An Interview with Alex Rushmer at his New Restaurant!
Cambridge now has a very strong diversity of eating establishments. It seems that over the time I've known and lived here pubs have either gone for franchising well known pub restaurant brands, stuck to the safe favourites or have sought to be a specialist in one particular type of cuisine. There must be a restaurant or pub for every taste within 10 miles of Cambridge city centre, but does this have a side-effect? Are our British pubs losing their British identity?
Today I was able to spend an hour in the company of Alex Rushmer and Ben Maude, the new chefs who have taken over from Chris and Jenny at the Hole in the Wall, Little Wilbraham. My primary intention was to find out what these young ambitious chefs have in store for what has been a traditional British pub in the quiet, idealic village just outside Cambridge.
Alex Rushmer (left) and Ben Maude outside the Hole in the Wall
Menu - Bar Meals
Alex and Ben will be offering two different menus: Bar meals and restaurant meals. The Bar meals will be in keeping with the expectations of Hole in the Wall regulars: A substantial variety of really "Hearty British Pub Grub", with plenty of lighter dishes on the menu.
"No chef wants to turn out plates of little delicate things all the time. Ben and I like cooking pies and hearty soups as much as we like cooking refined food. So if someone wants to come in and have a pie and pint... then that's precisely what we want to be to offer here."
"There's a reason we took this place on; it's a British pub and we don't want to change anything about that."
As well as lunches, lighter dinners and hot meat sandwiches, the Bar menu will feature snacks, such as homemade pork pies, summer salads and vegetarian scotch eggs, which Ben and Alex have been working on perfecting for some time.
Restaurant Meals
The restaurant will be slightly more formal; table service and more refined food, but without any of the "stuffiness" - Alex and Ben believe that the food is the main focus of a restaurant and don't want people to feel that they have to wear a shirt and tie to enjoy a good meal.
A full Sunday Roast will also be on the menu. Ben says "Initially we will have an a la carte menu featuring seasonal roast meats. What we're hoping to do in the future is recreate the idea of a home-cooked Sunday roast, so if you have a larger group booking we'll bring out one big roast and carve it at the table." Alex continues "It just gives it that feel; makes it a bit more special."
"Over time we hope that people will want to come out and share one big roast with their group - just like a Sunday roast at home but you don't have to worry about the washing up!"
Ben and Alex will also take bookings for special events and larger groups. In particular for the larger groups they'll be looking to design a menu to suit the diners. "It's our job to execute [your idea of a] perfect meal."
Compared with the previous Hole in the Wall menu there won't be a huge difference in style, but it's the variety that will change in two ways; first in how often the menus change and second in the variety that appears on the menu itself.
Ingredients dictate the menu
Alex and Ben's menus will be led by which meat and vegetables are available from week to week. "True seasonality is quite rare in restaurants and ... it's our skill to come up with something interesting and different to do with [the ingredients], but it all comes from the farmers. They tell us what's available and it's our job to use it in the best way possible."
"A lot of restaurants only serve one cut from an animal; racks of lamb or fillets of steak. To keep costs down we will be buying as much of the animal as possible and between the restaurant and bar we'll serve cuts in the ratio that it occurs in the animal you can do fantastic stuff with this other meat with a little imagination."
Everything will be sourced locally and homemade on site, even down to the butchery. Alex and Ben have spent the last month or so trotting around the county looking for suppliers such as Gog Magog Hills Farm Shop, South Farm in Royston and Bottisham's River Farm Smokery.
Prices
Homemade bar snacks will start at £2-3. Slightly more substantial plates of food will start at a fiver and full meals will start at around £10.
In the restaurant starters will start at about £6, £13-15 for mains and £6 for deserts. They believe that this will attract those who don't want to pay fine-dining prices for great tasting food, but are willing to indulge in a little treat.
Drinks
Ben and Alex aren't just interested in the food side of the business. "What we're keen to do is get the villagers in and have them use the Hole in the Wall as somewhere just to have a drink."
Alex and Ben plan to secure guest ales and lagers from local microbreweries but will of course offer some of the favourites of the area.
We've been very sensible with the wine list. We have 60 bins mostly from Cambridge Wine Merchants, and our Sommelier, Mark, will organise the wine offering. We're not planning on having a house wine, as such. Rather we will have ten bottles all at £15 and all of which will be available by the glass."
Employment at the Hole in the Wall
Alex and Ben have already started the task of recruiting staff for the pub, such as their Sommelier and restaurant manager and a pastry chef.
Alex and Ben will also be looking for front of house staff (waiters and waitresses) on a full and part time basis, and may also be looking for kitchen staff.
Opening
The restaurant is currently being spring cleaned for an official opening on 12th July. Alex and Ben are planning opening events. "We want people to come along, say hello, have a pint and there will be plates of food going round for people to try".
"It's an eighteen month dream and it's finally happening. The last two days have been utterly surreal."
"It's a fabulous village. We really could not have picked a better place."
"It was really noticeable yesterday. We had about 20 people turn up for lunch and we had to turn them away because it was closed, but it was really noticeable how excited and happy everyone was. Everyone had a smile on their face and you can see why. It's a difficult place to be unhappy in - it's gorgeous."
"We're going to be onsite - drop in or phone up just to say hello. We'd love to meet everyone."
You can visit the Hole in the Wall online: The Hole in the Wall Website (new)
- The Hole in the Wall changes hands
- Alex Rushmer, Masterchef Finalist, opens his first restaurant in Little Wilbraham and message of goodbye to Chris and Jenny, from the Carpenters Arms
Article by Rich Andrews.