Supper clubs are something that have passed me by a bit, but they’ve become increasingly popular in the last year or two and it is easy to understand why.
Good quality amateur chefs cooking their best recipes for a bargain price and you can bring your own booze. Throw in an eclectic mix of people and you’ve got the makings of a good night.
I’ve been meaning to give one a try for a while, so I was delighted when I got an invite from Lex of LexEat! to attend her latest supper club.
Now, reviews are meant to be impartial, but I have to own up to being a bit biased towards Lex as she often (kindly) comments on this blog and I’ve met her at a couple of food events. I’m also a big fan of her writing, as she has a warmth and self-deprecating style that I really like.
So I went along with Grace on Saturday, really wanting to enjoy the evening and it is with a big sigh of relief that I can honestly say it was excellent.
Lex’s e-mail came with a bit of a warning not to be late so we were the first to arrive at about 7.15p.m. and given a warm greeting by Lex’s partner Y and a welcome drink.
Slowly but surely the other guests started to arrive and introduced themselves. There was a real mix of people, but it soon became apparent that the majority of guests were also supper club virgins, although everyone seemed to share an interest in good food.
We were to be seated at one long communal table and as a nice touch Lex had written the menu on the brown paper tablecloth.
Table complete with menu, homemade tablecloths and delicious popcorn
Sweet potato & caramelised onion soup with feta pesto
Starter was a thick, puree-like sweet potato and caramelised onion soup, which I really enjoyed. The first taste was the sweet potato, but then the sweetness of the caramelised onion came through and lingered beautifully in the mouth. It was accompanied by a dollop of feta cheese pesto and some freshly baked bread.
Roast duck with amaretti stuffing, roast potatoes & cavolo nero
Blood Orange & Rocket Salad
The main course was a succulent piece of duck, which was moist and full of flavour. It came with a delicious ameretti stuffing, crisp roast potatoes, cardonero (type of cabbage) and (my favourite bit) a blood orange salad, the tangy sweetness of which worked beautifully with the duck.
I went a bit quackers for the crispy skin and I was delighted when Y brought out a massive plate of extra duck. Seconds all round for the people sat around me!
Trio of desserts: Pear & Almond cake, lemon posset, chocolate & olive oil tart
On to dessert and after a refreshing pallet cleanser we were treated to a trio of delights. I can't really comment about the lemon posset as the the first spoonful ended up down my shirt and Grace stole the rest of it, as she declared it amazing and wanted seconds!
In compensation I was given a third of her chocolate tart, which I wolfed down. I'm a sucker for chocolate and so devoured the rich, dark chocolate goodness of the tart and loved it's sugary, crunchy crust. Good stuff.
I almost feel like the almond & pear cake is being treated as a third class citizen, but that was also very good. It was served warm and was a spongy, sweet treat.
It was one of the other diner's birthday and I was delighted when they were presented with a turkish delight cheesecake that had been served at previous supper clubs. I thought it looked fantastic when i'd read the reviews and I'm pleased to report it tasted as good as it looked.
Great food, accompanied by great music
The evening ended with coffee and interesting chat and I can say my first supper club experience was thoroughly enjoyable and something I'm keen to repeat. At a suggested donation of just £20.00, it was also an absolute bargain when compared to what it would have cost to have a comparable meal in a restaurant.
I also need to say what a great job Y did as front of house. She kept the drinks flowing, the conversation going and the great tunes playing. She even called Grace and I a taxi at the end of the night as we'd both left our mobiles at home. Her big passion is soul and Motown music and she's part of Motor City Revue - if she's half as good a musician as host then I'm sure they'll be fab!
Finally, if you're wondering why all the different bottled beers appear in my photos, it's due to a clearout at home and me finding loads of odds bottles of beer that needed using up before I move flats in a few weeks.
