 755 restaurant picked up the monthly award for its mix of traditional French and English dishes. Other monthly winners included dishes from the US south-west in London restaurant Idaho in August, when judges fell for delights such as pecan-crusted rack of lamb, sweet and white potato gratin, and strawberry cinnamon shortcake; and the combination of North African and classical French recipes from Pierre Khodja at Hampstead's Base restaurant in October.
And Adrian Jones's use of inexpensive ingredients to create dishes such as parsley broth, soft poached egg and garlic potatoes helped the head chef of Chapter Two restaurant in London's Blackheath win in September.
It is not too late for your menus to be considered for the Caterer Menuwatch page and, if they become monthly winners, inclusion for this year's Catey judging in May. Send your menus to Amanda Afiya, Deputy Editor, Chef, Caterer &Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. Judging for this award will take place at the Stafford hotel in London on Friday 5 May.
