insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 04 - June 2015 | Page 40

food+drink Lunch at The Flint Barn Restaurant by Samantha G When a steely determination for great English food meets a passion for fine English wine, the result is simple yet wondrous – a sensational seasonal menu with a beautiful paired wine list, and that’s just the start. With a longing to escape the rat race but with a passion for all good things English, husband and wife team Colin and Christina decamped to the glorious South Downs and took the helm at The English Wine Centre in 2008. With a stunning location in the South Downs National Park, The English Wine Centre at Cuckmere Barns already had a pretty impressive first string to its bow; however, it was through a painstaking labour of love and a project of those quintessential 3 R’s – no the other ones: Renovation, Restoration and Rebuild – that saw this complex come into its own. Gone is the dilapidated Victorian chicken shed, the slightly beleaguered and unloved barns and a sense of being slightly unloved. Now, much in part to the creative vision of Christina, there stands instead, a beautiful 17th-century oak barn used in the main as the complex’s stunning wedding venue, especially during the summer months when the marquee is erected; the impressive new five-bedroomed Green Oak Lodge, providing en-suite boutique accommodation; and the Michelin recommended Flint Barn Restaurant, our dining destination of the day. From the first gravel-crunching steps that lead into the dedicated wine shop at the front of the Flint Barn Restaurant it becomes apparent that this is a great little find. A warm and friendly welcome soon eased into a natural dialogue that evidenced the passion for great food and great wine held by Colin and Christina, and which is shared by the small and carefully selected team that work here. There is no apologising (and nor should there be) for the fact that here all things English are celebrated, and right now there is no better time to do so! It is now recognised that the South of England is currently enjoying the climate that the Champagne region in France had in its hey day 20 years ago. Hurrah! The result is now evident in the award-winning and highly acclaimed English wine that is being produced in vineyards across the county and beyond, and The English Wine Centre stocks an impressive selection of over 150 varieties of English wine, which is expertly paired with the innovate English dishes that head chef Austin Gould executes from his seasonal, locally sourced produce. Taking our table in the intimate dining room, which cleverly uses modern clean lines to emphasise the rustic beamed barn setting, my guest and I were eager to choose from the carefully selected lunch menu. We were delighted when a huge earthenware bowl arrived proffering our first dish – the celeriac and fennel soup of the day. The smooth, flavoursome soup was delicious with 40 the delicate celeriac complemented – and in no way overpowered – by the aromatic fennel and enhanced further by the clever sidekick of a delicate but spicy curry oil dressing. For our mains my guest eventually (decisions, decisions…) opted for the Flint Barn fish pie, and was not disappointed by the ample and tasty portion of delicately smoked pieces of locally caught fish in a creamy sauce and crunchy potato topping, teamed by Colin with a glass of Wickham white wine. I was equally impressed with my slow-cooked shoulder of Salt Marsh lamb. The confit lamb was melt-in-the-mouth succulent and served with a classic mint and rosemary accompaniment, this time in the guise of minted mashed potatoes and a rich rosemary jus. I also particularly enjoyed the roast celeriac that was a great partner to the delicious lamb, which could be paired with either a delicate pale pink glass of Gifford’s Hall Rosé from Suffolk, or the more medium bodied red berry fruitiness of the Bolney Estate’s Lynchgate Red from West Susses. As they say, when in Sussex… Feeling full, but not to be outdone, we of opted for the marmalade bread and butter pudding and the chocolate brownie sundae for dessert. The oozing, sticky pudding was delicious with juicy fruit and a crisp top, paired with a decadent custard and a cheeky scoop of