Chef Alex Bond’s Alchemilla emerged onto the Nottingham dining scene in 2017 with the ambitious transformation of a derelict Victorian coach house. By 2019, the restaurant had secured four AA Rosettes and its first Michelin star – the revered guide calling it ‘inspired, exciting cooking that utilises sustainably sourced ingredients’.
So when it came to inviting a high-achieving neighbour over for Manchester’s Finest’s next Out of Towners supper club event, it was a no-brainer.
For one night only on Tuesday 1 July, Out of Towners is bringing Alex and the Alchemilla team to Groobarbs Field Kitchen in Knutsford. Guests will be treated to seven courses of fermentation-led creations in an idyllic farm-to-table setting, with optional paired wines curated by Berkmann Wine Cellars.
A former disciple of Michelin-lauded, Nottingham-based chef Sat Bains, Adam’s cooking is a masterclass in harmonising different elements of flavour. He sources ingredients from sustainable growers and fishers, then amplifies their natural depth through fermentation, pickling and aging techniques.
In Nottingham, Alchemilla blends the rustic and the minimal, diners eating beneath the red-brick vaulted arches with light wells filtering daylight onto the brick walls.
In pretty stark contrast, Out of Towners will bring Alex and his team out into the country, cooking in the rustic barn on Groobarbs Wild Farm, a setting where the beautiful natural environment will hail the produce on the plate.
The menu will comprise seven-courses, showcasing Alex’s ambitious techniques.
The menu:
Welcome drink
fresh Groobarbs farm produce with Bobby’s Gin.
Carlingford oyster
summer relish ‘22, buttermilk, dill
*Conde Valdemar, Rioja Blanco
Hash brown
truffle curd, chorizo jam, cured pork
Celeriac
sour bread, sour butter
Langoustine
sea buckthorn nam Jim, salted kumquat, fermented fennel
*Conde Valdemar Rioja Rosé
Aged sea bream
caramelised ham cream, langoustine consommé
*Conde Valdemar Rioja Blanco Finca Alto Cantabria
Squab pigeon
apricot, rose, merguez, wedge salad
*Inspiración Valdemar Las Seis Alhajas Graciano
Amylase koji
strawberry, black garlic, sorrel
*Conde Valdemar Rioja Rosé
The wine pairings are all sourced from the Valdemar Family winery, who have been making wine in the Rioja region of Spain for five generations. You’ll find Rioja Rosés and Rioja Blancos on the menu, as well as a Graciano, so you can experience the diversity of flavours from the region.
Valdemar have an innovative and sustainable approach to wine – pioneering processes like barrel fermentation and temperature control – which we think makes them a great fit for this experimental evening. There’s also be a seasonal, gin-based welcome cocktail courtesy of Bobby’s Gin which can be enjoyed while roaming the very grounds its herbs and fruit have been picked from.
Our venue for the evening, Groobarbs Field Kitchen, is the perfect counterpoint to Alchemilla’s underground drama. Just off the A50 between Knutsford and Warrington, David and Rebecca Fryer’s farm-based restaurant grows over 50 vegetable crops year-round in an adjacent market garden.
Guests will dine communally in a restored barn, and are welcome to explore the five-acre garden before or after the meal. This field-to-fork setting celebrates the rhythms of the land as much as it does Alex’s fermentation alchemy.
Out of Towners: Alchemilla
A seven-course tasting menu of fermentation-focused dishes by Michelin-starred Alex Bond.
When: Tuesday 1 July, 6-10pm
Where: Groobarbs Field Kitchen, Mag Lane, High Legh, Knutsford WA16 0AA
Cost: £120 (£155 with wine flight)
(Please note that, due to the collaborative, ingredient-driven nature of the tasting menu, we are unable to accommodate dietary requirements on this occasion).
