The Man and I have visited Deacon’s Bank in Chapel-en-le-Frith previously, and seriously enjoyed the fine dining it offers so, when we were invited back to stay overnight in one of their apartments and experience the theatre of the Chef’s Table, we jumped at the chance! You can find out how we got on at Deacon’s Retreat in Apartment 2, by reading the review using the link below, but this review solely focuses on the food and drink. 👉 Read our review of Deacon's Retreat
Head Chef (and co-owner of Deacon’s Bank with Harrison Clayton) Leo Harvey was in charge of the kitchen and pass, ably assisted by his Sous, Rob Bramwell. Harrison offered us the wine flight (additional cost to the tasting menu, at £45pp), but having had the complementary bottle of wine at our apartment, we declined; our focus is always the food! We did, however, go for a rather cheeky Western Cape Chenin Blanc to see us through the evening. Both the Tasting Menu in the main restaurant and the one for the Chef’s Kitchen Table are the same; the only difference is the price: £80pp and £100pp respectively.
You’ll find the Chef’s Table just behind the main restaurant, tucked away in the service corridor and smack-bang in front of the old bank vault doors at the kitchen entrance. This is prime position for catching all the theatre and action as it happens, something that’s right up The Man Bird’s and my street. This experience is something that anyone would revel in, but is especially suited to those who love fine dining; currently the recipient of 2 AA-Rosettes (and Michelin Guide recommended), the long-term aim is to make it a hat-trick of red roses. Anyone who knows Leo wouldn’t bet against that happening, either!
So, up first on our feast was a Pulled Pork Taco, served with Apple ‘Slaw. The dinky, soft-shell Taco was generously topped with juicy, tender shredded Pork Shoulder and contrastingly crunchy ‘slaw. We both loved the melding of earthy, deep notes and sharper, cleaner ones, and it certainly piqued our interest to have a warm first course instead of a cold one. An indication that Chefs Leo and Rob dance to the beat of their own music; I like your style, fellas.
Our second course was Freshly Baked Bread of the Day, with a selection of house-churned Butters: Honey, and Miso ones on this evening. Now, I’ve said before that being a Chef is a total labour of love: extensive training, an eye for detail, and a dogged determination to find that ‘next’ combination of flavours…not to mention the split-shifts and unsocial working hours. However, never before have I met one that takes a whopping 51 hours (yes, you read that right – 51 Hours!!) to make bread; in this specific case, Focaccia. Known for my distinct lack of patience, I saluted Sous Chef Rob Bramwell’s dedication and gave that first bite the reverence I felt it deserved; really, it was the least I could do, no? Visually, there was an impossibly aerated texture to behold and the flavour was every bit as fantastic. As per usual, our camp was a split one: I preferred the umami Miso butter, His Maj leaned in to the sweet character of the Honeyed one. In saying that, both were superb, and there wasn’t any left – figure be damned, I’d come armed with an elasticated waistband and I was gonna rinse the heck out of it!
As you all know, I’m a massive fan of Mushrooms and Blue Cheese, so I was over the moon to read that we were sampling a Mushroom and Black Sticks Blue Cheesecake with Pickled Walnut Purée, Walnut Tuille, and Black Sticks Blue Custard next. My glee was even higher when I figured that I would be having double portions; The Man Bird is not a fan of ‘stinky cheese’ and treats Mushrooms like spawn of the devil. Dramatic, much?! I know when a Chef has ‘got it’ when His Nibs tries something that is way out of his comfort zone, and would you credit it, The Man chose this moment (where two of my fave things were involved) to decide that he would try this morsel.
Earthy, nutty Chestnut Mushrooms had been transformed into edible velvet and, paired with the creamy tang of Black Sticks Blue, produced an alchemical mingling of earthy, creamy and tangy hints that tantalised our palates. The pale amber colour of the cheese shone in the piped swirls that decorated the top of the latte hue of the Cheesecake ‘body’, adding a subtler, tonal layer of exquisite flavour. I adored the intensity of the Pickled Walnut Purée; this beauty really did sashay in and announce its presence - you couldn’t fail to applaud Chef’s skill in marrying all these elements together in this dish. Adding some superb texture was a dark, crunchy Tuille that carried the Walnut taste within it.
Our next course was where we had to put on our big girl pants; this was the start of the mains: enter Butter-poached Salt Cod with Roasted Cauliflower, Brandade Mousse, and Beurre Rouge. Salting fish removes excess moisture, resulting in sumptuous, juicy flesh to enjoy, and the fragrant, firm Cod was simply sublime. Shards of Hispi Cabbage and mini florets of Roasted Cauliflower added crunch and more layers of flavour. I’ve never [knowingly] had Beurre Rouge before, so I didn’t know what to expect from this reduction of Port and Red Wine and slowly added Butter. Gently fruity with the silkiness of butter and meaty hints from Jus, Beurre Rouge is super-tasty and went brilliantly with the Salt Cod. The Brandade Mousse, made from the Cod trimmings, Potato and Olive Oil, was utterly mesmerising; soft and comforting, with a hint of fruitiness from the Olive Oil peeking through in the mouth. Another example of a skilfully executed dish from Chef Leo Harvey.
