A few years ago, my parents sold our family home on the outskirts of southwest London and made the big move to Norfolk. Before then, I’d never been to that neck of the woods, and found it to be a beautiful, strange, flat and sprawling place.
The upside is I now have a new area of England, and more importantly new foods, to explore (when we can bear to tear ourselves away from my mum’s splendid cooking, that is). I’m not saying they ditched Twickenham because my sister and I flew the nest, but it did happen very shortly after.
Speaking of nests, Restaurant St Barts and Nest in London have a relatively new countryside sibling on the north Norfolk coast – Nest Farmhouse. It’s a restaurant with five rooms on a 1,000-acre working farm in Docking, King’s Lynn. Having thankfully made it in one piece following my dad’s new style of driving like a born-and-bred Norfolk local, we were keen to see what its farm-to-plate ethos had to offer – and the chance to order a stiff drink.
As stiff drinks go, their old fashioned wasn’t the best, but the room in which we had our pre-dinner tipple was gorgeous. There’s a real feel that you’ve stepped into someone’s (admittedly very stylish and Scandi) living room. There are squishy sofas, dried flowers and a toasty wood burner. You’d never guess it was a former cattle shed. At the other end of the room there’s a 60-cover dining area next to an open kitchen. Those sick of eating by candlelight and squinting at the menu will be pleased to know it’s extremely well lit, which is good for food pics, if not a bit garish.
A dish I was rather excited for was the chicken liver parfait – served with blackcurrant jelly and homemade hobnobs. Though I usually enjoy a slightly denser texture, this light, whipped concoction that so easily spread onto buttery crunchy biscuits was absolutely delicious; the sharp blackcurrants cut through the richness beautifully. It’s a starter I’ll think about often and I’d pick hobnobs over bread for this dish any day. If you’re feeling extra peckish, their fried chicken to start is fantastic, crispy yet juicy and served with a zingy spicy mayo.
The scallop with curried sauce and samphire is great, though suspiciously similar to the monkfish and curried lobster sauce main dish. When a menu is this small, the less overlap the better. It’s tasty, by all means, but a little heavy-handed with the curry powder, drowning out the flavour of the lobster. However, the fish is faultless and the fennel bhaji sitting beside it is a crunchy delight.
I was disappointed to learn that the etymology of “sirloin” did not in fact originate from Henry VIII knighting that particular cut of beef as “Sir Loin”. Upon eating the decadent, rich, high-quality piece of meat I certainly felt like a Tudor king. It came swimming in a thick, caramelised onion sauce, almost as sticky as chutney, and topped with shallots. It was glorious, and a near-perfect main as the BBQ cabbage, burnt on one side and drenched in butter, was divine.
It might seem cruel to highlight the tiny kinks that need ironing out – it’s only because this place is brilliant, but it could be exceptional, and I want it to be. So many dishes were pure magic: how could I forget the teensy doughnuts with strawberry jam and peanut butter custard, a hot, fried riff on the American class combo that I’m sure Henry VIII would have knighted, given the chance. An earl grey crème brûlée is delicate, subtle and heavenly, for a slightly lighter option.
All the staff are lovely, very accommodating to my mum’s gluten allergy and knowledgable when it comes to wine – they picked out an excellent Côtes du Rhône that managed to pair with both the fish and the beef.
St Barts is the only London restaurant to hold both a Michelin star and a Michelin green star, and, of course, has a hefty price tag to match. Nest’s à la carte menu is far more affordable, making a taste of the expertise something for more to enjoy.
North Norfolk is really very lucky to have this place that pays proper homage to local land and sea ingredients. And thankfully because of its rooms, quaintly named Nettle, Elder, Damson, Sorrel and Pippin, people from all over can come, stay and taste what’s on offer.
Fakenham Rd, Docking, King’s Lynn, PE31 8PX | 07487 553194 |nestfarmhouse.co.uk
