Brasted's - Awards & Reviews

Awards & Reviews

Making a come back - June 2005 (EDP Norfolk)

Brasted’s is back. Once a well-known Norwich
institution, the new restaurant is situated in the
attractive village of Framingham Pigot, just a few miles south of the city. Opened in September last year, it won the Castle Catering Restaurant/Chef of the Year accolade at this year’s EDP Norfolk Food Awards.

Iwasn’t quite sure what to expect when I
visited Brasted’s in Framingham Pigot
for the first time. I had been told about
the Brasted’s of old – the highly
acclaimed restaurant on St Andrew’s Hill
in the heart of Norwich, which operated for 16
years. And I knew that the original
restaurant’s loyal customers had been trying
to talk owner John Brasted (known
affectionately to regulars as “JB”) into
opening up a restaurant again. But, as I had
never visited the original Brasted’s (it closed
in 1999), I had little to go on other than wordof-
mouth recommendations from friends and
colleagues who already had visited the new
version, which opened on Friday, September
10 last year.
I first visited the new restaurant in early
March when Norfolk was experiencing a spell
of cold weather. It was snowing as I drove out
of Norwich, along the A146 as far as The
Feathers pub, then turned right towards
Framingham Pigot, and I wondered whether
or not I would find it.
I spotted a sign on my right saying: “Manor
Farm Barns” but it wasn’t until I’d passed it
then turned round for another look that I
realised that there was another sign
underneath – a rather discreet one simply
saying: “Brasted’s”. After spotting it, I turned
up a country lane then, after following a
series of farm buildings and other signs, I
arrived at the restaurant I was searching for.
By this time it was very cold outside, but
the welcome at Brasted’s was genuinely warm
and friendly, and the overall atmosphere
inviting. The flowery, yellow sofa by the door,
the cream-coloured, wooden bar with its vase
of magnificent lilies, the sea grass carpet, and
the dark brown, leather armchairs oozed
sophistication. The division between the bar
area and the restaurant proper was marked
by a floor-to-ceiling wine rack and an upright
piano – John Brasted was born into a family of
piano manufacturers and spent many years in
the trade, including 15 managing Suttons
Pianos on Exchange Street in Norwich.
The restaurant is housed in a large, modern
barn building whose walls and ceiling have
been painted a deep burgundy. Beechcoloured,
high backed chairs with pale green
cushions have been placed at large, round
tables laid with fine linen, glassware and
crockery, and vases containing single flowers
and little, green oil burners made the
restaurant look classy and welcoming.
Laura, the pianist, was playing softly at the
piano, and a number of other diners were
there already (the restaurant seats 42 in all),
lending the place a convivial buzz.
My fellow diners arrived and we sat on the
sofa at the entrance, enjoying aperitifs and
some beautifully-made, delicate canapés
before moving into the restaurant for dinner.
Apart from being a little chilly at the
entrance (the sofa is right next to the door),
the first impressions were excellent. The door
was opened for us as we arrived, John Brasted
was there welcoming every guest himself (he
is the perfect, congenial host), our coats were
taken immediately, and we were offered
drinks straight away. In fact, everything ran
exceptionally smoothly and the live music in
the background only added to the amiable
atmosphere.
As for the food, it was simply fantastic. The
menu boasted many different options – meat,
fish, chicken, game and vegetarian – and lots
of imaginative dishes. Also it offered plenty of
local produce including some items, such as
salmon, kippers, bacon, and rhubarb chutney,
produced by John Brasted himself.
I started with three fishes terrine, wrapped
in JB’s home smoked salmon (£5.75), and
served with freshly-baked, Mediterraneanstyle
bread, followed by baked cod steak with
a dill beurre blanc (£16.85), which came with a
selection of seasonal vegetables – broccoli,
swede, baby new potatoes and carrots. For
dessert I chose gooseberry charlotte with
elderflower custard (£5.50), followed by
peppermint tea (£2.50 with petits fours),
which was prepared with fresh mint leaves.
My starter was tasty, although perhaps a
touch over-chilled, but I was extremely
envious of one of my companions’ twice baked
cheese soufflé (£5.85). The cod was delicious
too and the gooseberry charlotte, served
between sponge discs, was decorated
beautifully.
The pièce de résistance, however, was the
petits fours – a plateful of homemade, melt-inthe-
mouth, dainty delicacies which included
peppermint creams, dark chocolate mint
crisps, nougat, nut clusters and many more.
The presentation and service were faultless
– managing director Nick Mills confided to me
later that a great deal of effort goes into staff
training. The service was tested when,
towards the end of the evening, one of our
party managed to knock a wine bucket and its
contents all over the floor (we’d had a call to
say that the snow was getting heavier and she
looked out of the window to check, not
realising that it was sitting on the
windowsill). The staff cleared away the wine
bucket and its contents immediately, and
within minutes it was as if the incident had
never happened.
With this standard of service and cuisine,
this restaurant clearly is ideal for a special
occasion. It was no surprise, therefore, to
learn that Brasted’s caters for up to 100
weddings a year, together with numerous
other events, from 21st birthday parties,
engagements and wedding anniversaries to
smart funeral teas. Some of these take place in
the restaurant itself, but most of them are
held in the building behind – another barn
complex that accommodates parties of up to
140, and which is licensed for wedding
ceremonies. Brasted’s also has a successful
outside catering arm, catering for all manner
of personal and corporate events including
the vice president’s and president’s events at
this year’s Royal Norfolk Show.
As you can imagine, overseeing this
amount of catering requires a phenomenal
amount of skill and planning, and no doubt it
is helpful that Brasted’s’ head chef, Chris
Busby, is a sergeant in the TA. A Norfolk man
through and through, Chris trained at
Norwich City College before working at The
Abbey Hotel in Wymondham, Barnham
Broom Golf Club and The King’s Head in
Bawburgh. Since 1997 he has been at
Brasted’s, where he takes responsibility for
Special events at Brasted’s
 

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