Tuesday 12 October 2010

The Montpelier Basement - A Bristol supper club


If you follow ‘E’ or myself on Twitter, you may (or may not) have realised we’re about to try our hand at running a supper club from our home in Bristol. The first night will be Saturday 16th October. The kitchen and surprisingly spacious dining room is downstairs, in the bowels of the building as it were – so we’ve cunningly decided to name it ‘The Montpelier Basement’ – or ‘The Basement’ if we’re being familiar.

We’ve talked about it and talked about it, and in the end thought ‘lets set a date and just do it’. We did, and we have…and it’s come around faster than we can believe. We’ve had so much to organise, and ever finite amounts of time to do it in.

But saying that, we’re on top of things (just) and seem to be pretty much ready. Our first menu is written, we’ve pilfered our respective families’ houses for likely looking tableware, and we’ve pretty much got a full house.

Our menu has a real British theme, and we’ve tried to use local suppliers and seasonal ingredients, as much as possible. (We’ll be picking up most of the veg. on Saturday morning at the rather excellent Bath farmers market, so if you see us looking harassed and lugging huge bags, be kind and slip us a Valium or two).

Anyway, without much further ado – for your delight and delectation here is our first menu…. God help us.


Saturday 16th October - 7.30pm for 7.45pm

Arrival drinks and nibbles

Herbert's Bakery bread and West Country butter

Roast baby squash with beet leaf and hazelnut pesto, leaves and toasted seeds.

Beef cheeks braised in Bristol Milk Stout with horseradish and herb dumplings, mash and veg OR Braised Puy lentils and roast celeriac with horseradish and herb dumplings, mash and veg

Earl Grey cream with stem ginger shortbread

Rarebit



All for the bargainous suggested donation of £20 (in used notes, please).

Do follow us on Twitter @MontpelierBsmt depending how it goes, we’re hoping to hold evenings every couple of weeks or so.

Drop us an email if you want to come along, (there’s a couple of spaces left), want to wish us luck, or just want to be added to the mailing list: -

montpelierbsmt@gmail.com

I shall keep you posted on how it all went, right here.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds lovely Dan. Good luck! J

meemalee said...

Cheap as chips, but I'm sure will be stunning!

Best of luck to you and the lovely E xxx

ps feel free to add me to the mailing list - I may venture West at some point :)

Neil Davey said...

Good luck, mate. Have relatives in Chippenham, will try and tie in a visit to them to a Montpelier Basement night in due course...

It's Darling! said...

This sounds brilliant! I will be selling my vintage china at Bath farmer's market on Saturday 16th, so come and say hi, especially if you are after tableware. And i have friends in Montpelier so I am tempted to come along, but will we be out of place? Mrs Stokes

Graphic Foodie said...

Fantastic. You two will be perfect! Hope the first night is a huge success - the menu sounds amazing x

Dan said...

James - Thanks very much mate, appreciate it :)

Meemalee - Consider yourself added Madam, and also thanks x

Neil - Thanks dude, that would be superb if you could make it down here for dinner.

Catherine - We'll make sure to say hello at Bath farmers market. Out of place? of course not :) Come along!! It's the first one, it's a right mix of people, no one really knows each other. Let us know if you fancy it - Email montpelierbsmt@gmail.com

Graphic Foodie - Thanks very much Fran, really appreciate it, nervous but very excited x

Anonymous said...

Oh that sounds lovely - even to vegetarian me! Wish we could come along this time but maybe next?

Good luck with it all - I'm sure it will be fab!

xx

Food Urchin said...

All the best to you and Elly, I am sure that it will be a roaring success.

However, don't lose sight of us opening 'The Hole' (TM) which will be a totally different experience altogether.

Helen said...

Good luck to both of you! I'm sure you will pull it off. Wish I was closer so I could come and try it out!

The Basement said...

Madamguillotine - Thanks very much, we are catering for veggies (E is of the same persuasion), let us know if you want to come next time. Would be great to meet you.

Food Urchin - Thanks mate. I haven't lost sight of it, everything and I mean EVERYTHING is a mere practice to prepare me for The Hole TM

Helen - Thanks very much, really appreciate it :)

Charlotte Ponsonby said...

Hi,

Sounds great I am at Ballymaloe cookery school at the moment but will be back in Bristol in December and would love to know how it went and if you decide to do anymore.

Charlie

Dan said...

Charlotte - Ballymaloe, wow. So jealous! As for The Montpelier Basement, see latest post, we have more planned for the 30th Oct. and the 13th Nov. Would love to see you at one if you can make it. If you let me know your email address, I'll add you to the mailing list.