The Square, Stafford
The Square in Stafford, newly opened just a few weeks ago, is already turning out memorable, superb quality dining.
I went along and enjoyed three expertly cooked plates plus the homemade breads and fantastic amuse bouche we’ve come to expect at this level.
Also open for breakfasts, brunch, lunch or just drinks, I think this all-day cafe, restaurant and bar is a great addition to the Staffordshire food and drink scene.
Read on to find out why I loved it.
THE SQUARE: AN EXCITING NEW ADDITION TO STAFFORD
I must admit, I don’t get down to Stafford as often as I perhaps should.
But, based on what I and my guest ate earlier this week, I think that might be about to change.
Because newly opened this month, is The Square.
Situated in the market square, the impressive, grade II listed building was formerly a bank. More recently, it was home to a branch of Pizza Express which closed when the chain massively scaled back.
Starting a new restaurant would be a massive task at any time. So, to do it during the coronavirus pandemic, with hospitality being tested to its limits, must require nerves of steel.
But Head Chef Brandon Shepherd and his team have pulled off exactly that.
I wouldn’t normally set out to review a venue that’s quite so new. After all, it only seems fair to let things settle down and bed in.
Yet, starved of dining out for much of the last fifteen months or so, I’m afraid I couldn’t resist trying some of the wonderful-looking food that was starting to pop up on my social media.
So other half (ID) and I set off on Wednesday night to give it a go.
INSIDE & MENUS
On arrival, we were taken by friendly staff to our table in the bar area, with its tall ceilings and bold colour scheme.
Beyond were more tables, some with an enticing view of the goings-on in the kitchen.
On our table, besides the a la carte evening menu, were comprehensive drinks menus, including plenty of choice for cocktails and gins.
Inside the a la carte menu, it was good to see a prominent ingredient map showing The Square’s support for British and local producers. (Although Ashbourne, assuming they mean the Derbyshire one, might be surprised to learn it’s somewhere between the Mersey and the Humber).
With six starters (£6.95 – £10.00, two of which appeared to be veggie) and seven main courses (£13.95-£29.95, one veggie), for me there was an excellent choice of dishes.
Extras such as Posh Fries with truffle, thyme and Parmesan (£5), Grilled English Asparagus (£5), or The Square Salad (£4.50) were available too.
BREAD & BUTTER
Complimentary bread and butter arrived shortly after we’d ordered our starters and main courses.
There were two thickly sliced chunks of bread apiece, both looking enormously attractive. The generous quenelle of butter sat, seemingly rather precariously, on a stone.
The breads appeared to be a sourdough and a rye. However, with bread of this quality, which has presumably been made at no small effort, I’d expected our server to tell us what they were.
There being no cutlery on the table at this point, we sat politely waiting for some butter knives to arrive. After several minutes of waiting I decided to ask for some, plus a small bread plate each.
As hoped, the breads turned out to be excellent. The rye was rich and slightly sweet, the white sourdough had a wonderful tang.
The texture of both was robust and chewy without being at all heavy.
I hardly needed the butter, but it was lovely too, with the right amount of saltiness for me.
AMUSE BOUCHE
In the middle of enjoying the bread and butter, our amuse bouche arrived.
This was a wonderfully light and smooth foam of potato with a hint of truffle.
Topped with a punchy oil (wild garlic maybe?) this was a beautifully flavoured and perfectly balanced dish.
Whether the bread was meant to go with it or not, I don’t know. But I used a bit of my sourdough to mop up every trace of the velvety froth.
After such a great start, I was left very eagerly anticipating my starter.
STARTERS
HAM HOCK
As soon as I saw Ham Hock (£7.95) on the menu, there was a fairly good chance I would order it.
One of those cheaper cuts of meat that fell out of favour, but which is becoming popular again, I love its full flavour.
At The Square it was incorporated into what I thought a beautiful dish.
Atop a disc of buttered and glazed ham hock shreds sat a perfectly cooked duck egg.
On that was a very pleasing combination of mild white shimeji mushrooms (lightly pickled?), little pieces of salty Parmesan crisp, plus sweet-tart compressed apple dice and a tangle of micro herbs.
I cut into the duck egg and the yolk delectably sauced the already rich ham hock, taking it to another level.
The garnishes, adding freshness, acidity and contrasting textures, made this another wonderfully balanced dish.
HERITAGE TOMATO
ID’s starter was Heritage Tomato (£7.25).
This was a fresh-looking, summery dish of multicoloured tomatoes, torn mozzarella, tomato consommé and a basil sorbet.
It came scattered with leaves and pretty petals of edible flowers.
Wonderfully light, from the sample I tasted I especially enjoyed that vividly green, intense basil sorbet.
