If you weren’t aware, Stirchley has had a bit of a revitalisation in the food world. Loaf has been leading the way to change up the run of traditional Balti houses.
More recently, The British Oak has joined the area with a focus on great food and drink in a traditional pub setting. It has been taken over by The Humble Pub Company (owners of The Prince of Wales, The Dark Horse and Cheval Blanc) and was refurbished throughout earlier this year, whilst keeping the vast majority of its original features. Under the eye of Executive Chef Paul Maders, it’s also had a revival in the kitchen too.
I’d been invited along to try out their Game Night: a 5 course tasting menu from their A la Carte Menu (available Weds -Sat, 5:30 pm -9 pm), highlighting the best in game with a few sweet treats too. It was also partnered with a choice of Wine or Beer, selected to gel with the courses, and hosted by the Restaurant Manager, Helen Morton.
First up was the Pigeon:
This came served with carrot puree, roasted shallots and a celeriac remoulade. The pigeon was served pink and the meat remained moist throughout. My favourite accompaniment was the celeriac remoulade. It had a great tangy mustard flavour to it, which I believe came from a bit of horseradish lurking in there. The shallot was sweet, and the carrot was sweet with a touch of warmth from spice in there.
Partnered drinks for this course were:
- Wine: Cote du Rhone
- Beer: Crafty Dan 13 Guns
Our second course was Roast Pheasant:
This was a breast of pheasant accompanied with a confit leg bon-bon, fondant potato, apple, pear and root vegetables. The breast had retained its moisture well and was very tender, whilst keeping its gamey flavour intact. The fondant potato was excellent, and the bon-bon just melted away happily in the mouth.
Partnered drinks for this course were:
- Wine: Forgot to write it down (sorry!)
- Beer: A Belgian Dubbel
The final meat course of the evening was Loin of Venison.
The meat was cooked rare, my personal preference, and was delicious. It was complimented by a crunchy potato rosti, tart wild berries, wild mushrooms, braised red cabbage, spinach and a deliciously rich red wine sauce.
Partnered drinks for this course were:
- Wine: A Coffee Pinotage
- Beer: Purity Ubu
Our ‘Pre Dessert’ was a Cherry Sorbet.
Topped with a fresh raspberry, this was a delicious and luxuriant smooth sorbet which reminded me of a cherry bakewell tart. The only thing missing to complete the effect would be a touch of amandine. It went down well and prepared our taste buds for the final course.
Partnered drinks for this course were:
Pumpkin Pie
This is one not usually seen on British menus, a shame with the amount of pumpkin flesh wasted at this time of year by Jack-O-Lantern carvers. The pumpkin pie wasn’t too sweet and hit the right balance for me, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds, vanilla ice cream and a berry jus.
Partnered drinks for this course were:
- Wine: Argentinian Torrentes dessert wine
- Beer: Titanic Porter
I was really impressed by what was on offer and it’s worth a trip out of the city centre to visit here. I certainly left into the chilly Autumnal evening, radiating with an internal glow, stuffed and happy and am making plans to return again with Wifey so she can experience it too!
Disclaimer: For this evening, I was a guest of Paul Fulford and the team at The British Oak, this provides no bias to the post. This blog is my own personal opinion and strives to provide an independent view, promoting, enjoying and reviewing the range of exciting food and venues in and around Birmingham.
When: 09/11/2016
Where: The British Oak, 1364 Pershore Rd, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2XS. 0121 458 1758.
Who: The British Oak
