Alyn Williams & the Cornish Grill at Redhook, 89 Turnmill Street, London EC1M 5QU

Grey Goose and Red grapefruit - a colourful cocktail

Redhook is holding a great Sunday event. They’ve teamed up with Matt Chatfield from The Cornish Grill and every last Sunday of the month they invite one of London’s best chefs to cook their favourite roast lunch. It is a bit like a lunchtime supper club, but not really…

We went along last month when Alyn Williams, who has worked with Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, took control of the Redhook kitchens. Alyn was last seen at The Westbury in Mayfair where he was head chef. Using the finest seafood, meat and vegetables sourced by Matt at the The Cornish Grill Alyn cooked up a storm.

These stunning windows and high ceilings give the dining room an open feel.

You name it, they have it!

Lamp lurked in the corner looking very shady

Tickets were £40 each for three courses, plus coffee and truffles, Grey Goose aperitifs and a never-ending DIY Grey Goose Bloody Mary buffet. There was also a wine matching option on the day for an extra £22. It was great value and a brilliant opportunity to be cooked for by such a top chef. Redhook itself is a bit gastropubby but with an American feel. High ceilings, exposed brickwork and, of course, industrial style lighting. Cosy boothes bar-side and more open seating round the back, it had a very homely feel, helped by the mismatched furniture and books. Being right slap bang outside the entrance to the unfinished Farringdon station Redhook will be chock-a-block once the building work is completed.

DIY bloody Marys. Dangerous, Intoxicating and Y not have another one!

We got stuck into the DIY bloody Marys straight away, despite not being huge fans of them, we liked the DIY element. There was a barman on hand to advise if needed, or to make it for you if you couldn’t be bothered.

Smooth and sweet...

Curried Crab Pasty? Don't mind if I do © Photo: Paul Winch-Furness / www.paulwf.co.uk

Our starter was Parsnip & honey soup with Curried Crab Pasties. The soup was rich and velvety smooth, its sweetness going especially well with a big chunk of the potato bread. The crab pasties seemed to be the highlight of the meal judging by what we saw on Twitter afterwards, everyone loved the lightly spiced crabmeat and the delicate crumbly pastry.

Perfect roasties and the best crackling Ade's ever had...

Next up was the main event – Phillip Warren’s roasted rare breed pork with Crapaudine beets, roasties, broken swede, January King and cider apple choucroute (all from Keveral farm). The pork was beautifully tender, the roasties perfectly crunchy and we loved the comforting mix of vegetables. Ade loved the crackling and even tried to sneak some from my plate.

Not the prettiest looking dessert...

The portions were the perfect size which meant we weren’t too full for our dessert – Cow’s curd cheesecake, stewed rhubarb, treacle flapjacks. Unfortunately because of my dislike of cheese I missed out on the cheesecake, but the rhubarb and flapjacks were good, perhaps not the prettiest of plates, but good all the same. To finish we had coffee and chocolate truffles, I made up for my lack of dessert with these! Ade said the dessert was the highlight of the meal, the chewy, sticky sweet flapjacks offsetting the sharp rhubarb and still slightly warm churned curd perfectly.

The next chef to take part is top creative chef Carl Clarke, who has just joined Hix Belgravia and is ex Roganic, Belvedere, Café Anglais and The Clarence in Dublin. Last year we sampled his genius cooking at The English Launderette.  This time there will be music too, Asteroids (formerly FC Kahuna) will be on the decks, and there are rumours that Howard Marks will be there also. At the time of writing, he is in Cornwall hunting for the event…

Carl’s Cornish Grill Sunday roast will be served from 12.30pm on Sunday 26 February. Tickets cost £40, wine pairing (4 glasses) is an additional £22, and can be bought here.

Here’s a preview of the menu, check out the Pitt Cue smoked pork fat roast potatoes, you know that will taste stunning…

If like me you feel hungry again about an hour after eating a roast, the wonderful Meatballs at the Quality Chop House is just around the corner, as we walked past on our way to Exmouth Market. I was tempted to pop in, however Ade looked at me in horror that I could possibly eat anything else.

Carl’s Cornish Grill Sunday roast

Grey Goose Bloody Mary buffet

Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the best chef of them all?

Redhook
89 Turnmill Street,
London EC1M 5QU
020 7065 6800

Nearest tube: Farringdon

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Redhook is part of The Rushmore Group which also owns Giant Robot around the corner on Clerkenwell Road, Milk & Honey and The Player in Soho, Danger of Death on Brick Lane and The Clubhouse in Chamonix.