Where to start? With the epic sourdough bread served warm from the oven? Or the delectable soup that’s haunted us ever since? The staggeringly good burgers, incredible crumble, fantastic coffee, epic site or the fact that we’d forgotten just how damned good Farm & Table at Wykham Park is?
Either way, it was great to be back in the huge brick cafe run by chef owner Pawel Walkiewicz where sustainability and seasonability is more than just a buzz word. Most of the ingredients come straight from the farm itself and the enormous farm shop sells everything under the sun from charcuterie to Christmas trees.
But it was the food at Farm & Table which blew our minds! From the bread baked fresh everyday to the mushroom soup (£7) on the specials board; rich with thyme, deep with flavour and satisfyingly rich, dunk in the huge slabs of sourdough slathered in butter and you’ve got a fabulous meal all in itself.
But we weren’t done yet. There was more – the Reuben sandwich for example – made with corned beef, Emmental, gherkins, thousand island dressing and served with hand cut skinny chips (£15). Pawal’s passion for curing and pickling is legendary for good reason.
Forget the corned beef you’d find in a tin, this was soft without being waxy, vibrant without being overpowering, the accompanying homemade sauerkraut not too vinegary, the sandwich then flash fried just like you’d find in a New York deli, except the ingredients are made on site. As for the chips, they were salty, hot and crispy, the ketchup home-made. Hugely accomplished for such a simple sounding offering.
The burgers followed suit – the Farm & Table cheeseburger with Marks Cotswold Bakery brioche bun, chipotle relish, tomato and fries (£16) was another instant hit, the burger itself tasty, seasoned and evidently homemade, the quality of meat shining through.
As for the crispy buttermilk chicken breast bap with harissa mayo, and chips (£15), it was declared the best; the coating thick and crunchy, the chicken within juicy and perfectly cooked.
There is also boat caught fish of the day on offer – here Cornish hake Kiev – or a steak and kidney pie with mash, gravy and greens on the specials board, although more veggie options would have been appreciated. But if you just fancy a catch up, lots of the customers were just enjoying the cakes and pastries with a tea or coffee.
We had our eyes fixed fiercely on the puddings though, the cookie dough skillet with ice cream or the apple crumble with custard? The kids absolutely adored the sweet gooey cookie dough, served piping hot, but I was too immersed in the buttery nuggets of sugary crumble, the custard flecked with vanilla and the tartness of the apple filling to pay much attention. Absolutely divine.
And as we sat back and took in the scene over a coffee, the upstairs relaxed space full of people working or chatting, and the busy lunchtime service continuing unabated, I silently applauded Pawel and his team for showing us how it can be done.
His passion and dexterity in the kitchen are evident, but more than that, Pawel’s dedication to using the farm’s produce in ingenious ways was much appreciated, and surely the way forward.
So pay it as a visit, or go to their new tapas nights on Friday and Saturday nights, because Farm & Table is a very special place and the food is off the scale. For more info or details go to https://farmandtable.uk
