Chapters, Hay On Wye - Delicate, Delicious, Considered
Written Listening to Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
I am trying to take less notes whilst I’m eating. I figure what I miss in minor details when it comes to my writing, I’ll gain in emotive memories from actually enjoying the meal, food and company in front of me. This sort of came to me half way through this meal. Largely from a stern but very much correct reminder from my wife that I was with company at a dinner table and not at work!
So the bulk of the words I wrote during our visit to Chapters were…….
‘Ladies dessert eyes’
And….
‘Delicate, delicious, considered’
We will get onto the dessert eyes later……
After considering the considerations, I think Chapters is potentially the most considered meal I’ve ever eaten. Considering we walked in off the streets from a beautifully sunny day in Hay On Wye, the lighting offered the perfect intimate but not intimidating tone. It wraps you in a comforting warmth that instantly relaxes and takes all the weight off your shoulders.
The tables are spacious and laid up minimalistically with nothing superfluous. There’s plenty of room, perfect for somewhere serving small plates at lunch time which offers a freedom of choice as to how you want to dine. What order, what cutlery, where you want things to live on YOUR dining table. Restaurants can be guilty of prescribing your meal to you in too many ways, many forgetting that the dining table is the diners - not the chefs, not the front of house staff’s, not the owners.
The whole atmosphere of the restaurant is consistent to such an effortless level. It all seems almost too easy yet that is one of the hardest impressions to achieve! It reeks of authenticity. Charmaine (co-owner and front of house magician) is understated but so welcoming and friendly. Her approach is meaningful, delicate and like the rest of this place, considered. A true understanding of when to interject and when to give the diner some space. That sort of service when you think you might need something, look up and they are already on their way over, service senses are tingling!
The playlist is faultless, it adds so much to the warm feel and the fact you can scan a QR code and save it is such a lovely touch. Any music lovers dream - no need to Shazam every 2 minutes! The decor of the restaurant fits the same bill as the tables. There isn't much to see, but at the same time so much to look at. It isn't distracting in any way, yet allows your eyes to wander and notice things.
I would like to add that we brought our 4 year old with us. Any slight trepidation soon dissipated with Charmaine’s service with offers of toning down spices in dishes and recommendations for her. The welcome for Cece was as warm and inviting as it was for us. We are so keen to make Cece feel at ease around food and restaurants, which isn’t as easy as it might sound.
The drinks menu is something to behold. They run a bottle shop and have a wonderful range of natural and biodynamic wines. Clearly these have been selected carefully and with due consideration to stick to the overarching theme of this restaurant; considered but not contrived.
They have a range of ciders from a local maker, Artistraw (I know them well). They’re less cider makers, per se and more wine makers with apples. They make thoughtful, considered cider - ideal for a thoughtful and considered restaurant. There’s a certain feeling of continuity in the decision to order a bottle for the table to sip through the meal. They list their own locally distilled gin and every aperitif or digestif you might want to indulge in! You move to the alcohol free options, an area of the menu very rarely considered. Not here. The options are as tempting as the ‘full fat’ booze menu, if not more! If my favourite cider wasn't listed, there may have been more of an argument as to who was going to be the designated driver. They seem to manage to cater for everyone, without feeling like they are just throwing the proverbial at the wall hoping something will stick.
Chapters are long term supporters of the Slow Food Movement, an organisation so close to my heart. One that pushes for a different world, a better world, a world of good, clean and fair food. A happier world, a world I want to be part of, a world I want everyone to be part of. You’ll find no better demonstration of everything Slow Food than Chapters. If I could orchestrate the perfect meal to show the world what Slow Food is all about, I would just bring everyone here. The place is littered with produce from Slow Food producers. The vegetables grown in their own market garden just a few miles away, tended to by Charmaine. The jars of foraged goodies fermenting and pickling on the shelf in the middle of the restaurant, a great reminder of what they are trying to do here with the whole focus on showing the value of food. Local is at the heart of everything on the menu.
The British chickpeas in the curry, the carlin pea houmous; a delicious, delicately malty flavoured dip from a somewhat forgotten British heritage crop (I told my wife I thought this almost had a Milky Way quality to it, she said it didn't, we moved on - I’m sticking to my Milky Way guns!); the very carefully sourced tinned fish, highlighting a willingness and security in your own ability to buy in the right produce and celebrate it on your own menu without the fear of not making it yourself - yet more continuity and cohesion with their approach.
It’s about reduced food miles and reduced processing. It’s honest food. It’s good, clean and fair food with absolutely no compromise on flavour and dining experience. It's Slow Food in every way.
There’s a general consensus that eating less but better quality meat is an ideal approach to alleviating the environmental pressures our food systems are placing on our planet. It’s something so often talked about but so rarely acted on. Chapters is the perfect example of just how wonderfully balanced you can orchestrate a menu, demonstrating this very point, without ever having to call it out. There’s one meaty dish on the menu, yet the meal doesn't lack any substance. Out of interest, It’s a delicious middle white pork terrine with a take on a salad cream that might inspire you to throw away your squeezy bottle and get you into making it yourself, plenty of pickles and some expertly, delicately handled salad leaves. So fresh, so delicious! Just like that salad cream, this meal has plenty of inspiration throughout. That magic balance where things feel achievable and your feel energised to try more, to cut less corners. It makes you really consider how you eat.
