the goods shed, canterbury

we spent a few days in canterbury earlier this month and, on the advice of a friend, went to the goods shed for a meal. the goods shed, next to canterbury west station, is the home of canterbury’s farmers market plus a café/restaurant which is also open in the evening, which is when we visited.

the various stalls were obviously closed and covered in preparation for the next day which contributed to an almost magical, slightly ghostly atmosphere as i walked in. the eating area is slightly raised, lit by candles on the tables and the halogen lights of the open kitchen. carpets hung at the windows and blankets on the walls which, coupled with large electric heaters overhead, kept things cosy and welcoming. as did the gentle hum of chatter, laughter and people enjoying themselves.

the food was fabulous. david’s starter, pheasant and bacon terrine, was a real winner with large chunks of various types of meat interspersed within the coarse terrine. homemade piccalilli added a welcome tartness and i greedily tucked in once my scallops with bean puree and black pudding were finished (it was good, but not as good as that terrine).

when it came to main courses david lucked out again with slow roasted pork belly served with quince and apple. this is my favourite cut of pork and my favourite way to cook it - and it was cooked to perfection with tender tasty meat and crunchy crackling in abundance.

i chose venison, having had a delicious mouthful of venison at konstam the night before. it was lovely and tender and full of flavour, served with chanterelles and puy lentils (which i’d have liked more of rather than the potatoes that also came with the dish).

i decided not to bother with pudding, instead making the decision to steal some of david’s on the basis that every choice he’d made so far had been superb. he chose a treacle tart which he was delighted with but didn’t excite me nearly as much. this was just as well, as i was exceedingly full thanks to the generous portions and i was very glad of the walk back to our hotel.

other meals in canterbury included a christmas party at the abode hotel tavern which was good for pub grub, apart from a tasteless and undercooked pumpkin risotto.

we also stopped off for a few plates of tapas at café mauresque, all of which were excellent. when we are next in canterbury i’d like to try their full menu, washed down by the house rose which is delicious. a portion of their squid and chorizo skewers might also find their way to the table, as we decide what else to order.

and if you do visit canterbury, make the time to explore the cathedral which is truly stunning.

the goods shed

station road west, canterbury ct2 8an

telephone: 01227 459153

café mauresque

8 butchery lane, canterbury, ct1 2jr

telephone: 01227 464 300

www.cafemauresque.com

Comments

[Hippolyra]

My parents live close to canterbury and we often go there, but never eat as it is only a 30 min drive. I am going to have to buy my mother lunch next time I am home and we go shopping.

Did you find the cookshop I told you about?

H

[abby]

you should definitely try it hippolyra, i'd be interested to know what you think.

as for cookshops - we popped into the lakeland store, was that where you were thinking of?

[Pieter Boonzaier (MCIL)]

On the recommendation of my good friend, Philip Carter, I decided to celebrate my 33rd wedding anniversary at the Goods Shed, and was I pleasantly surprised. It was one of the coldest nights that I have ever experienced in the UK (minus 7, I believe) but the atmosphere and food warmed the cockles of my heart. I liked the spacious setup, and what really impressed me was the fact that there was no background music, which meant that my wife and I could have a conversation without having to raise our voices to be heard by our neighbours. The tables were spaced adequately, and the rustic ambience perfected the atmosphere. The home-made bread was a good appetiser, as was the local ale. The scallops starter was superb - served exactly the way I like it, not overcooked, and smacking of the sea. My wife's hake was excellent - succulent and tender, and my rib-eye steak was perfect to the last bit. The Goods Shed has definitely not seen the last of me, and I can recommend it to anyone!!

[abby]

pieter - you have made me want to go back to the goods shed! your evening sounds wonderful and reminds me of what a lovely time we had there.