It was a shame that no spoon had been provided, so ID had to ask for one before we could taste the elegantly pale consommé itself. But it was full of pure, fresh tomato flavour.
The last few spoonfuls at the end of the bowl, imbued with hints of the sorbet, dabs of puree and an oil, were sensational. I was glad I’d scrounged a mouthful (or two!).
MAIN COURSES
PORK BELLY
Continuing the piggy theme from my starter, for my main course I chose Staffordshire Pork Belly (£16.95).
Here was another beautifully presented plate that told you there was a huge amount of talent and knowledge in the kitchen.
If you wanted to nit-pick, you might say the pork skin could be more uniformly crackly. But, once I’d asked for a sharper, serrated knife, it was easily cut through with no signs of the chewiness I’d feared.
Beneath, I found tender, perfectly cooked meat, full of juicy, porky flavour. The dark Madeira jus was a suitably rich accompaniment.
While most of my Spring peas (always apt to be variable) were on the hard side, the nicely cooked carrot and carrot puree gave lovely, sweet notes to the dish.
And the buttered poached potatoes were a revelation. Beautifully soft, but lightly caramelized, you’d be forgiven for thinking they were gnocchi.
PLAICE
Not always that common in landlocked Staffordshire, I noted that The Square has a good range of seafood dishes.
And I doubt any fish lover would turn their nose up at ID’s choice of Roasted Brixham Plaice (£16.95).
Attractively topped with Morecambe Bay shrimps and capers, plus sea vegetables including samphire, the fillet of plaice was perfectly cooked.
With zero bones, the fish had also been expertly prepared. A herb butter added to the flavour.
Served separately was a generous portion of Jersey Royal potatoes.
Just like my buttered poached potatoes, these were completely tender and delicious.
Lemon and lots of herbs brought freshness to the earthy potatoes.
DESSERTS
The Square has a short dessert menu of four choices (£6.95 – £10) plus a cheeseboard (£12.50).
LEMON & BLACKBERRY
I went for the modest-sounding Lemon & Olive Oil Cake (£7.95).
But modest it was not. With its bright colours and all the little touches, tastes and textures I’d come to expect by now, this was a stunning pud.
The cake itself was light, moist and utterly full of sweet-tart lemon flavour. Think of the best lemon drizzle cake you’ve ever had. Then times it by a thousand. At least.
On top of that were blobs of sweet, creamy lemon curd, crispy walnuts and lemon zest shards, both candied.
Contrasting with the fresh lemon was dark, inky blackberry. Fat, juicy ones on top of the cake, a sticky sauce, plus an outstanding blackberry sorbet.
CHOCOLATE
Always on the lookout for great chocolate desserts, ID was nevertheless unsure about whether he should get the Chocolate Garden (£10). After all, the menu did say it was ‘great for sharing’.
But, greedy so-and-sos, we don’t really do sharing when it comes to food. So, urged on by me (who, of course, would be happy to assist with any leftovers) Chocolate Garden it was.
And what a great idea that turned out to be.
It was lovely to see the chef, who was presumably responsible for this feat of cooking, bring it out himself.
As well as pouring on the dry ice for a knockout chocolate cocktail, he talked us through the elements that lay behind the deceptively simple phrases on the menu: ‘flavours of chocolate’ and ‘raspberry textures.’
As home cooks, we could only marvel at the work that must have gone into the chocolate soil, the pebbles and rocks, the ganache, sorbet, gel and everything else.
You’ve perhaps already guessed by now, but this was another faultless dish.
Once again, the balance of rich and acidic, earthy and fresh, soft and tender versus crispy and crunchy were expertly judged.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
After being away from dining out for most of fifteen months, it’s wonderful to find somewhere like The Square in Stafford.
Yes, lots of us have enjoyed cooking at home as well as supporting food and drink businesses through takeaways and home deliveries.
But, in my book, sitting down in a restaurant and being served dishes from a professional kitchen, served in the way they were meant to be when these talented people created them, is a vital part of my enjoyment of food.
And there is huge pleasure to be had from the food produced by the accomplished team at The Square.
Yes, front of house needs a few tweaks to get it up to the high standard of the kitchen. But it’s been less than three weeks since opening and they seem a friendly, helpful bunch. So, I’ve no doubt little things (like the right cutlery going out according to the dishes ordered) can easily be sorted.
With an impressive, well thought out menu and great cooking with quality ingredients, Stafford is incredibly lucky to be home to this exciting new venue.
Our food bill came in at less than £34 per head. I consider this to be very good value at this standard.
The Square is also open for breakfast, brunch, lunches, Sunday lunch or just for drinks.
Highly recommended.
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