Sometimes, I could cheerfully wang technology out of the window! Thanks to its ‘brilliance’, the invite extended to His Nibs and I to visit Tom Lawson at The Psalter in Sheffield got lost for months!! In the end, however, we got there, sighing happily as we parked in one of the on-site spots. As well as providing 20 rooms of accommodation (4 of which are dog-friendly), there is now a [rather swanky] fine-dining restaurant at The Psalter that had gained Michelin recommendation after a mere five months of being open!
The Man at the helm of it all is a certain Mr Tom Lawson, previously Chef Patron at renowned Sheffield restaurant, Rafters, which he took to 3 AA Rosette level. Needless to say, we were looking forward to sampling the efforts of him (Chef Patron) and his Head Chef, Gaz. Given that The Psalter is a large venue, it came as no surprise that there are several areas to eat and drink in: there’s a lounge bar for hotel guests to breakfast in and enjoy a relaxed drink, the main bar area, and the a la carte restaurant that we were sat in. FYI, the kitchen pass is located right at one end of the bar, so you can get a ring-side (or should I say bar-side?!) seat of all the action as it happens as you’re sipping…bet you succumb and order something though!
Throughout, the décor is delightful, but, in the restaurant, it is a cut-above! A striking interior of powerfully contrasting, super-dark Blue and Red/Brown Ochre; now, this was already magnificent, but why stop there?! Pair this palate with a textural wallpaper that features Peacocks and Oriental foliage and you have something jolly special. These rich colours carry through to the upholstery of the high-backed chairs, with floor lamps and subtle lights providing a cosy, warm-toned level of illumination that enrich the colour of the wood floor and tables.
Having checked us in and seated us, our server for the evening, [restaurant manager] Leala, offered table water as she took our drinks order – both of us opted for a glass of New Zealand Sauv Blanc, the perfect tipple for a warm evening. Alongside the varied choice of wines, Psalter also offers a great range of cocktails, lagers, ciders and spirits, as well as softs.
Kicking off the evening, Chef had prepared a little Amuse Bouche: Tunworth Cheese (a British Camembert) and Fig Jam Tartlet. The impossibly fine, flute-edge pastry case was crisp to the bite and was filled with a base of sticky, fragrant Fig Jam and topped with the warmed Tunworth Camembert. Subtle, the pairing of the creamy, nutty cheese and sweet fruit jam was just the ticket to get the juices flowing.
Next up, we were served a mini loaf of freshly in-house baked Japanese Milk Bread topped with Sheffield Honey and Sea Salt, and a quenelle of Marmite Butter. Yes, I know, Marmite really is a love-it-or-loathe-it, beyond-umami spread and I actually love it in its raw form but, here, it was surprisingly gentle. His Nibs is in the wussy ‘I don’t like it’ camp, and even he said that it was delicious, spread on the enriched dough-based bread. I think the Honey’s sweetness tempered the savoury tang somewhat, though, which is perhaps why he wasn’t violently against trying it. Again, this really piqued the palate’s curiosity, and we were heartily looking forward to seeing Tom and Gaz’s flair over the evening.
Our first course ‘proper’ was Chalk Streak Trout Pastrami with Horseradish, Cucumber and Cream Cheese (my choice), and Honey-glazed Pork Cheek with Kohlrabi, Apple and Mustard (The Man’s order). Leala served our dishes from the tray her colleague held and, having placed the plates down, turned to retrieve the boats of sauce that would provide the final flourish. For my dish, there was a brightly verdant Herb Oil to be drizzled over, and The Man Birds’ meat had an accompanying gravy that glistened lusciously as it trickled over. You can’t beat a bit of table theatre…and it wasn’t to be the last, either.
The pale rose hint of the sliced Trout fillets looked so pretty and its flavour was just as delightful, my mouth soon full of a clean, savoury taste that was somewhere on the scale between subtle fish and the classic flavour of cured meat. Micro pickles and Mustard Seeds gave a smashing zip in the mouth, balancing the Trout’s Omega-3 oil content, and a bold crunch came via the dramatically dark Sesame Seed thins. His Nibs was thrilled with his Pig Cheek, and it was a fairly sizeable one, so he got stuck in without any ado. The soft fibres literally melted in the mouth, releasing their deep flavour, and they were paired superbly with crisp, tart Apple that had been sliced wafer-thin. More texture came in the guise of ribbons of pickled Kohlrabi, and a waft of warmth from Mustard tip-toed in at the periphery very respectfully. Both starters had been a total joy to savour, and we bounced with excitement at the thought of our mains.
Before the mains, though, came the optional course (£15 supplement) of Chef Patron Tom Lawson’s signature dish: ‘Cauliflower Cheese, not like Grandma B’s’. This marvellous morsel comes with a twine-tied scroll that gives you the background of how this came into being. I won’t spoil it for you, as it is a lovely, heart-warming and simultaneously funny tale, and gives reverence and respect to Grandma B.
