Product trial: Easy to add flavour
WHEN GRAHAM and Kim Manwaring took charge of the Dog & Hedgehog in Dadlington last year, they wanted to bring a touch of class and sophistication to a pub in a picturesque Leicestershire village.
Graham says: "Dadlington is a beautiful place and it was such a shame that the Dog & Hedgehog had become so dated and tired-looking.
"As soon as Kim and I viewed the property we saw the enormous potential that it offered and knew that it would provide a great project for us."
Over six months Graham and Kim have redecorated, sourced new furniture and revamped the menu to appeal to a wider range of clientele.
The pub dates back to the 18th century, is beamed throughout and features a charming open fire. There are several eating areas including the intimate snug, the airy malt house and the fantastic minstrels gallery where on a clear day there are tremendous views over to the fields where the Battle of Bosworth took place.
Since August this year consultant chef Juan Jose Valdivieso has been transforming the menu. Juan Jose has worked at hotels all over the world including the Amari Watergate Hotel and Spa in Bangkok, Thailand.
"We have started to notice a big difference in the type of clientele that we are attracting and it's great because we have retained original customers but are also appealing to new people too," he explains.
"We serve around 1,000 covers a week and are super busy on a Sunday because people like to come along for lunch here.
"We get such a wide range of customers now and because we have several eating areas we are able to cater for just about everyone. The snug and minstrels gallery are perfect for a romantic meal for two while the malt house area is great for larger groups."
In his quest for an innovative and exciting menu Juan Jose trialled Major Mari-Base marinades. "I found them really easy to work with and would describe them as good solid products that provide excellent results," he says.
"I am able to prepare popular international dishes in a fraction of the normal amount of time. The open sandwich that I recently introduced to the menu has been particularly popular, and I prepared that using a mixture of corn-fed chicken marinated with Tennessee Mari-Base, crispy pancetta and slow roasted tomato.
"Another dish that went down well was Moroccan spiced beer battered cod marinated in Moroccan Mari-Base, served with fat chips, spicy crème fraiche and pea and mint puree. I put the dish on the specials menu and I have had several requests to make it a permanent fixture on the main menu."
