insideKENT Magazine Issue 64 - July 2017 | Page 118

FOOD+DRINK
Award-winning Kentish cuisine at
THE COMPASSES INN, CRUNDALE
ONCE UPON A TIME, THE LOVELY
WOODEN BEAMED, TRADITIONAL
COMPASSES INN AT CRUNDALE, NEAR
CANTERBURY, MIGHT HAVE BEEN A
PLEASANT SURPRISE, COME ACROSS BY
ACCIDENT ON A SUNDAY STROLL OR A
SPONTANEOUS OUTING IN THE KENT
COUNTRYSIDE. AND ALTHOUGH THAT MAY
STILL BE A CASE FOR SOME, FOR MANY
THE COMPASSES HAS BECOME QUITE THE
DESTINATION RESTAURANT – AND FOR
VERY GOOD REASON. by Lisamarie Lamb
Debuting at an impressive number 17 in the
Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastro Pubs in the UK,
head chef Rob Taylor, winning chef of the
year in those same awards, being awarded
two AA rosettes, becoming Michelin
recommended, and being named local
restaurant of the year for the South East by the
Waitrose Good Food Guide, has all helped to
make the Compasses the place to be. That and
the fact that the food is pretty darn special, of
course.
As is the pub itself. Comfortable, just the right
side of casual with just a slight fine-dining
atmosphere, this is the kind of place that can
be visited time and again. It’s the kind of place
that feels like home, but with the added benefit
of award-winning cuisine.
My guest and I had a hard time choosing our
meal; everything on the menu looked
exquisite. Thankfully, the friendly staff were
happy to give us a few hints and tips, and we
finally arrived at a decision – we would have
the crab and the duck to start. Or, to give these
dishes their full titles, we would have crab and
apple salad with honey glazed bacon and
crispy garlic and the crispy confit duck with
candied carrot and orange emulsion. These
were undoubtedly a good choice. The salad
was tart and crunchy and the crab softened it
all with a smooth and unspoiled flavour. The
duck was perfectly cooked, just pink inside,
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crispy skin on the outside, and the sweetness
of the carrot and orange together blended well
with the meat.
With starters working out so well, we were
excited to try our mains, which consisted of
40-day aged Kentish beef with caramelised
Stilton, crispy onions and gratin potatoes; pan-
fried loin of cod with cauliflower purée,
buttered kale, burnt onion chutney and a red
wine jus; and (because we really couldn’t
decide) confit belly pork with black pudding
purée, barbecued celeriac and candied apple
relish to share.
Beef and Stilton was not a combination I had
tried before, but it is certainly one I’ll be trying
again. The salty cheese and the melt-in-the-
mouth beef were a triumph. The cod was
handled lightly, and despite the power of the
accompaniments, it never got lost – the sign
of true cleverness in the kitchen. And although
we didn’t really have room (and although we
knew that desserts would need to be sampled
because we didn’t want to miss out on those),
we did manage the pork belly, thank goodness.
It smelled far too good to pass up, and it tasted
even better.
The staff were wise to our full-up status, so
they gave us plenty of time before bringing
out our fabulous desserts: vanilla crème brulée
and salted caramel parfait with chocolate
cream and peanut brittle. Simple, elegant, and
unforgettable, these desserts were the best
way we could think of to end what had been
a magnificent meal. The Compasses Inn had
won yet another two fans.
The Compasses Inn Crundale
Sole Street
Crundale
Canterbury
CT4 7ES
01227 700300
www.thecompassescrundale.co.uk
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