It’s never easy stepping into someone else’s shoes, especially those of head chef Samuel Squires at the two AA rosette The Old Crown in Faringdon READ ABOUT IT HERE: ‘It’s been an incredible journey’, and yet Jamie Whiting is delighted to finally have his chance to shine.
The Crown must be delighted to have such a firm and artistic pair of culinary hands running their kitchens so adeptly
Formerly head chef at sister pub The Black Horse in Standlake, when Samuel departed in March, Jamie seized the brief and ran with it. And having just enjoyed dinner at The Crown’s Ballroom Restaurant we can heartily applaud his takeover.
What surprised us the most was Jamie’s refined but gentle touch; his dishes whimsical and delicate, beautifully plated, seasonal, the ingredients revered. He doesn’t over do it and the results are impeccable.
First up has top be a cocktail at JJ’s, the funky bar framing the ballroom, where mixologists were hard at work
The Old Crown is a gorgeous venue as well, the historic hotel boasting a huge outdoor area and bar suited to casual dining, alongside The Ballroom’s more refined offering.
First up has top be a cocktail at JJ’s, the funky bar framing the ballroom, where mixologists were hard at work. Then we were seated in the light, airy, well lit, contemporary restaurant above – a conducive and surprisingly unstuffy setting where the service is excellent.
the ballroom restaurant is light, airy, well lit and contemporary – a conducive and surprisingly unstuffy setting with excellent service
I always think it’s the extra touches that set the scene, here the innocuous sounding house bread (£3p/p) all made daily on site and differing in form and taste. We were lucky enough to hit the olive bread with chive butter and it sang, silencing us communally as we pawed at the chewy dough and herby butter.
Sitting up now and taking notice, the arrival of the crab tart with apple sorbet, crab aioli, cucumber and lemon (£16) was like something out of Room With A View; dainty, fragile, refined and pretty as a picture.
‘the crab tart with apple sorbet, crab aioli, cucumber and lemon was like something out of Room With A View’
It seemed a travesty to break into it, and yet the subtle tastes of the crab, pert cold apple and thin, crumbly pastry were seriously impressive.
Then the gnocchi (£9), fairly standard on menus these days and often disappointing, here they shone.
the gnocchi was A sophisticated dish despite its simple ingredients
Aided by a thick dollop of creamy, delectable celeriac puree, some sturdy, rich almost hazelnutty king oyster mushrooms and truffle, they were exceptional, the pan-fried potato soft and bouncy. A sophisticated dish despite its simple ingredients.
As for the Brixham sole with fine beans, beurre monte (an emusified butter sauce), crushed herb potatoes (£28) it was so beautifully cooked, the fish soft and flaky, the veg al dente, the sauce all encompassing, that we could only laugh. What a delight.
We’d debated long and hard about ordering the chicken with smoked garlic, dauphinoise, leek, heritage carrot and chicken jus (£27), because we all eat so much chicken at home, but we were amply rewarded by the bona fide, dexterous, and refined effort on the plate, every detail important, the moist meat enhanced by the rich jus poured on from a tiny jug. All the plates are unique here too which is a nice touch.
sourcing is hugely important here, much of the veg grown themselves or sourced from local organic farms, and you can taste it in every bite
Jamie told us afterwards that sourcing is hugely important to him, much of the veg grown themselves or sourced from local organic farms, and you can taste it in every bite.
Puds were therefore an absolute must! What could Jamie and his team pull out of the bag?
the ‘afternoon tea’ – sponge cake with lavender ice cream, strawberry and white chocolate, demanded an outing
The pistachio and citrus cake with dark chocolate, raspberry, coffee and coconut ice cream was definitely worth a punt, the ‘afternoon tea’ – sponge cake with lavender ice cream, strawberry and white chocolate demanded an outing, and who can resist a lemon meringue – lemon curd, texture of meringue, candied lemon and shortbread?
Fun, inventive, the classics carolled and enhanced with more exotic ingredients and modern techniques, we were enchanted.
we fought over the last crumb of meringue, smear of chocolate, bite of fruit, spot of gel, and pinch of cake
Because what Jamie does so well is allow you to taste the individual flavours, and there is so much joy in that, as we shared the titbits and fought over the last crumb of meringue, smear of chocolate, bite of fruit, spot of gel, and pinch of cake.
So yes pretty impressive really! Jamie has not only stepped up to, but hurdled over, the bar, and The Crown must be delighted to have such a firm and artistic pair of culinary hands running their kitchens so adeptly.
The Old Crown Coaching Inn, is at 25 Market Place, Faringdon, SN7 7HU. https://www.theoldcrowncoachinginn.com
