I can’t remember the last time that I was truly blown away by a restaurant; or the last time that I messaged my contacts list whilst eating my first mouthful telling them that they needed to book immediately, but the sustainable splendour that is Adam Handling’s first venture outside of London had me doing just that.
The Loch and The Tyne is a restaurant, pub, and rooms in the countryside of Old Windsor with Handling’s commitment to sustainability at the heart. Upon arrival, my guest and I were treated to a glass of Handling’s very own English Sparkling made in the Kent Countryside – crisp, dry, and bubbly it really hit the spot – I could have sunk the bottle!
Our fantastic and knowledgeable waiter explained that after each bottle is used, they’re sent back to the vineyard to be relabelled and reused, further cementing Adam’s commitment and passion about sustainability and zero food-waste and his intention of making this new venture one of the most sustainable pubs in the UK.
Open Wednesday to Sunday and offering everything from snacks, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the décor in the pub is relaxed and cosy with the heavy wooden bar taking prominence. We visited on a winter’s afternoon and although dining early, the restaurant was full by the time we’d finished our ‘snack’ course. The atmosphere was warm with guests enjoying this foodie paradise, and he service was impeccable – our waitress was full of knowledge and little anecdotes, and was only too happy to offer advice.
Adam has named two of his long-standing chef’s as co-chef proprietors – both Steven Kerr, the group executive chef and Jonny McNeil head chef at Adam Handling Chelsea have taken the reins – allowing them to showcase their skills in the time they’ve learnt with Adam (13 and 11 years respectively). And judging by the food and the flurry of customers, it seems to be yet another brilliant move by Handling.
Having read so much about some of his famous dishes, and the creative way in which they’re prepared to bring their true flavour to life, I was thrilled to see the infamous sourdough, chicken butter and cheese doughnuts on the ‘snack’ menu. Beautifully presented, my guest and I were told that no cutlery was needed, and the intention was to dig in and enjoy, which we certainly did. I loved how a usually sweet doughnut could be filled with a creamy cheese to make for a mouth-watering savoury bite served at the beginning of the meal. The sourdough, chicken butter also had the wow factor, which I’ve since searched for online and am thrilled to know it’s available to buy by the jar on the website (*adds to basket).
For starter, I was excited to try the signature ‘mother’ dish inspired by Handling’s own mother after she announced she’d become a vegetarian. It’s become a firm favourite in his London restaurant Frog by Adam Handling. Made with celeriac, truffle, apple and date, this earthy, sweet and savoury dish is hard to explain, but the depth of different flavours was exquisite. My guest opted for the prawn cocktail, reliving some 1970’s nostalgia but, I was told there were unbeatable layers and depth with each bite.
With so much delicious choice on the menu I let my waitress choose my main, which was the baked halibut with kohlrabi, brown shrimp and caviar sauce – it oozed with flavour and was the perfect dish for a winter’s afternoon. My guest opted for one of the ‘classics’ off the menu – the mac and cheese ‘our way.’ Although I was full, I couldn’t resist taking a bite and can confirm it’s the best mac and cheese in existence. Each tube of Macaroni is blowtorched before an airy cheese is filled and poured over the top – there really isn’t anything quite like it.
Throughout the courses our waitress kindly paired the wine for us, all of which are English wines. There is a fine wine menu with much lower margins making them more accessible.
With an outdoor terrace and garden which has been transformed into a winter’s grotto for the colder months, The Loch and The Tyne is the perfect destination for an event, weekend getaway or just for a slice of food heaven. Everything about our experience was above first class and faultless. I cannot wait to return, although next time I do hope to hit the cocktail list and maybe just maybe stumble up to one of the rooms after.
Factbox
Rooms can be booked from £147.
Address: 10 Crimp Hill, Old Windsor, Windsor, SL4 2QY
Phone: 01753 851470
Email: reservations@lochandtyne.com
Website: lochandtyne.com
