Katherine MacAlister finally fulfils her 2015 tick list with a visit to Wild Thyme in Chipping Norton and is delighted she did

It was a foul evening worthy of a Dickensian novel. Most sane people would have been warming their feet against the fire, eating chocolates they were supposed to give as presents while watching Christmas movies.

And yet Chipping Norton was packed, because with panto season well under way, the world and his grandchildren were out, booing and hissing away in The Theatre as Robin Hood and his merry men paraded about in tights. As a result a parking space was harder to find than a manger it would seem.

Eventually finding a dark, wet space at the back of the dark, wet car park we veritably blew into Wild Thyme, a restaurant with rooms, around the corner, a tiny, cosy little premises, that you could fit between two bookends.

Highly acclaimed, with a reputation that proceeds it, it was the last tick on my 2015 to-do list, and one a long time in the making. Desperate to redress the balance, I was ashamed that I had never been before.

And redress it we did, in style. Offered both the autumn and December menus, we sampled as much of both as possible, starting with the double-baked goats cheese soufflé with beetroot and hazelnuts and the oven-baked Cornish ½-shell scallops, butternut, parmesan, brioche crumb.

The scallops arrived in their shells, the kind that my parents used as soap dishes in the 70s, good hefty suckers of soft loveliness coated in a golden crumble. No fuss, no fanfare, just beautifully presented and spot on.

Which could be used to describe Wild Thyme in general. Because it’s not an ornate place, instead simply decorated in whites and woods, almost spartan in appearance but comfortable and welcoming at the same time. The onus here is definitely in the kitchen where Nick Pullen runs the show.

As it is a family business, his wife Sally running the front of house, it makes everything that little bit more personal, and admirably assisted by the wonderfully efficient Fiona, we were very well looked after.

I’m a sucker for a soufflé; like Rod Stewart and blondes, if there’s one in the offing, it’s mine. And it delivered on every front, as soft and fluffy as you would hope for, the goats cheese not overpowering the subtle flavours.

Next up the local partridge; kiev breast, tortellini, salt baked pear, creamed celeriac, savoy cabbage, girolles and Madeira cream game jus, a handful to write let alone make, which excelled all expectations. The attention to detail, the adventurous spirit of the dish, the variety of possibilities all evident on one plate, was a showcase for Nick’s cooking.

The partridge, which was also beautifully cooked, was surrounded by an imaginative array of components, the kiev and freshly-made tortellini being the highlights, all coming together nicely.

The roast butternut squash and spinach gratin, butternut dumpling and cannellini beans may have sounded a bit worthy. but was much tastier than expected; creamy, crunchy and smoky with none of that metallic taste I always associate with butternut squash, and entirely appropriate for the weather conditions outside. It should have been served with a spoon to do it justice.

Oxford Mail:

  • The famous double-baked goats cheese soufflé with beetroot and hazelnuts

Stomachs heaving there was no way we were leaving empty puddinged however, although sadly I had to pass on the prune and Armagnac souffle with caramel ice cream – one soufflé a night being an oeuf.

I plumped instead for the dark chocolate fudge brownie, cocoa and espresso mousse, poached caramelised clementines and walnut brittle which was so heavenly I forgot my soufflé envy and dived in, wonderfully rewarded with the light, chewy, tangy elements combining perfectly.

Emerging finally on to the pavement outside, it could have been hailing and I wouldn’t have cared. Soak me through, batter me with gales; after a meal like that I couldn’t have cared less. I was immune, replete, happy. The only cloud on my particular horizon was that I’d left a visit to Wild Thyme for so long.

But with two courses for £25 and three for £30, I’ll be back quicker than you can say ‘behind you’.

THE PARTICULARS

Wild Thyme 
10 New St, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5LJ
01608 645060. www.wildthymerestaurant.co.uk

The people: Sally and Nick Pullen

Parking: Huge car park a few hundred metres away

Try the: Set menus – great value

Note: The restaurant is closed from January 12-20, reopening for lunch on January 21 due to annual holidays