Bite Autumn 2012

NATASHA YEXLEY SAMPLES THE FOOD AND TAKES IN THE ATMOSPHERE AT POP-UP PUB,THE CALF ATWESTFIELD STRATFORD DURINGTHE OLYMPICS GAMES. THECALF -WESTFI

T he Calf is the first pop-up pub in London and was launched this summer in Westfield offering a new experience for Stratford. It was a great stop off for people heading to the Olympic Park Stadium and allowed people to soak up the London 2012 atmosphere. The Calf, which is a smaller sister site of the permanent Geronimo pub at Westfield Stratford, The Cow is warm and exciting at the same time. I arrived at the venue and immediately liked the look of it from the outside with its wooden exterior; it was as if I was walking into a huge barn. There was a cathedral- like space with tables and comfy sofas throughout. I loved the very high ceilings with the beams and the beehive lights hanging down.There was a big outside area with chairs and tables if you fancied sitting away from it all. As usual, I was looking forward to seeing what delights the menu had to offer. It mainly consisted of ‘picky bits’ and tasty things to share which was fine by me. For example, there were small plates, sandwiches with a side salad, plates, boards, grocer and fishmonger and of course pudding! From the ‘small plates’ section I opted for king prawns with garlic and chilli. The prawns were meaty and very tasty.The other starter I chose were sardines with garlic toast and rocket salad which again was very delicious and full of flavour. For the mains, I decided to choose from the ‘boards’ section and selected ‘Butcher’ and ‘Fishmonger’ to share. I love being able

to taste a bit of everything so this was definitely the way forward. The ‘Butcher’ consisted of salt beef, griddled lemon and rosemary chicken, shaved cured ham, Napoli salami, cornichons, mustard and toast. What a great combination and it was all scrumptious and flavoursome. The ‘ Fishmonger’ boasted pickled octopus, crab mayonnaise, mackerel pate, oysters and toast. Again, it tasted fresh and was full of flavour, and the toast obviously accompanied the pate and crab perfectly. To top it off nicely, there was still a small space left for dessert! I decided to try the banana and white chocolate cheesecake and crepes and ice cream which ended the food fest perfectly. There was an all-round pleasant atmosphere in the venue and people were cheering as the Olympics were on in the background.There was also a medals chart

on the wall for the British athletes, which was a nice touch. The cow related words on the wall were also very fitting such as ‘ mooito’ and ‘spirit cowlection’ - you’ve got to love a bit of that! On the topic of cocktails, they have some classics to offer and some of them were served in milk bottles which was rather apt. Simplicity is a key part of The Calf’s design, with rustic stacking boxes behind the reconditioned bars displaying bottles of wine, champagne, vintage milk churns and pottery. Many tables were placed onto kegs to complete the ‘mountain barn’ look. The venue has the capacity of up to 250 people offering fresh British produce, real ales, selection of wines and an extensive cocktail list so it’s perfect for any occasion. If you happen to be ‘mooching’ about in the area, don’t forget to check it out! www.geronimo-inns.co.uk/thecalfwestfield