Friends told me that good local produce was at the heart of everything they do at this new and very popular restaurant. I should have known it, as there is a big clue in the name Farm and Table. So three of us went along to have lunch at this unique venue at Wykham Park Farm near Bloxham to see what all the excitement was about.
The Head Chef Pawel grew up on a farm and so is steeped in the tradition of using fresh, local, quality produce with an emphasis on seasonality to deliver imaginative meals which are a treat to the taste buds. Everything is made from scratch and it certainly shows with each dish oozing quality. The food miles are very low and they know the source of every ingredient on the plate. For instance, the Pork, sausages and bacon are from the nearby Paddock Farm.
The beef and lamb comes from the next door Wykham Park Farm which also supplies their own homegrown seasonal, organic vegetables as well as cheeses and other delights from their farm shop. Pawel explained that his talented team also bake their own sourdough and bread daily and make all the cakes and desserts. Eggs come from local hens, chorizo, hummus and butter is made in house and they smoke their own salmon and ham.
Banbury is so lucky to have such an ethical food offering on hand serving the finest local produce. I must go back for their Tapas on Friday and Saturday evenings and their Roasts on Sunday.
We started off with the Soup of the Day which was Cauliflower with sourdough bread and it was delicious with the sweet taste of cauliflower coming through.
This was followed by Oyster & Chestnut Mushrooms with Poached eggs, Rocket pesto and Manchego cheese on freshly baked Sourdough. Another delight with a generous serving of mushrooms and the wonderful taste of the fresh eggs.
Next was Chicken Caesar salad with anchovies, soft boiled egg, parmesan cheese, bacon crumbs, and croutons. Everything about this dish was lovely the ingredients were fresh and the anchovies added an oomph without being overpowering.
We then moved on to the Crispy buttermilk chicken breast bap with harissa mayo and hand-cut skinny chips. The chicken was golden and crispy and light in texture and so satisfying without being in any way heavy.
The Cornish Smoked haddock was served in cast iron skillet pan with leek and spinach gratin and garlic bread. You could almost taste the Cornish sea.
The Farm and Table cheeseburger in a brioche bun with smoky chipotle relish and hand-cut skinny chips was the best burger I had ever tasted and the longhorn beef and fresh brioche bun were memorable.
Ploughmans Board, Paddock Farm pork pie, home smoked ham, vintage cheddar, home made piccalilli, scotch egg, sourdough was the teams favourite.
Farm and Table at
Wykham Park Farm, Banbury, OX16 9UP 01295 256500
Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat: 9am to 4pm
Fri & Sat Evenings: 6pm to10pm
Sun: 9.30pm to 5pm Mon: Closed
