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CelestiAle!
London's White Horse at Parson's Green elevates pub cuisine
Mark
Dorber brings his critical faculties, honed in decades of finance
in the City, to the hard task of analysing a plate of crab and rocket
pasta, set before me as part of a tasting of new pub fare. 
"It's
a bit dark, don't you think, but will taste rich and smooth,"
he assures me.
True
enough, the rocket leaves browned in butter give the the top of the
pasta almost a drab look, but the taste is phenomenal - the slight
marine sweetness of the crabmeat, offset by the salty, buttery, crunch
of the crisp leaves, well, it's not what I'd imagined as pub grub.
Ten years
ago, when I first apprenticed in the pub kitchen at the White Horse
(fondly nicknamed the Sloaney Pony), one of the house specialties
was a simple sausage spiked with Bass Ale.
Now,
the menu touts a house pate laced with chorizo and garlic. Paired
with Adnams Broadside, a wonderful cask ale, the biscuity notes of
the beer enhance the smooth meaty pate. It's a far different dining
experience, in one of London's premier pubs, than what I recall from
1993.
Dorber
now consults on beer dinners across the globe, from Coors to Staropramen.
He's organized events for the British Guild of Beer Writers, as well
as hosting dinners for private small local breweries.
Still,
as the poster on wall says, it's the beer that matters most here.
A partial listing of what's on tap or available from the cellar includes:
Australia:
Coopers
Belgium:
Boon, Cantillon, Duvel, Hoegaarden, Liefmans, Rodenbach, plus Trappists
such as Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvletern
Czech:
Budvar, Staropramen
England:
Bass, Courage, Eldridge Pope, Freedom, Gales, Greene King, Lees, Whitbread
and Yougs
Germany:
Schneider, Schlenkerla
Scotland:
Scottish & Newcastle, House of Traquair
And even
the occasional guest tap goes to an American import, such as Anchor
Steam Brewing Co.'s Holiday Ale.
Sample
lunch menus include starters such as a salad of grilled goats cheese
with pear & hazelnuts to be paired with Moinette Blonde-Saison Beer,
an entree of salmon fishcake with tarragon mayonnaise & poached egg
best served with Duvel, or a lamb burger with minted yoghurt dressing
and potato wedges to be washed down with Anchor Steam beer.
Little
wonder that Dorber is cited as an expert on cask ale and food pairings
by experts such as Hattie Ellis, the author of EATING ENGLAND, Garrett
Olive, author of the BREWMASTER'S TABLE, and Andrew Jefford, the entertaining
broadcaster at BBC London.
In 2006, Mark and Sophie Dorber took the helm at The Anchor at Walberswick. Sophie’s insistence upon the freshest, seasonal, local produce, ensure that The Anchor at Walberswick is fast becoming a welcoming local and a gastronomic destination. With Mark's tutelage at the taps, The Anchor offers both refreshment and education for the palate. Write to info@anchoratwalberswick.com for more information.
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