The Wheatsheaf, Combe Hay, Bath
16.06.09
The Wheatsheaf at Combe Hay, near Bath, is a country pub with a growing reputation for its food, whether it’s a sandwich and a pint or a gastronomic blow-out with fine wines to match
Having spent his career in restaurants with AA rosettes and Michelin stars, chef Lee Evans is used to working under pressure, but now the heat is really on.
In early 2008, Lee’s cooking at The Wheatsheaf in Combe Hay, near Bath, was given the ultimate seal of approval by the Michelin inspectors.
In the eagerly-anticipated Michelin guide, the pub was named as a ‘Rising Star’, a place tipped to receive a full star in the future.
For the 27-year-old chef, such recognition less than 12 months after he arrived at The Wheatsheaf has come as a surprise and he admits that it has added to the pressure in the kitchen.
“It came out of the blue in that it was so early but it’s what we were aiming for,” says Hereford-born Lee.
“To be honest, we were hoping to get something like this next year so to get now has been a big boost for everybody. Having said that, it does add to the pressure.”
Lee started his career at Castle House in Hereford before moving to Holbeck Ghyll in the Lake District and Peterstone Court in Brecon, Powys. Before arriving at The Wheatsheaf, he worked at the Michelin-starred Bath Priory so he has a slight advantage of knowing a bit about the inspectors and what they’re looking for.
“We’ve had a lot of people from the trade eating here and we seem to be a place where chefs come on their days off so I’ve had a lot of feedback from people who regularly eat in Michelin star places and they’ve all said our food is as good as, if not better than, those places.
“It’s more to do with the expectations - the expectations of the customers, of myself and also the owners of the pub. Whereas last year we didn’t have expectations as such, now that we’ve got the nod from Michelin, the pressure is on to deliver.”
Privately owned by villagers Ian and Adele Barton, The Wheatsheaf opened in 2006. Located in idyllic countryside just 15 minutes from Bath, this impressive 16th century pub with rooms quickly gained a reputation for its food under the original head chef, but Lee has taken it even further.
Much of its success is down to the regularly changing menus, which are dictated by the seasons and local produce rather than fads and fashions, foams and jellies.
Typical dishes on the dinner menu include: ravioli of Cornish crab with gem lettuce and shellfish bisque (£8.50); Combe Hay watercress veloute with soft-poached hens egg (£6.95); fillet of Mendip beef with braised short rib and buttered curly kale (£22); pan-fried hake with duck confit and wild garlic (£17.50) and banana tart tatin with peanut butter ice cream and jam milkshake (£6.50).
As well as the dinner menu, there is a set lunch menu (three courses for £22 and two courses for £18). In the bar, a light lunch menu includes soup, sandwiches and a ploughman’s - all under £10.
“We change the menu regularly, sometimes every day. I was driving to the pub this morning and spotted some wild garlic so I pulled over and picked some. It’s on the menu already.
“We’ve got watercress growing at the bottom of the garden and we’ve got 25 hens laying our eggs next to our new kitchen garden so the possibilities are endless. I want to get some pigs next.
“I just change the menu as the seasons change and when ingredients are at their best we fit them into the menu.
“I have been to a few places recently and there are broad beans and asparagus on the menu in winter. I can’t understand that logic. I know we all use things from abroad like peppers and lemons, but you’ve got to base your menu what grows locally.”
The Wheatsheaf, Combe Hay, Bath. Tel: 01225 833504.
www.wheatsheafcombehay.co.uk
