Praise for 1885 The Restaurant in national restaurant guide

1885 The Restaurant – An “unpretentious family-run restaurant”, in converted Victorian cottages overlooking the Pennines – is today celebrating its inclusion in the Harden’s UK Restaurant Guide 2009 (11th edition).

The independent guide, published in association with Rémy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac, is the only guide based on a detailed survey of restaurant-goers across the UK – this year, over 8,000 people took part, together contributing some 85,000 reviews.

1885 The Restaurant is particularly praised for its “warm” and “personal” service and its “consistently fabulous food”.

Nathan and Matthew, Chefs / Proprieters of 1885 The Restaurant said:

“Inclusion in the 2009 edition of Harden’s UK Restaurant Guide is particularly pleasing, because you know that it results from achieving what really matters – pleasing your paying customers.”

Food is a serious concern at 1885 The Restaurant, but dinner is far from solemn. Diane Crabtree reports.

NATHAN and Matthew Evans won't mind me saying they are big, strapping lads.

But unlike most single lads their age, their size isn't down to drinking. The brothers have an insatiable appetite for good food and when they are not creating ambitious dishes in their restaurant, 1885 The Restaurant at Stainland, they can be found eating at the very best Michelin starred restaurants in the country.

The two live, eat and breathe food with such a ferocious passion that everything, including women, have to take second place. But their "sacrifice" and hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. Their cooking is regarded by many as the best to be found in these parts and 1885, which they have owned for eight years, is usually busy, which is mostly down to word of mouth.

Thirty-three-year-old Nathan and 30-year-old Matthew, attended Brooksbank School in Elland and ate out with their parents from an early age. They cut their culinary teeth at prestigious restaurants in London and Yorkshire before joining forces, and say while they get on most of the time, there are sometimes fireworks in the kitchen and the staff disappear and leave them to it.

They put this down to the fact they are both perfectionists, and their cooking is buzzing with bold ideas and, subtly executed, British cuisine mixed with a dollop of French. They are proud of the fact that they never have the same dish on their a-la-carte menu more than once, making their recipes not just original but exciting too.

Nothing is left to chance at 1885 from the cheerful service when you walk through the door, to the fabulous presentation. Care is given to everything, from the home made bread and petits fours, to the great puddings (matched to excellent wines) and good quality vegetables. I particularly like the fact that your table is yours for the evening, so you can relax and take your time. It shows in the calm atmosphere.

I was knocked out by my starter of seared octopus, chilli, pink grapefruit and tarragon, followed by my baked wild salmon in ginger, soy and beetroot with vermicelli noodles and horseradish creme fraiche. My only moan was that while both were light, I would have liked more.

My other half picked two dishes that came in abundance. His starter of quail poached in honey, pickled beetroot, caramelised pistachios and fennel shoots was a meal in itself and so seductive. His main, roast Goosnargh duck with glazed poached pear, chorizo tapenade and duck juices worked beautifully together and the duck just melted in the mouth.

He had three ice creams with brandy snap for dessert, while I had cheese a glass of port. Both were faultless. It's quality food so expect to pay accordingly, as much as £40 a head with wine. There is however an early bird during the week which at £17.95 for three courses and a half bottle of wine each is good value.

The brothers have ambitious plans too. One of them is to open a restaurant with rooms or a boutique hotel. Watch this space....

Ratings
Food 5/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Service 5/5
Value 4/5

Our best ever meal. This place has got a great feel about it, warm and comfortable. The service is friendly and knowledgeable. The meals blew us away, seriously edgy food that delivers. A balance was found between traditional and modern that worked on every dish. We cant wait to go back.

Mr and Mrs Booth

We risked a trip into Yorkshire from God's Country (Lancashire) last night 14 October. It was a excellent choice of venue and everything about the occasion was 10/10. We will return !

Jim

  Neighbourhood Restaurant of the Year 2005 - 06

A great Sunday lunch with all the nice touches of this fantastic restaurant, such as olives and amuse-bouche when you sit down. At £15.95 for three courses, it's excellent value, too, while those who want something a little different can pick off the main menu. The place is family-run, and it shows, with real attention to detail, friendly and efficient service, and top-class ingredients that are home-grown or sourced locally. You can't beat it.

