Heston’s got it right
Over a year after avidly watching the fascinating documentary on Channel 4 ‘Big Chef takes on Little Chef’ which pitches Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal against a dinosaur of a director in a bid to revamp the menu and the decor, we finally made it to the Little Chef restaurant on the A303 in Popham. And are we glad we did.
We arrived at about 1.30 pm on a grey August afternoon to find the car park so full we got the last space after thinking we might have to drive on without being able to stop. As we trepidaciously pushed open the trademark red doors we were dazzled by the Heston-fuelled decor with its airy windows and mirrors and superb blue sky ceiling.
There were a few people waiting to be seated but we were at a table within minutes of our arrival, surrounded by patrons grabbing a quick bite on the way to their destination or, like us, there to see what all the buzz was about.
To cater to the traditional clientele on a quick stop, service was really fast and when our waiter came to our table we were too busy looking around us to look at the menu. The staff themselves were part of the spectacle as each rank wore a red shirt with “Waiter,” “Assistant Manager” or “Cook” written on the back, along with some brilliant food quotes like “Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner,” attributed to Sophia Loren. The ceiling is painted to look like a beautiful blue sky with fluffy white clouds, and structural pipe work in the corners is adorned with butterflies or delightful little birds perched above diners’ heads. Not to worry, they’re not real!
Other little details abound which contribute to making the Popham Little Chef experience particularly fine, like proper salt and pepper mills on every table and really nice crockery and cutlery. Oh yes, and the toilets. As soon as you push the door open you are greeted by sounds and voices that are a tad disconcerting at first but every person comes out of the loo with a big smile on their face!
Dining at Little Chef at Popham only a few days after a Michelin-starred meal at The Hand and Flowers in Marlow we were delighted to see both the choice of dishes and the proper descriptions on the menu. There was a lot of hoopla on tv about the dishes Heston Blumenthal developed for the new menu but we found it very well balanced between “safe” classics like Bangers and Mash and Steak and Chips and the more adventurous (really?) Braised Ox Cheeks which I chose at £9.85. John had one of the three daily specials which was Braised Lamb Shank at £9.75. Both dishes were wonderfully prepared, beautifully presented, and deliciously eaten. Worthy of any good gastro pub and very good value for money, too. We were amazed at the quality of food coming out of the open kitchen, rapidly prepared and quickly served to what remains a fast turnover clientele in a fast turnover eatery.
We succumbed to the best dessert on the menu: “HÄAGEN-DAZS CHOCOLATE FONDUE £9.95; For two people. 16 balls of different flavoured Häagen-Dazs ice cream served with melted chocolate sauce, chocolate rice crispies, popping candy and crumble.” This actually came with only 8 balls of ice cream but my goodness I’m glad because I couldn’t have managed any more. The popping candy was a classic Heston touch, taking you straight back to your childhood in a cloud of sensorial memories. Brilliant!
There was real espresso to be had (with properly frothed milk) before taking the wheel again and our entire meal for two came to less than £40 which was fabulous value for something dreamed up by Heston Blumenthal.
So thank you, Heston, you got it right. We’d love to see Little Chef get it right by rolling out this brilliant formula in many more of their restaurants.
