On the Twelfth Day of Christmas

On Christmas Day 2011 I find it very fitting to publish this post, representative of the very best, most thoughtful Christmas present I have ever received. It has lasted a full year and brought us twelve months of gastronomic excitement and enjoyment. Thank you, ThermoHubby John!

“Your 2010 Christmas present is 12 memorable meals out over the next 12 months, featuring:
Michelin Stars
Celebrity Chefs
Spanish Tapas
Modern Seafood
Modern Italian Cuisine
High Class Dim Sum
in London, Surrey and farther afield.”

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” lunch at one Michelin star Petersham Nurseries Café in suburban London.

Wellington boots, dirt floors and greenhouses. A relaxed, pleasant atmosphere and really good food. I truly expected none of these when ThermoHubby and I went for lunch at Petersham Nurseries Café for the Twelfth Day of Christmas. Yet this is what we found, and all in abundance — mixed in with Christmas decorations, green plants and grow bags!

Where Wellington boots meet Michelin stars

Richmond, Surrey is one of those very mixed towns – part country, part city, part suburban London. Off of a winding road lined with huge houses – nay, mansions – lies teeny Church Lane. Blink at the wrong time and you’ve missed it. Yet at the end of this lane lies not only a teeming garden centre but a wonderful place to bring friends or family for a really good meal. One enters the café through the garden centre shop itself to discover the Michelin Man in Wellies. The upper classes slumming it. Local film stars coming in for a quick bite. All in a Victorian greenhouse populated by mismatched tables and chairs, with bamboo blinds and assorted Indian prints serving as heat-retaining insulation on the glasshouse walls. Diners sit within a forest of Christmas trees, palm trees and citrus trees, punctuated by vines of varying varieties.

Yet in addition to this quirkily delightful shabby chic ambiance there is some seriously good food. It is seasonal and simple, with bold flavours from foreign lands setting the counterpoint for good old traditional favourites. Chef Skye Gyngell is a tiny slip of a young woman whose culinary stature outweighs her physical size. Such a refreshing change from standard garden centre tea room fare! Such a find for the Michelin inspectors who awarded Petersham Nurseries Café a Michelin star in 2011.

The Art of Service

Our first impression was not good, however, as we were left standing at the entrance for several minutes as numerous staff pushed by us without even acknowledging our presence. The Golden Rule in my own restaurant in America – very similar to Fred Siriex’s principles in The Art of Service, as illustrated on the BBC TV show “Service” with Michel Roux, Jr. – was never, ever to leave a customer ungreeted, no matter how busy you were. First impressions are key, and a server always has time to look a customer in the eye and say, “Hello, we’ll be right with you.” Service improved once we were seated and officially taken in hand, yet despite a friendly competence at times there seemed to lack organisation.

The menu grabs your interest with a good variety of seasonal dishes and it is not so extensive as to be unapproachable. We started with perfectly grilled scallops rustically served with a beautifully smooth cauliflower purée spiked with chilli oil and lemon peel. The dish was wonderfully seasoned yet served with an unnecessary and unnecessarily large chunk of lemon — trust your seasoning, Chef. The beetroot soup with chervil was tasty yet very thick and somewhat grainy, and could have benefitted from blending in a Thermomix with some cooked rice for an extra smooth feel.

A wild halibut main had a beautifully crisp skin but left me wanting more beurre blanc. The braised chard and fennel melded together as a magnificent complement to the halibut. An unusual Lobster Curry was like a warm gazpacho made with coconut milk, its subtle flavours leaving room for the lobster and a delightful flat bread made with crème fraîche. The overall impression was perhaps too subtle, however, as my husband summarised it: “The rather sad thing about this dish is that the star ingredient is the flat bread.”

Like lunch at the Kasbah

John’s dish of the day was his dessert, a Pannettone bread and butter pudding with a hint of cinnamon and lemon peel. My burnt caramel ice cream was a caramel lover’s idea of heaven. It was like getting kissed by the topping on a crème brûlée, only cold. Really enjoyable.

All around us as we ate were large family groups in merry celebration. Petersham Nurseries Café must be the only Michelin-starred restaurant with a dirt floor, dogs and prams everywhere, and serving staff in Wellington boots. It rather reminded us of the Kasbah. Very entertaining and warmly casual, with everyone visibly enjoying themselves and their food. And we were astounded to find this quality of food in a garden centre. Prices were quite high but this is an upmarket area and the prices fund the high staffing levels required to create happy customers. It was obvious that there were many repeat customers, too — a sure sign that Skye Gyngell and her kitchen staff are doing something — many things — right.

In addition to the Michelin-starred Petersham Nurseries Café there are three more greenhouses converted into seating for The Teahouse — “an Italian inspired canteen serving delicious soups, casseroles, pasta, tarts and salads all made on the premises, daily.”

Petersham Nurseries Café
Church Lane
Off Petersham Road
Richmond, Surrey
TW10 7AG
open Tuesday – Sunday
bookings available 12.00 – 15.00; Sundays ‘til 15.30
http://www.petershamnurseries.com/cafe_reservations.asp
Tel. 0208 605 3627

Petersham Nurseries Teahouse
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am – 5pm
Sunday, 11am – 5pm

Bon appétit !

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