What I will tell you is that this isn’t Cauliflower Cheese as you know it, oh no! The vegetable is served on a faded-floral plate (a la Granny) and presented in a trio of costumes: Pickled, Pureed and Roasted, and each one is superb. We both remarked on the fantastic variety of tastes and textures here: crunchy, soft, sharp, mellow, sweetly nutty, and umami were all represented, and I loved how it is served as a course in its own right – almost like Michael McIntyre’s ‘secret star of the show’. A gloriously tangy Caper Ketchup brought some welcome bounce to the dish, as did the delicious Cheese Sauce that was poured table-side as a spot of service drama. Speaking of the Cheese Sauce, store this nugget of info. in your noggin: the Black Cow Cheddar in the sauce is made from the milk curds, and then the whey goes on to become Vodka. Weird, but true!
For mains, The Man chose Creedy Carver Duck with Carrot, Anise and Peanut, and I opted for the Wortley Estate Lamb with Harissa, Aubergine and Yoghurt. As Leala was serving up to us, Psalter’s General Manager, Jonathan, came up to say hello and congratulate us on our choice of meals! I tucked in to a thick pair of pink-centred Lamb Loin rounds, and the flavour was absolutely stunning; sweet and earthy, the moist Lamb tantalised my taste buds, partnered with a robustly spicy Harissa-pimped Red Pepper Tapenade. Matching the Tapenade’s audacity was the marvellous richness of the Shoulder meat, fashioned into a cigar shape and wrapped in a thin, super-crisp case. In contrast, Aubergine had been roasted to soften it, comforting in its pillowy texture and creamy-yet-earthy taste. For a real injection of brightness, enter the cool Yoghurt and its uplifting infusion of Mint, skilfully balanced by the sumptuous jus that was poured table-side. This was a jolly good dish, another one worthy of the DeLorean treatment!
You can always tell when The Man is really enjoying a dish, he gets that glazed, ‘doofus’ look on his face; ladies, you’ll know exactly what I mean! Anyway, he was off in his own little world of paradise as he chomped on the stupidly juicy, tender Duck – this was utterly delightful, both in terms of flavour and texture. The pale-toned retained fat had ensured that every inch of the game bird was sublimely moist and silkily rich in the mouth, and contrasted nicely against the blush pink meat. Carrot was presented as pickled ribbons, swirls of sweet purée, and Anise-perfumed halves roasted with Sesame, resulting in complementary (though distinctly different) layers of flavour on the palate. Pan-charred Tenderstem Broccoli combined its own grassy note with the smoky ones, ably assisted by teeny tiny pieces of Peanut and more Sesame. As a final ta-dah, a warming Szechuan Pepper sauce was drizzled over the entire dish before The Man had begun to eat.
Dessert consisted of British Strawberries with Crème Fraiche Mousse, Polenta and Olive Oil for me, and Dark Chocolate Cremeux with Sour Cherry, Rum and Caramelised Pastry for His Nibs. Jon came over to see if we could be tempted to have the Cheese and Port course too but, much as I love Cheese, I knew I hadn’t got room in my tummy for it. As if that wasn’t enough, I had to decline the offer of dessert wine as I had got my beady eye on a Negroni cocktail; being a light-weight, I wouldn’t have been able to have both! Ever the tempter, Jon enquired whether I wanted a regular Negroni or a Raspberry and Cardamom one: obvs I went for the Fruit and Spice zhuzhed one – how lush does it sound? Anyway, back to the food…
The Polenta and Olive Oil had been combined to form a sort of ‘cake sponge’ base, upon which sat an indecently fruity compote of Strawberries, all encased in a teasingly tangy, semi-set Crème Fraiche Mousse. Talk about an expert balance of tastes! The Polenta trimmings had been fashioned into super-fine crumb decoration and also combined with Black Pepper and made into a crunchy Tuille. Crowning the whole was a ruby-hued Sorbet of Strawberry, so my taste buds were in high glee at this combination of temperatures, textures and tastes. Not a particularly complicated dessert, but certainly a cracking one, and a real masterclass in execution and skill.
Everyone knows that Dark Chocolate (well, Choc in general) and Cherry is a match made in gastro heaven and Chef totally pulled it out of the bag with this dessert. This was absolute filth; it had no right whatsoever to be this amazing! The Dark Chocolate Cremeux was wickedly velvety, melting instantly in the mouths’ warmth and, paired with the sharp tartness of Sour Cherry, ran riot over the palate with utter abandon. There was a gently smoky char to the crisp, crunchy Filo pastry, balanced exquisitely by the sugar and Rum used to caramelise it. Again, the thought behind the combination of tastes and textures was foot-perfect – if AA Rosettes aren’t in-coming within the next 12 months (and I’m being generously lax with time here) it would be the shock of the century.
Priced at £65pp for three courses, this is fine dining that is accessible to most people in a stunning setting, without any pretence or snobbery. His Nibs and I sat back and pinched ourselves, scarcely believing our luck at dining in such a fantastic place. Hot Wings very happily awarded to Tom Lawson at The Psalter! Oh, and if you’re interested in a more relaxed ‘pub grub’ setting, Tom also owns the Ladybower Inn at Ladybower.
To book a table at The Psalter call 0114 349 6956 or head to www.psaltersheffield.co.uk and hit the ‘book a table’ tab on the right side of the page. Closed for dinner Mon-Weds, the restaurant opens Thurs 6.30pm-8pm, Fri 6.30pm-8.30pm, Sat Noon-2.30pm and 6.30pm-8pm, and Sun 8.30am-3.45pm.
