Last night we were invited to the menu relaunch of Somer Dining, one of the restaurants in Keysham’s Chocolate Quarter.
The Chocolate Quarter takes its name from the Cadbury factory founded by Cecil Fry in 1922. The red brick building where Curly Wurly chocolate bars used to be manufactured has been preserved but now hosts a mix of restaurants, shops, swimming pool and assisted living apartments for retired people run by St Monica Trust.
The project is an interesting concept as the facilities are open to the residents as well as general public.
We’ve dined at the delicious B Block pizzeria before but have never visited its sister restaurant, Somer Dining.
The establishment is the brain child of Bristol chef Chris Wickes and Adrian Kirikmaa, founder of the School of Food. Josh Eggleton from the Michelin star restaurant Pony & Trip also assisted the pair to come up with the concept.
The restaurant boasts an open kitchen where you can see a team of cooks in action preparing modern British dishes full of refinement.
Chris explained how taste is the last thing you lose as you grow older, and how enjoyable trying new food can be for older people. When creating dishes, the head chef and his team have to think a lot about texture and flavours to adapt to all palates.
For the press night the sample menu comprised of 13 taster treats including beef, quail’s egg, and wasabi, coq au vin pie, duck breast, leg and beetroot, pea, mint & ox tongue and mini burger slider.
As a pescatarian and vegetarian, we really enjoyed the artichoke, Bath blue and black garlic, crab cake with curried mayo, watercress and pickle, smoked salmon and cream cheese macaroon, duck egg, leek and nasturtium and the gin, mint, and cucumber macaroon.
It would be interesting to see what more vegetarian and vegan options the standard menu offers, so there is our excuse to come back soon!
Many thanks to the team at Somer Dining and Plaster PR for having us. As always, all views are our own.
