Events
Festive 3 course menu 45 per person
Optional: Arrive with oysters and Champagne
Carlingford rock oysters 4.5 each
West Mersea oysters 3.75 each
La Tordera Saomi Prosecco di Treviso Brut 7.5
Pol Roger Reserve Brut 14.5
To start
Caldo verde soup (ve) with option to add chorizo
Smoked salmon, dill pancake, horseradish, fennel, orange salad
Rabbit terrine, apple, pear, fig, pistachio, savory ice cream and toast
Seared scallops, nori tartlet and trout roe
To follow
Free range Norfolk turkey, trimmings, pigs-in-blankets, chestnut, bacon, cranberry stuffing, gravy
Pan-fried whole lemon sole, winter vegetables, capers, Pol Roger butter sauce
Roasted aubergine, crushed chickpeas, vegan herb yoghurt, pistachio, red cabbage and coriander slaw (ve)
Braised venison, cauliflower nutmeg purée, cavolo nero, wild mushroom jus
Fillet of beef, shoe string fries, bone marrow and port peppercorn sauce (+9 supplement)
Dessert
Christmas pudding, brandy clotted cream
Cinnamon and clove spiced apple, pear and cranberry crumble, custard
Dark chocolate and orange tart, vanilla ice cream
Vegan raspberry cheesecake (ve)
Add a 4th course for 7 per person
Colston basset stilton, Keen’s cheddar, Winchester, Driftwood, quince paste, figs, Thomas Fudge biscuits
To finish
Mince pies, coffee, tea
Christmas Day 5 course menu 99 per person
Arrive to
A glass of Pol Roger Reserve Brut
To start
Caldo verde soup (ve) with option to add chorizo
Sloe gin cured salmon, dill pancake, horseradish, fennel, orange
Crab and ricotta tortellini, squid ink sauce
Duck liver and foie gras parfait, plum and apple chutney, bread
Palate cleanser
Lemon sorbet
To follow
Free range Norfolk turkey, pigs in blanket, chestnut, bacon and cranberry stuffing, gravy
Pan-fried sea bass, clams, salsify, spinach, lobster bisque
Beef Wellington, wild mushrooms, prosciutto, Jerusalem artichoke puree, port and lardon jus
Vegan spiced root vegetable pithivier, rainbow chard and Bordeaux red wine gravy (ve)
All served with goose fat potatoes, parsnips, carrots, brussels sprouts, chestnuts
Dessert
Christmas pudding, brandy clotted cream
Cinnamon and clove spiced apple, pear and cranberry crumble, custard
Dark chocolate fondant, dulce de leche, vanilla ice cream
Vegan raspberry cheesecake (ve)
Cheese
British cheese board with Colston Basset Stilton, Keen’s cheddar, Winchester, Driftwood quince paste, figs, Thomas Fudge biscuits
To finish
Mince pie, chocolate truffles, coffee, tea
Love is Blind
Last Valentine's Day we raised £5000 for Guide Dogs UK. The event involved a blind tasting experience developed by guide dog owner Dave Kent and our head chef Helder Goncalves.
The experiential dinner was designed to raise awareness of the lived experience of blind and partially sighted people. It involved a blind tasting of elements of the three course menu using visual deprivation masks; customers were invited to guess objects by only using their hands; there was an awareness raising quiz to include facts about guide dogs, and the blind and partially sighted community; and simulation glasses to replicate common eye conditions were available for guests to try on.
The event was inspired by Dave Kent – a loyal local of The Andover Arms who is a guide dog user. Commenting on the upcoming event, Dave said: “The Andover Arms has been my local for nearly 40 years. It has gained a special place in my heart.
“As a totally blind person, I’ve been supported by a guide dog as my principal means of mobility for nearly 45 years. The Andover Arms has always been a stalwart supporter of Guide Dogs. Over the years we’ve raised many thousands of pounds for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. As a full-time member of Guide Dogs staff, I witness every day the life changing experience enjoyed by the vision impaired people we support throughout the United Kingdom."
“I sincerely hope people will take away from the Love is Blind evening a deeper and more considered appreciation of their remaining senses and how being deprived of sight might have an impact. The sense of smell, taste and hearing are the mainstays for someone who is blind to perceive and interpret their surroundings. The opportunity to experience an event without sight is designed to be thought-provoking and, most of all, fun.”
Suzanne Posthumus, publican of The Andover Arms, said: “I am really pleased we were able to hold this event to raise money and awareness for a cause that’s close to our community’s heart. Dave, and his guide dog Faldo, are firm friends with the team and our customers. His passion for Guide Dogs is inspiring – so it was clear to me we needed to do our part to help the charity with its life-changing work.”
Photo credit: Annabel Moeller and Ray Murphy
