Kitchen Antics: Le Champignon Sauvage

It was 9am on a Wednesday, and whilst I'd usually be at work wishing I was anywhere else, on this Wednesday there was no place I'd rather be.

Stood at the door of Cheltenham's 2 Michelin Starred restaurant - Le Champignon Sauvage - I braced myself for a day behind the scenes, "helping" out in the kitchen.

I've been to Le Champignon Sauvage a few times before, so I was relatively familiar with David Everitt-Matthias' food and style of cooking (not that I could recreate it with such ease), and being a mid-week lunch service, the restaurant was thankfully not fully booked - phew! Oh, and whilst I'm here, despite me writing this post on their set lunch menu back in 2014, it is still the same unbelievable price of £32 for 3 courses. An offer you'd be a fool to resist. But anyway...

The team had been there a couple of hours already - no doubt making sure they were ahead of schedule in case I came in and wrecked the joint - and I was instantly made to feel welcome. Introductions made, chefs whites on, I nervously slipped into my first role prepping the roasted white chocolate mousse dessert. Given a list of ingredients and measurements, I literally cracked on (dad joke - sorry) separating an obscene number of egg yolks.

Looking round, you can see that David runs a tight ship, but the atmosphere is nowhere near like what you see on those dramatised TV chef programmes. No shouting, no swearing, it's heads down, funky tunes on and lots of singing. There's a huge amount of respect held within the team, and that alone makes it a pleasant place to be - no wonder then that David has never missed a shift in the 29 years Le Champs has been open! Having his wife Helen by his side, ensuring each customer receives a seamless friendly service, is sure to make things easier too.

With the mousse made (roasting white chocolate in a pan is a new one to me - and utterly delicious too), I used my painting skills to paint silicone dome moulds with a mix of white chocolate and freeze dried raspberries, poured in the mousse and placed them in the chiller for use the following day.

Next up was to make the rhubarb and hibiscus sorbet that accompanied the white chocolate. Cooked, blended and strained, I was told to try it to double check the sweetness. Not really knowing what it should taste like, I asked for a second opinion and Chef decided that what it needed was a pinch of salt. Instantly the flavours came together... Mind. Blown.

With that churning away in the ice cream machine, my next assignment was to tackle butchery with David. On the menu was Saddle of Cinderford Lamb, so with some guidance I learnt how to remove the meat from the bone. I can't say I did the best job - I only managed one in the time that David did two - but it was quite a satisfying task. Skinned, trimmed and the fat scored, the saddles went in to marinade with garlic, thyme and olive oil for the next day's service.

Ok, you probably won't find me doing some epic butchery in my teeny tiny kitchen any time soon, but David gave me some great tips on how to cook a saddle at home - flatten, stuff, roll, BBQ and slice. Yum. Though I might need a garden to do this too... Bugger.

Prepping canapés was the last thing before service started. I had to artfully dot the squid ink sponges with taramasalata, lay some shredded oyster leaves on top (they really do taste of oysters!), then dust each one with a tangy vinegar powder. David made sure I had one to taste, along with a blue cheese and parmesan crisp - serious snack game.

With guests arriving, the music gets turned off and the kitchen waits with anticipation. Canapes go out, checks come in, and I'm in charge of putting the gorgeous bread selection in the oven to heat up. Two guests, two of everything, one minute in... Out, into the wooden trays, over to the pass, knock on the door and cross it off… *Breathe*

At the same time I watched the guys start plating up starters - lots of squeezing sauces from bottles and precision placing with tweezers. Then, mirroring what they were doing, I got to plate up a couple of the mackerel starters myself and sent them out of the kitchen (let's hope the diners didn't notice their dishes weren't quite as good looking as usual).

After trying a spoon of the beef tartare (served with smoked mayonnaise and charred onions), David suggested I plate up the mackerel dish to eat myself - lucky! Seared mackerel, squid ink quinoa, salt and pepper squid; beautiful.

Mains were in full swing, and I loved watching David work in such a relaxed way. I think you can really see this in his food; sure there are lots of processes and components, but it's not overly-fussy or overdone. He simply aims to get the best out of every ingredient, and constantly experiments with flavours along the way (note the burnt jerusalem artichoke and liquorice purée and that Thai green curry sorbet - swoon). There's a reason Jay Rayner said his experience at Le Champignon Sauvage was one of the best meals of his life!

I was handed a pressed pigs trotter and caper galette to try - part of the pork belly dish - and who thought piggys feet could be so tasty? I'll have a plate of those with a decent glass of wine please.

We chat a fair bit about wine - it's clearly no secret that I drink a lot of it - and you'll be surprised to hear that the restaurant doesn't have a huge mark up on bottles (as is the norm for most other Michelin places). Death row dishes are another topic; I float the idea of a steak done well (definitely not a steak well done), though I know I would never be able to decide. David hasn't even nailed down an answer himself yet - and he must get asked a lot. There's favourite ice cream flavours too; I couldn't choose. However, having tried a spoonful of the chocolate Mexican mole ice cream, which went with the salted caramel mousse, I think I may have a contender.

Checks started coming in for dessert, and I watched each dish come together, helping with the final garnishes. Helen had come in with some foraged pineapple weed earlier in the morning, which we were then able to use on one of the dishes. How lovely is that?!

I ended where I began; the roasted white chocolate mousse. I'd seen the finished product go out of the kitchen, so my final task was to plate one for myself. The frozen dome was accompanied with raspberry purée, fresh raspberry pieces, (clumsy) spoons of raspberry jelly, sharp raspberry powder, basil leaves, and the rhubarb and hibiscus sorbet. I tried to do the rocher (one handed quenelle) all by myself, and I very nearly did it; it was just a bit big damnit. I'll get it right next time. After photographing my achievement, I dived in and don't think I said anything other than 'mmm' until I'd finished scraping the plate clean. The perfect ending.

