In a world of fast food, convenience meals and air-fryers, it’s refreshing to step back and not only really enjoy a meal, but everything else that comes with it. Food is, after all, a conversation starter, something to be shared and something to be savoured. When we found out about The Bridge Club, a new supper club from chef Jack Pointing, we were too excited to check it out.
Supper clubs are a great reminder of what really good food is and what it’s like to sit back and enjoy the flavours of something prepared with care and love, a whole evening dedicated to eating, drinking and socialising.
What To Expect From The Bridge Club Supper Club
The Bridge Club’s first supper club was entitled ‘Springtime Obsession’ – a supper club where Jack Ponting aimed to ‘transform the season’s best ingredients into a bold, decadent feast’. And that he did. Having spent a life obsessed with food and working in various restaurants around London, he found that certain styles of food were becoming the preserve of the wealthy and the old.
With this in mind, he founded The Bridge Club. Originally a supper club for fellow chefs to get together and eat mountains of big plates of food but now open to all as a bridge to show you the things we love in British and European food.
An Evening To Be Remembered
The Bridge supper club took place in The Jolly Gardeners in Vauxhall. It’s a cool, arty pub where the windows were thrown open to coax in the first of the spring’s sunshine and a gentle breeze. Tables were pushed together to make longers ones, ideal for socialising while you eat. The crowd was cool, very international and with a range of different ages and backgrounds – this made for great conversation throughout dinner and we had good chats with all the people around us. That’s one thing that’s so great about food, is its universal language of love, care and passion. You can portray so much through the presentation of ingredients on a plate, spark conversation and create common ground.
We took our seats and sipped on a delicious cocktail and sampled a few amuse bouches which were Petit Farcis created from delicate spring vegetables, stuffed and bursting with flavour. The host for the evening was fun and did a great job building anticipation for the dishes to come. The staff were friendly and attentive and the atmosphere was electric yet relaxed, similar to dining with friends where you know a great time is going to be had.
The Food At The Bridge Club
The first course was Moules Frites with Charred Razor Clams, something that can be hard to get just right. It was the perfect balance of sauce to frites (not too soggy, not too dry) and was accompanied by some lovely in-season mussels and razor clams. These were the best moules-frites we’ve ever tried and set the precedent for the rest of the evening.
The Bridge Club main was braised lamb with batter haggis and mint jelly, combining a deep, slow-roasted richness with a bright, herby lift. The mint sauce in particular cut through this richness for a fantastic balance of flavour and the side of roasted carrots and crushed salt-baked swede was the perfect accompaniment.
The meal was rounded off with a dessert of Eve’s Pudding drizzled with Brandy Butterscotch and a fat scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. The ideal springtime sweet, the cake was comforting, warm and fluffy with a nice crust on top.
Our Thoughts
Every element of the meal was cooked to perfection and a real testament to the talent of Chef Jack Ponting. Large portions and family-style dining meant there was more than enough to go around and we left feeling utterly stuffed. The evening was fantastic, from the food and drink to the atmosphere and the company. The venue was perfect, the staff helpful and the evening unforgettable. We were left with one question on our lips – can we do it again tomorrow?
The Bridge Club Supper Club is returning on 12th May. This event is a long-awaited collaboration between The Bridge Club and Chef Manifest at The Jolly Gardeners Pub. Doors open at 19.00 with the first course is served at 19:30. You can purchase your tickets below.
The Bridge Club
The Jolly Gardeners
49-51 Black Prince Rd,
London SE11 6AB
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