Following the fish course was the meat course, in the guise of Fillet Steak. This course was cooked by Sous Chef Rob, and came with Chive Pomme Dauphine, Roscoff Onion, Parsnip Purée, and Bordelaise Sauce. Beautifully rose-pink at its centre, darkening to a rich nut shade at the edge, this steak was en-pointe; nice work, Rob. No pressure at all was needed from our knives to slice through the kitten-soft flesh, and the flavour was tremendous in its depth. A perfectly golden, crisp-outered sphere of Pomme Dauphine (a Mashed Potato and savoury Choux mix) had flecks of green from the Chives within its fold, lending a whisper of allium-family tang to the fluffy centre. His Nibs and I have had Brittany-grown Roscoff Onions before (and loved them), and this time was no different thanks to their distinctive mild sweetness and caramel hints when softened.
The Man isn’t a huge fan of Parsnips, so I did hitch my breath a smidge when I saw that we had this terrific root vegetable served 3 ways with our Fillet Steak: Puréed, Roasted Crisps and ‘regular’ Roasted and halved. Each variant of Parsnip had its own, different flavour profile and textural impact on the senses and, surprisingly, His Nibs snaffled all of them! If you like a sauce that swaggers with suave confidence, look no further than the Sauce Bordelaise served at Deacon’s Bank restaurant. This was intensely flavoursome and smoother than silk in the mouth; rich, meaty, perfectly seasoned – you couldn’t ask for more.
One of the best things (in my humble opinion) about a Chef’s Table dining experience is that you really get to know what makes your Chef tick, what drives him to be the best, and also how on earth they come up with some of their offerings. Eternal curiosity is clearly a major personality trait for Chefs Rob and Leo, and one result of this was the pre-dessert of Celeriac Parfait with Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, and Beef Fat and Lime Caramel. This instantly struck me as a ‘bridge’ between savoury and sweet, containing elements of both camps and, as a total ‘sticky beak’, I couldn’t wait to get my gnashers into this!
This savoury parfait was sublime, fusing rich cream with the earthy, nutty taste of ultra-smooth Celeriac. The gentle vegetable reminded me of a nanny invisibly cajoling her wards into doing something they didn’t fully want to do; in this case, persuading my palate to trust the more intense Beef-fat and Lime Caramel which (I don’t mind admitting) was boggling my little brain somewhat. In actuality, the result was a surprisingly good, balanced course that, whilst rich, had brighter, citrus hints within it that lifted it spectacularly in the mouth. Finely grated, fresh Lime zest added a pop of colour and even more sass to this marvellous [gastro] in-betweener.
Providing the ultimate finale to this veritable feast was our ‘true’ dessert of Poached Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb with Crème Fraiche Custard, and Rhubarb and Ginger Sorbet. Much as it pains me to say it, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb is the best. Growing inside, in the dark, its sugars can all stay concentrated within the plant and it is precisely this that makes it noticeably sweeter than its outdoor-reared cousin. Absent of sunlight, the plant also makes markedly less [green] chlorophyll, and Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb is prized for its stunning, vibrant pink colour that, seeing it on my plate, I couldn’t disagree with.
Chef had chosen to treat us to miniscule (read: small but mighty!) cubes of raw Rhubarb that pinged insanely over the tongue, slender sticks of the skilfully poached fruit, and in a characteristically pink Rhubarb and Ginger Sorbet. All variants were glorious and full-throttle in their Rhubarbyness- you know what I mean, even if it isn’t a word (it should be, though!), and His Nibs and I were grinning maniacally as we savoured each mouthful. The combination of Rhubarb and Custard is etched on our collective British psyche, and the custard here came in an amazing [Bain Marie-produced] form that contained sharp, zingy Crème Fraiche. The addition of Crème Fraiche seemed to only, curiously, enhance the sharper facet within the Rhubarb, and its coolness was balanced by the warming effect of slivers of Stem Ginger that decorated the dessert. Without wanting to diminish the dazzling previous courses, I think that this could possibly count as ‘saving the best until last’.
Sitting back in our chairs, The Man and I felt contentedly replete; when food is of this ridiculously high standard, you don’t need much of it – think quality over quality, always. For me, this is the biggest mis-conception people have when it comes to fine dining; my Daddy Bird (God bless him), seemed to be stuck in the 1980’s rut of microscopic ‘haute cuisine’, tarring tasting menus with the same brush and thinking he’d go away still hungry. This most certainly isn’t the case at all; a tasting menu packs a protein punch, I would say, in 90% of its courses and definitely a high fat content which has a markedly satiating effect.
At a multi-course tasting menu or Chef’s Table, you are paying not only for the ingredients of each dish (which can be limited quantity and/or have intense production methods), you are paying for Chef’s skill, the ambience of the venue, and the levels of service needed to ensure you have a great time. So far, we felt that the offering at Deacon’s Bank provided more than mere ‘value for money’ this was an evening that would live long in our memories…and it wasn’t over yet!
Harrison went to make us black coffees as Chef Leo Harvey presented us with Petit Fours in the form of White Chocolate domes filled with Mango and Passionfruit, and a Grapefruit and Pineapple Pate de Fruits. Deliciously fruity and frisky, these gems provided the perfect final flourish.
Wish as I might, I still haven’t managed to manifest an actual, in-real-life, time-defying DeLorean but, blimey, if ever there was an evening for one to appear, this was it! Hot [diamond-encrusted] Wings definitely awarded to Deacon’s Bank in Chapel-en-le-Frith and its Tasting Menu and Chef’s Table Dining Experience.
To book at table at Deacon’s Bank, call 01298 814811 or visit www.deaconsbank.co.uk and hit the ‘book now’ button, selecting the number of people in your party, and the date and time you want. Deacon’s Bank is closed Monday and Tuesday, open Weds 5pm-10pm, Thurs-Fri Noon-10pm, Saturday Noon-11pm, and Sunday Noon-8pm.