There really are no words to describe how much I enjoyed my time in the kitchen at Le Champignon Sauvage. As soon as I left I had to phone The Chap to tell him all about it before I burst with excitement, then even when he got home from work that evening, he said I still had the biggest grin on my face (something that never happens with my usual 9-5 job). I'd go back again in an instant.

David Everitt-Matthias is a fantastic chef, and Le Champs truly is a fantastic restaurant. The fact that it will be celebrating its 30th anniversary next year says it all. Just wow.

Tom Kerridge “David is just true to what he believes. He’s never swayed by fashion, and he’s always updating what he does. It is one of the most phenomenal restaurants this country has, yet one of the least known.”

Heston Blumenthal "David Everitt-Matthias is the epitome of what a truly great modern chef should be. David has been quietly revolutionising modern British cooking - a gastronomic visionary whose imagination is expressed so beautifully through his cooking."

Lunch at Le Champignon Sauvage

I've always thought that the word 'mushroom' really suits those little capped fungi; short and stubby, hidden away in the woods with an aura of uncertainty about them. Hop over the channel, however, and you find a much fancier word for them; 'champignon'. It stands proud, opulent but unassuming, and in a way this is exactly what Cheltenham's Michelin Starred restaurant does.

Oh, Michelin Stars in Cheltenham? Surely it’s a super swish regency styled affair that has pretentiousness as part of the dress code? Thankfully not; Le Champignon Sauvage lives up to its ‘wild mushroom’ name. With not one, but two stars, it’s comfortably nestled into its surroundings in the Suffolks – a blink and you’ll miss it kind of thing. It doesn’t need to shout about its existence, it’s been around since 1987 and has maintained a fantastic reputation as being one of the best restaurants in the UK. The keen eyed amongst you will also have spotted that Chef David Everitt-Matthias won Chef of the Year in The Good Food Guide 2014; that’s pretty bloody big.

I visited Le Champignon Sauvage for the first time way back in 2010; at that point, fresh from uni and still in my student overdraft, I was just beginning to find my passion for food and drink, though I’d not really experienced much in the fine dining department. I remember being bowled over by dinner, ordering a lovely bottle of Viognier, but generally feeling a little awkward... What a difference four years makes. This time, after reading rave reviews about the great value set menus, I was taken as a birthday treat for lunch, and every inch of my visit – even down to the Tic-Tac’s in the bathroom – was perfect.

The restaurant seemed much more open than I remembered; it's bright, roomy and has an interesting selection of art work dotted around (granted, I wouldn't choose some of it myself, but at least they spark conversation). You're close enough to neighbouring table to scout out the food - though it's not really necessary here, you know everything's going to be good - but you're not too close to hear what dramas are going on in their personal lives.

Service runs like a well oiled machine thanks to the small team headed up by David's other half, Helen. No sooner are you sat down with menus to browse through, a selection of canapés are placed on the table to get tummies rumbling. With combinations of beetroot, horseradish, and goats cheese on crisp wafers, I was definitely ready for a decent lunch.

A three course set lunch menu sets you back at £32, which seems crazy cheap considering what and where you're eating. Not only this, but you get all the in-between-y bits too. After canapés came one of David's 'essences'; layers of intense savoury flavours - creamy, mousse-y, foam-y - as light as air. These kind of things play tricks with your brain; the daintiness of its appearance, and the textures it contains, make you anticipate something sweet, but there's no sweetness to be found. Freshly baked bread comes next; bacon and shallot brioche rolls all round for us - divine. We were even offered more, but declined as we didn't want to over do it.

There are a generous three options per course, making it incredibly difficult to choose. My starter was pigeon breast with baby gems, peas and pancetta, dotted with purées and drizzled with a glistening jus. The decorative shoots entice you in and it's full of classic spring/summer ingredients, bursting with flavour; gorgeous.

Three out of four of us chose the pork fillet for main course; rolled in Lapsang Souchong tea, it sat on a bed of mushrooms, parsnip and tenderstem brocolli. Hidden underneath, smeared across the plate, was a rich burnt orange purée, permeating the dish with marmalade aromas. Pork's not usually what I'd go for, but the smoky tea coating intrigued me. It was everything I hoped it would be; this little piggy did good.

Dessert was the toughest decision. Us girls went for a sweet option; I had compressed watermelon with quite a tart cream cheese, sable biscuit and the most refreshing cucumber sorbet; a sensible choice after a big lunch. My Mum had a panna cotta with muscovado and baby figs - equally delicious - but the both of us had massive food envy thanks to the other side of our table. The Chap and my Dad opted for a cheese board. The waitress then arrived with a heaving basket full of different cheeses, to which she knew every single one, and they could each choose 6. Judging eyes peered out from our side, as we desperately wanted to make sure they picked some good ones for us to try too.

The cheese boards came out with our desserts, neatly laid out in a row - from mild to strong - as a guide to which order you should eat them. An abundance of bread rolls, slices of fruit loaf, and a selection of crackers accompanied the cheese; this worked in our favour as there was more than enough to feed the two gents, and they happily let us have a nibble. Note to self: ignore your sweet tooth next time and hit up the cheese.

I simply couldn't have wished for a better Birthday lunch, David Everitt-Matthias deserves his Chef of the Year crown, and all the other awards and accolades he's gathered along the way. Cheltenham needs to champion Le Champignon, because you couldn't forage a fault if you tried.