Matt Gillan’s Heritage at The Chequers, Slaugham, West Sussex

By TESS DE KLERK

A fter stumbling upon Th e Chequers in the picturesque village of Slaugham towards the end of 2018, Chef Director Matt Gillan decided that the charming Edwardian property was the ideal location for his fl agship restaurant. Matt has enjoyed a lauded career thus far and was original- My grilled huss with madras crust was cooked to perly the man behind South Lodge’s Th e Pass, which earned fection, light and fl uff y while the crispy caulifl ower hasha Michelin star not long after opening. You may also brown added a a golden crunch and perfect off set to the recognise him from the BBC series, Great British Menu. delicately favoured fi sh. Heritage is the culmination of Matt’s many years of Small in size but huge on fl avour, the braised lamb shank, experience cooking at the highest level. BBQ leg, savoy cabbage with red cabbage ketchup is a dish

Th e former pub makes for a I’d travel a long way for. Shredded lamb lovely atmosphere where you can Heritage offers peek from the soft centre of the bonenjoy an aperitif at the elegant bar or lounge on the plush sofas in front multi-course tasting bon, the rich gravy is poured at the table to keep the coating crisp, and the of the fi replace before being seated in the rather minimalist restaurant overlooking green pastures. Book one menus… with the choice to pair with soused vegetables and red cabbage add fl ashes of brightness to an otherwise deep and resonant dish. of the fi ve boutique upstairs rooms to fully emerge yourself in the charming village experience. great wines or creative cocktails It was Coco Chanel who advised women to remove one accessory before leaving the house, a maxim I wish had

Heritage off ers multi-course tasting been applied to my dessert before it left menus ranging from three to nine courses with the choice the kitchen. Th e vanilla and parsnip mousse with blackberto pair with great wines or creative cocktails. Menus are ry compote and apple sorbet was always going to be slightly seasonal, and focused on produce available from the sur- risky, but the light mousse worked well with mostly vanilla rounding area. and a slight parsnip undertone being quite complimentary.

Our meal started with a creative amuse-bouche of I enjoyed each bite until the near last when I popped the which the tempura oyster was absolutely outstanding! singular blackberry in my mouth only to bite into a mouthComplimentary bites devoured, we moved on to the four ful of vinegar. It was such a shame - the berry horribilis and fi ve course taster menus with dishes of traditional in- completely ruined the dish and nearly all the good memogredients infused with creative twists. Butternut squash tart ries of the meal. Th e unexpected mouthful of vinegar pickwith tarragon emulsion perfectly complimented by ginger led berry was so potent that it shot through my sinuses and ice cream served by our charming and knowledgable server. the taste seemed to linger for a couple of hours. Heritage by Matt Gillan, Th e Chequers, Slaugham, West Sussex RH17 6AQ www.heritage.restaurant