The whole menu is gluten free apart from one flatbread dish. Not in a contrived way, crowbarring in gluten substitutes for dietary purposes but in a way that makes the menu better - no compromise! There’s no signs about it being gluten free, no flags in the food so other diners can watch the ‘freak show’. This isn’t about catering for specific dietary requirements, it’s about considering what's best for the menu and the diners. It gives the whole menu a much lighter feel, all to its credit. For example, the brilliant crackers that are lighter, thinner and more crackerish than their glutenised counterparts - the perfect scoops for the previously mentioned pork terrine, the light as air carlin pea houmous and the cheese, green fig and pickled walnut dish. Again, it's executed in a way that doesn't leave you missing anything nor wanting more.
There’s only one pudding to choose from, but that’s far from a problem - it’s a strawberry baked alaska. It’s precisely what I would’ve chosen if given a choice! But this is almost what Chapters seems to do - it gives you want you want without you really asking or knowing! I’m a pudding fiend! Especially now I’m gluten intolerant, when the gluten free gods are shining down on me, I’m unstoppable. If there's a gluten free pudding on show, I’m signing up. The table next to us had their desserts before us. I watched as the lady piled a spoonful into her mouth. It stopped her in time! Her eyes jolted to stare directly at her dining partner without moving the rest of her head - total adoration. Those were ‘dessert eyes’. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing that when you're expecting the same dessert to come your way! What turned up was the most wonderfully sweet, mid summer strawberry Baked Alaska. Sweet enough to bring back childhood memories of strawberry ice creams with so much sophistication to make me also feel refined and rather well to do! A really “God Save The King” style British feeling pudding!
What I will say, is to take caution if you bring a 4 year old with you. You won’t have a look in when it comes to pud! Cece first took my wife’s plate of Baked Alaska, then turned to me, reached her spoon over, flattened my Alaska before staking a claim to half of it. I’m a proud father who finds it hard to argue with her eating habits………
The food is all executed with such a wonderfully delicate touch. The delicate approach shines a light on the respect this restaurant clearly has for the food, the processes involved in preparation and the message they want to offer to the diners. The seasoning is all perfect and follows this continuous theme of Chapters giving you everything you want but never in excess - constantly the perfect balance. At first glance it doesn't seem like much, but everything you need is there. The curry for example, a dish so easily and often overcomplicated with garnishes. Distractions from what you're actually trying to achieve in the hope to make it more presentable. When you think about the origins of a curry, what it is there for and where it came from - the garnish is largely superfluous outside of presentation! What is more presentable than simply a beautifully spiced, wonderfully flavoursome bowl of aubergine and British chickpea curry? No herbs, no oils, no crunchy bits, just curry!
The food is all executed with such a wonderfully delicate touch. The delicate approach shines a light on the respect this restaurant clearly has for the food, the processes involved in preparation and the message they want to offer to the diners. The seasoning is all perfect and follows this continuous theme of Chapters giving you everything you want but never in excess - constantly the perfect balance. At first glance it doesn't seem like much, but everything you need is there. The curry for example, a dish so easily and often overcomplicated with garnishes. Distractions from what you're actually trying to achieve in the hope to make it more presentable. When you think about the origins of a curry, what it is there for and where it came from - the garnish is largely superfluous outside of presentation! What is more presentable than simply a beautifully spiced, wonderfully flavoursome bowl of aubergine and British chickpea curry? No herbs, no oils, no crunchy bits, just curry!
Note to self: Steve, leave your curry insecurities and garnishes at the door - simply let it shine for what it is!
Dish after dish gives you everything you want in a stripped back, delicate and beautiful way. So coherent to the message!
When considering restaurants and particularly when reviewing food, a lot of focus gets put on the personality of the chef. It seems to be the standard to which food, particularly in the michelin award world seems to be graded. This food is calm, serene, delicate and absolutely beautiful. Every mouthful projects calmness, serenity and respect into the dining room. It provides an almost heavenly image of the kitchen. A bright, clean, beautiful kitchen; a place of respect for Mother Nature, where the food and produce are treated like the real leaders. It’s obvious that Mark is a harmonious cook, a happy, generous cook who is keen to share his world and his vision. A chef who is happy to be the stepping stone between nature and the plate. One that simply wants to add his value to nature's already great work. It’s as if he simply dresses the food, ready for its big show, before nudging it into the spotlight for everyone to adore!
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I would like to add that Charmaine’s approach is no different and I think that is where the magic of Chapters lies.
This isn’t food just about personalities, this is about ethos, beliefs and demonstrating a message in the most wonderfully delicious way. It’s not just about sustainability but it's about a thoughtfulness towards both the diner and the environment - an understanding that both need to be respected in equal measures and how simply looking after the environment can so easily also look after the diner. This is about showcasing and highlighting the wonderful resources nature has given us. Charmaine and Mark want to bring you into their vision of a better food world, a more delicious food world. A world full of guilt free empty plates!
This is the way I want to eat forever! This is the way I want everyone to eat forever!
I can’t think of a more coherent restaurant. I can’t tell you how hard it is to stay this authentic, to keep such a consistent message - especially in today’s most challenging hospitality world.
This was one of the most emotively charged meals I’ve eaten and one I am eternally grateful for. I can’t remember the last time I felt this looked after as a diner. It’s thoughtful, delicate, considered and wonderfully delicious!
Thank you Charmaine & Mark!