Rebekah Drur
Huddersfield

Nominated New-comer Restaurant of the Year 2003 - 04

Fine Dining Restaurant of West Yorkshire 2003 - 04

Date to Remember

The year 1885 was a momentous one. Gladstone 's government fell and Lord Salisbury became Prime Minister; Louis Pasteur developed the rabies vaccine, and Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado opened in London . A long-distance telephone line opened between London and Brighton,, the first in the UK , and it was also the year in which Gottleib Daimler invented the internal combustion engine, which in the following year powered the first motor vehicle.

Less momentous, but to some of no less importance, a house was built in Stainland, near Halifax . As no-one could have ever envisaged the impact some of that year's happenings would have on future generations, particularly the car and the telephone, the first occupants of the house would hardly have believed that 119 years later their home would be one of the county's most delightful restaurants.

If you aren't familiar with Stainland and the surrounding countryside then I suggest you take a good map. I thought I knew it and I got lost twice, though more because someone had removed the signs in Outlane - well that's my excuse. Still, in my search for the restaurant I did see some stunning landscapes, and was reminded of the steepness of the Pennine hills.

Having found Stainland, I then couldn't find the restaurant and ended up down a steep hill in Holywell Green. The restaurant is tucked discreetly behind a public house, so I didn't feel so silly. The fact that several guests arrived as flustered, after me, made me feel much better.

It's very much a family affair at 1885, The Restaurant. Julia Evans greets the diners while brothers Nathan and Matthew are busy in the kitchen. Both are extremely accomplished chefs who cut their culinary teeth at Yorkshire Life favourites Mustard and Punch, and The Three Acres. Nathan spent a period at sea, cooking on board liners such as the Aurora and Oriana, whilst Matthew preferred cooking at the prestigious Auberge du Lac, in London . Now they are side by side at the stove (with mum Julia able to keep a close eye on them, no doubt).

Our luncheon menu was excellent, and very extensive. I can assure you that I enjoyed every last morsel and forgave the fact - it feels like a sin to even contemplate criticising - that my Lemon Sole and Foie Gras terrine was a bit salty.

Everything had been meticulously chosen, precisely balanced in texture and taste, superbly presented and executed. Apart from the heavy hand with the salt in the terrine the whole meal was exemplary. The wines from Taste Fine Wines and Hallgarten were some of the best I have tasted in quite some time and scrupulously matched to the complex dishes.

Foe excellence in flavour, for me the Cappuccino of Vichyssoise took the star prize. The delicate flavour of the chilled soup and the subtlety of the tortellini were divine, and the seductive aroma and flavour of the truffles lingered tantalisingly with me throughout the rest of the meal. For charm, the Pain D'Espice cheekily married with the 'bacon and egg' was only surpassed in daring by the addition of the HP sauce.

Surprise came from the almost gamey flavour of the lamb, which I think was coming through from the haggis beneath it. I'm not sure what Robert Burns would have made of adding mint to the haggis, but it worked for me - I loved it.

A prize for decadence has to go to dessert and the copious amounts of chocolate. A consolation prize must also go to the cheese. It was a stunning piece of cheese, but seemed to get overlooked as it appeared a little late in the day.

The restaurant's lovely front of house staff deserved a massive round of applause. The girls had the brightest of smiles, and the whole team was thoroughly delightful. Service was efficient without being the least bit overbearing. With the wealth of talent in both the kitchen and front of house, Julia is doing a good job in building her team.

As the year 1885 has left its mark on the world, then there is no doubt in my mind that 1885, The Restaurant is making its mark on the dining scene in Yorkshire today.

Food as magical as the Harry Potter novel

Mullioned windows. relaxed mood, open fires, outstanding service. I could get used to this.

A family of perfectionists runs the 1885 restaurant at Stainland. Maybe they even organised the decorative flurry of light snowflakes falling past the well-proportioned Victorian cottage windows as we were shown to an elegant, linen-dressed table.

This was certainly the icing on a cake which was already brilliantly frosted. From chef's tiny 'amuse guelle,' a balsamic vinegar flavoured tuna with pomegranate seeds, served while you wait in the snug, there is nothing left to chance. Julia Evans, whose sons Nathan and Matthew are the chefs at 1885, creates an air of relaxation with her sophisticated 'front of house' and bar management style.

Nathan, who trained at Hilton hotels and on Cunard liners, has cooked for members of the royal family on his journeys across the seas. Matthew also began his career in top Yorkshire hotels and then at the London, Michelin-starred Auberge Du 'Lac. Both Evans brothers enjoy planning menus and sourcing fresh seasonal ingredients, but Matthew tends to make the starters and mains, while Nathan specialises on sweets. They like to cook everything in their own kitchens and always bake bread and make their own ice cream.

