“You can’t fake this sort of enthusiasm”: more praise for The Wild Garlic
MASTERCHEF winner Mat Follas’s restaurant in Beaminster has won its second outstanding review in as many months.
The Wild Garlic scored near-perfect marks in the Pro vs Punter section of the influential monthly food magazine Olive, published by the BBC.
Mr Follas’s overall mark of 56 out of a possible 60 beat well-known names such as Richard Corrigan, whose Mayfair restaurant in London scored 48 points, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen near Axminster, which scored 44.
Olive’s professional critic was Gregg Wallace, a judge on the BBC’s MasterChef competition. He was (unsurprisingly) recognised by Mr Follas and his staff, but the former greengrocer turned cookery writer did not let on as to why he was really there.
In the December issue of Olive, he gets off to a bad start by calling Beaminster a “village” but he clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to eating out: “Service is very friendly, as befits a busy neighbourhood restaurant. It has the feeling of a friend’s extended dining room. Staff know their menu, and seem to be enjoying themselves every bit as much as the customers.
“There is something really quite refreshing about being served by people with constant grins on their faces – you can’t fake this sort of enthusiasm.”
His overall verdict: “The Wild Garlic is buzzy and busy, a fun place serving good, honest food.
“The wine list is full of real bargains, too. The food, although well prepared, could be a little smarter. If this was MasterChef I’d say Mat needs to work on his presentation.”
MasterChef winner Mat Follas (left) with judge Gregg Wallace
The second critic, the punter, was Dorset food-lover Jane Colston, who normally eats out once a week, and whose guilty pleasure is Honeybuns’ cakes (made in Holwell near Sherborne). She gives the Beaminster restaurant top marks for food, atmosphere and service.
She wrote: “We left feeling like old friends and valued customers. The Wild Garlic is a comfortable, welcoming and informal place to meet friends and enjoy well cooked, beautifully presented food at very fair prices.”
Mr Follas, who only took up professional cooking when he opened the restaurant six months ago, said he was overwhelmed by the praise.
He went on: “I really had no idea that Gregg was down to do a review, I thought he was visiting just to see how one of the former MasterChef guys was getting along.
“He really never let on. But what can you say? It’s very flattering to get such high scores that you beat some incredible restaurants.
“The great thing is we took a gamble and went for the food I believed in, which is good honest local rustic food. It sounds like a bit of a cliché but it just happens to be the truth.
“And we really didn’t want to go down the full silver service route. We wanted good service but we wanted it in a relaxed atmosphere and I think people enjoy that more.”
The Wild Garlic is based in the old building in the north-west corner of Beaminster Square that used to house Pickwick’s and The Black Cat. It was standing empty before Mr Follas took it over and transformed its fortunes. Beaminster is now gaining more national publicity.
The Olive review comes just weeks after The Guardian’s restaurant critic Matthew Norman awarded the eatery 9.5 out of 10.
He wrote in his Saturday magazine column: “All in all, this was one of the most pleasing meals I’ve eaten in years, served with warmth and expertise by a dramatically moustachioed waiter… Follas is an exceedingly rare talent.
“Nothing the programme could ever accomplish could compensate for unleashing Loyd Grossman on this island but MasterChef should be very proud of itself indeed.”
Notes:
Gregg Wallace’s meal
Starter: Brill and mackerel ceviche with accompanying salad of wild herbs. “The fish was fresh with a nice lemon-citrus tang, although I would have preferred it sliced a little thinner…[the salad] was great – a different taste sensation in every mouthful.”
Main: Sika venison with a rowan and blackberry sauce and smoked mash potato. “[The venison was] well cooked…[rowan and blackberry sauce] delicious…[smoked mashed potato] splendidly original… chunky pieces of carrot and courgette… could easily have been made to look more refined.”
Pudding: Four sticky sweet puddings. “Rich with quality chocolate…a gooey, messy delight…a seriously indulgent mess of cream and berries was also irresistible.”
The bill for four people, including a bottle of Champagne (£40), three bottles of wine (£122), four brandies, and service, came to £295.
Overall mark: 26/30
Jane Colston’s meal
Starter: Goat’s cheese salad. “Prettiest, most flavour packed salad I have ever tasted.”
Main: Fennel, thyme and vine tomato gratin. “Delicious.”
Pudding: Orange and almond cake. “Squidgy and packed with flavour.”
The bill for two people, including two coffees and a bottle of wine, came to £63.
Overall mark: 30/30.
Matthew Norman’s meal
Starter: Pan-fried garlic scallops. “Three plump beauties… the pricing of both food and wine is without chutzpah… came alluringly browned, and with absurdly delicious miso-infused seaweed.”
Main: Sika venison with a rowan and blackberry sauce and smoked mash potato. “[The venison was] sensationally tender and flavoursome…[the mash] fluffy, creamy potato suffused with a hickory, mesquitish twang.”
Pudding: Fresh berry mess. “Magnificent.”
Overall mark: 9.5/10