“10 years ago, tapas was very defined,” said Ferran, ” and now it’s very complicated. We live in a global society and food is changing.”
Tapas means ‘top’ or ‘cover’ and was originally a snack that arrived resting on top of your glass. Did you know that beer originally came from Sumaria in Mesopotamia, and just as beer now belongs to us all, so does tapas? Every country is producing its own brilliant versions.
Tom Kerridge of the Michelin-starred Hand&Flower began by talking about why he set up shop in a pub.
“A pub is where I’m happiest,” he said. “It’s where I’m most comfortable. It’s the English version of a tapas bar and we need to make people feel welcome whether it’s for a coffee in the morning or a lunchtime snack. There are many people who don’t want to drink alcohol, especially at lunchtime or on midweek evenings, so you want to create a social meeting place. That’s where pubs are losing out: to the coffee shops and pizza places, and we can address that. A pub needs to be food-led today, but it doesn’t have to be expensive food.”
He is about to open a new low-key place in Marlowe, Buckinghamshire, just minutes from his restaurant, and this is going to have a more relaxed feel, with an L-shaped bar and just 20 seats. But this isn’t going to have your usual pub fare. He’s going to be serving dishes with spicy beetroot ketchup, pickled radish and watercress and a venison chilli with a dark chocolate puffed rice topping.
“You don’t want to fill people up too much with rich food,” he warned. “You want to keep them coming back for more! It’s going to have lots of TV screens so you can keep a sneaky eye on the score while you’re out with your wife or girlfriend, but the sound off.”
Other dishes he mentioned were spiced cod with cumin and coriander, caramelised cauliflower puree and golden raisins, with a vertjus and olive oil dressing. Mouthwatering.
“The bartender has to be centre of operations,” he said. “Here, interaction is key. They are your first point of contact and can capture your attention up-selling wines, beers and cocktails. They must know what they’re talking about, love it and be able to talk to anyone.”
He then showed us a dish of stuffed sole and croutons with pickled seaweed and cepes with a whisky jelly and, offering a nod to its Norwegian origins, a frosted malt vinegar that looked like icing sugar.
Talking about the Hand Flowers, he said: “We have 19 chefs now and bookings for weekends for a year ahead, but that doesn’t mean it all runs smoothly. We always have ‘idiot of the day’ and there’s always some piece of machinery breaking down. So the thermomix is bust and cancellations are still a problem, but we still love it – most of the time – and that shows in our food.
“In pubs, small plates are our future. From now on, you have to cater for every social occasion in the day and not just for the special occasions.”
Profound and heartfelt words, so I’ll drink to that – perhaps an elderflower, gin and white wine spritzer with a few tapas dishes on the side.
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