For a sea-food lover, the mussels in white wine with cream, garlic, shallots and parsley rivalled any I've tasted, and my smoked mackerel and citrus salad with crunchy fennel and pomegranate dressing was sharp, savoury and exciting. There are adventurous vegetarian choices. Especially noteworthy were the distinctive flavours in a snowpea and wild mushroom with mint risotto. Fresh Parmesan was one of its secrets. "Organic" Sam Smith's Yorkshire Bitter made a decent tipple for mussels and fungi. Sweetly sautéed shitake mushrooms with seared pork loin on a well-designed red cabbage bed, sauced with roast garlic and mustard was sensational with a golden, fruity Sancerre, available in half bottles. With wonderful home made breads on hand, it was hard to resist the cheese, dipping into a shared plate of hand-made Picos from the Europa region of Spain, English Webster's Blue Stilton from Melton Mowbray, Corsican Fleur de Maquis, rich, silky and coated in fresh rosemary. French Pied D'Angloys is a soft slightly fruity variety and with English Hereford Hop, rich and buttery, plus Yorkshire Emmerdale we were spoiled for choice.

A meal for two with beer, wine and a coffee came to £61.60.

Oh brother, what a meal

ASK some sons to make beans on toast and you'll spend ages trying to scoop the burned beans out of the toaster.

But Julia Evans is a lucky woman. She's teamed up with her two strapping lads to run a family restaurant ... and they cook dishes most people can't even pronounce.

1885 - tucked away off the main road in the middle of Stainland - is a cosy restaurant named after the year the building was built.

Julia marshalls the operation front of house while her two sons, Nathan, 27, and 25-year-old Matthew, let their imaginations and considerable culinary skills run riot in the kitchen. And they've every right to. After all, it's their place and they've more than served their apprenticeship. Nathan has cooked on top cruise liners and for the Queen, while Matthew has worked at a posh Michelin restaurant in London.

The atmosphere at 1885 is predominantly rustic, complete with well-weathered bricks and exposed beams, but modern art on the walls hints that heritage and tradition can only be taken so far.

And that's certainly true of the food. It's a vibrant menu and there's hardly anything on it you're likely to have at home ... unless it's a stately one. When we went, starters ranged from airborne fare such as partridge and pigeon to sea favourites tuna and scallops. The mains offered venison, beef, partridge, duck, rabbit, salmon and oven roast cod.

For a starter, it was impossible to resist the mussels cooked in garlic, shallots, white wine and cream. One or two of the mussels weren't "at home" when I delved into the shells, but who cares when you get a mountain of the things. To describe the sauce as delicious would be to undervalue the word. And it took two side dishes to remove the debris. That's some going. Ruth opted for the roast onion and feta cheese tart, coriander onions and mustard dressing, a choice she did not regret for a second. The roast fillet of Angus beef with cep infused crispy polenta, confit shallots and jus tarragon was a mouthful to say and certainly promised more than a mouthful to eat. Ruth went for the sautéed salmon fillet with horseradish potatoes, caramelised chicory and chive foam.

Now presentation at 1885 is clearly ranked at the top of the chefs' list of "things to do." The beef came out sitting proudly on top of the polenta with the jus dotted on the plate with all the care of an architectural artist. Indeed, it looked a work of art and the waitress gently laid it on the table with all the loving care you would lavish on putting a sleeping baby back in its crib. Sadly, when she'd just about finished this delicate handling operation, she somehow caught the top of the beef, knocking it off its polenta and turning it over. It was the kind of accident that could happen to anyone, but the poor waitress couldn't apologise enough. Not to worry. We could rebuild Angus and did so quickly by flipping him over and restoring him on his polenta plinth. No harm done.

I could have managed a portion of beef double the size that arrived. I'd asked for medium and it was, quite possibly, the most tender piece of beef I'd ever eaten. Gravy would have spoiled it and, for me, that's saying something. It just left me wanting more. Now call me a Philistine - perhaps I am - but horseradish and beef goes together like, well, a horse and carriage. I inquired about the possibility of some of the white stuff from the waitress. She returned from her quest moments later with terrible news.

"I know this sounds awful," she said. "But we haven't got any left. I'm so sorry."

I felt her sorrow, but then had visions during the rest of the meal of the chefs erupting in some apoplectic fury at the request. Or possibly they had just simply run out.

