With the Michelin Inspectors on the road throughout the year, they eat a vast array of dishes from all cuisine types and restaurant styles. Each month we ask our Inspectors to choose a stand-out dish from the past month's restaurant visits. This could be the most creative dish they ate, something that hit the right note at just the right time or simply the one that stuck in their memory for the longest.
March 2024
Herdwick Hogget, Mushroom Cream, Asparagus, Morels and Périgord Truffle – White Swan, Fence
“Inside this lovely rustic pub, Chef-Owner Tom Parker imbues every dish with maximum flavour and shows true understanding in his careful balance of ingredients. This was all encapsulated in this superb dish, which was centred around an intense, excellent quality piece of hogget. The meat was enhanced by some large morels filled with a consummately seasoned mushroom cream, along with the grassy tones of the asparagus. Musky truffle and the richness of the sauce rounded off the dish’s flavour profile beautifully.”
Hazelnut, Banana, Caramel – Faru, Durham
“The main element of this finely crafted dessert was a hazelnut parfait, which was served at just the right temperature to deliver a creamy, velvety texture while retaining that delicious hazelnut flavour. It sat on a thin, sweet biscuit and slices of ripe banana in a light caramel, then topped with banana sorbet that was so smooth and nailed its flavour so well that even banana sceptics would be impressed. Golden raisin jelly, rum jelly and crunchy praline rounds completed the dish, while dark chocolate sprayed around the edges provided a neat, refined appearance.”
Seville Orange Marmalade Pudding, Drambuie Custard – 33 The Homend, Ledbury
“My eyes light up whenever I see a sponge pudding on a menu, so I was looking forward to this. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of its appearance; this moist, rich sponge was superb – brimming with Seville orange flavour and accompanied by a stunning, silky custard that carried just the right amount of the oft-overlooked Drambuie liqueur. This dish was proof, if we need it, that sometimes the simplest, most traditional desserts can be the best. A friend of mine remembers it fondly from a few years ago, which speaks volumes.”