Ruth's salmon was a bit bigger than the beef portion, equally a delicacy and ranked around nine on a scale of one to 10. It was, undeniably, cooked to perfection. Ruth tends to be a white wine fan, so we choose a bottle of Californian River Crest at £10.95. It claimed to be medium and smooth and did exactly what it said on the label.

The vegetables had clearly been given the same reverence as the meat and fish. Turnip mashed to a glorious pulp, glazed carrots and a mixture of cabbage and onion along with roasted parsnips and potatoes.

Fruit played a major role in the pudding selection, so we both jumped at the chance at the dark chocolate marqui with crème de menthe ice cream and chocolate oil. The chocolate still had a bitter edge to it and had the constituency of a thick mud pie. We revelled in its richness and the crème de menthe added a touch of refreshment to the proceedings.

And so it was a night to remember. I only hope the missus doesn't get too used to it.

I'd like to tell you that the name of Nathan Evan's moorland establishment commemorates a momentous occasion, but the boring truth is, 1885 is the year the place was built. More imagination and flair, however, was evident in the cooking. Dishes were superbly presented, portions generous, flavours distinctive and cost reasonable. Unfeasibly large king scallops and a well judged, though potentially disastrous pan-flashed sea bass with curried mussels were superb. Curiously titled sweetshop terrine was satisfyingly sticky and wine belied its "house" status with a sublime, honeyed finish. Definitely a year to remember.

Would you ever order "sweet cherry and aged balsamic vinegar jelly with Elysium black muscat sherbert” from a pudding menu?

Would you tell your psychiatrist? Someone must because it's on the menu at this restaurant run by chef brothers Nathan and Matthew Evans, in a small village above Halifax. Out of curiosity, I asked for it - to be presented with a bouncy, burgundy-coloured mound, the shape and texture (I imagine) of a breast implant. Who'd create a pudding that looks wayward, sounds perverse and tastes like - yummy! - sugared vinegar? Probably the same fevered imagination that dreamed up the equally mind-boggling starter of "sun-dried tomato-battered black pudding with jungle leaves" on the carte. Which is to say probably not the chefs here. At least one hopes not, or the men in white coats will soon be speeding to this converted Victorian cottage overlooking playing fields and, beyond, the Pennines.

The Evans brothers trained at different times with Hilton then worked, among other places, at the Three Acres, Shelley, before going their separate ways. Nathan cooked on cruise liners while Matthew had a spell at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Nothing too outré there.

At first you wonder if these surreal constructions might be ironic - a sideways, retro take on nouvelle cuisine. After all, the pudding menu also contains "gazpacho of Indian red pear, passion fruit sorbet". But it's probably just young chefs being young chefs, for most of the menu (modern English with Thai and Mediterranean touches) reads quite sensibly (mussels in white wine and cream; roast fillet of Angus beef, caramelised shallots; marinated monkfish, sauce bouillabaisse) and most of the cooking is accomplished and some of it splendid.

Knowing, perhaps, that Italian chefs like to pep up fresh fruit with balsamico and that it can achieve an unctuous sweetness after years in cask, the boys here may have believed that jelly was a logical step. But enough of that because the implants may have gone on the new menu (it changes monthly) and, as I say, when discipline takes hold all can go swimmingly. Which brings us aptly to a starter of scallops that was not only neatly conceived, with a few sweet turmeric-aromatised onions and a mound of lentils infused with Thai spices, but well executed.

The pan-fried king scallops were lovely: fresh, sweet, immaculately timed. And it was encouraging to see a colourful, well-built terrine, this one of salmon and monkfish, cleanly flavoured and brightly presented with asparagus and saffron aioli. Among main courses, balsamic surfaces again to more telling effect in a fillet of Irish salmon with black pasta, sherry, garlic and tarragon sauce. This is a good dish; crisp-skinned salmon cooked beautifully, pasta à point, fresh tasting, well-balanced sauce.

They cook cracking vegetables, subtle notes of chilli and garlic enhancing rather than annihilating the sugar snaps, broccoli and green beans. New potatoes arrive serenely unadorned.

The setting for all this is an immaculate dining room, low ceiling, low lights, handsomely dressed tables and service by a courteous team of young women. Peripherals are civilised, too. A jug of water sits on the table, though it hardly needs the lemon slice and the homemade bread arrives in several varieties and is of high class. Greater variety between £12 - £18 on the wine list would not come amiss. Clearly talent is at work here. With a touch more culinary self-restraint, a little more evidence of the winning simplicity of some starters, this should become a classy enterprise.