The Brasserie Archives - The Carlton Hotel Ilfracombe

More value on your plate

Everything we cook is from scratch, so we use every element of every product in all of our different dishes, which means we cut down on food waste and reduce packaging. We use ingredients that are more sustainable and offering better value, which means we can offset spiralling costs on our menu and pass that on to our customers. So, you can enjoy great quality dishes at superb value, like our taramasalata (smoked cod roe pate) – a soft whipped blend of smoked cod roe, hint of lemon and garlic, served with pickled cucumber, dill and toasted sourdough. We love this classic from the Med. Not only because it reminds chef of his first holiday to the Aegean Sea, but also as it illustrates good use of produce. Using the roe ensures the complete fish is being used on our menu. Also the roe is a better value ingredient which means we can try and offset spiralling costs in our menu.

Local fresh whole chickens are butchered and used for our Brasserie dishes; the legs in the Katsu Curry, the best in the Mushroom Chicken pies and the wings are kept for formal buffets. And then we use the skin and carcass for our tasty soups and stock bases (which use carrot peelings, onion offcuts and tired herbs). We even peel and segment whole fruit as part of our morning breakfast menu, salad bowl, which is trimmed down, pressed and used as a candied peel in our desserts.

When using our whole local free-range eggs, we separate the egg yolk for our famous hollandaise butter sauce for Eggs Benedict in the morning; then overnight we gently bake the whites whisked with sugar to make our pavlova nests.

We welcome everyone to relax and enjoy great food, wonderful hospitality and inflation-beating value in our beautifully refurbished Brasserie & Bar. Pop in and try a new, freshly prepared, seasonal and truly local dish, crafted from scratch, alongside a great value beer and wine list. We offer lunch five days a week, Wednesday through Saturday; and the very popular classic Sunday lunch menu remains. We also serve breakfast and dinner seven days a week, welcoming guests and visitors alike.

Meet The Team – Dan Priestman, Second Chef

Meet Dan, who, as many of our diners know, has been part of the team in The Brasserie kitchen, since summer 2020. Dan joined us with a great knowledge base and practical experience, having worked in busy kitchens in Cheshire prior to relocating to beautiful Ilfracombe.

We asked Dan a few questions, to gain a little more into about what makes him tick.

Why do you enjoy working at The Carlton?

I enjoy working at the hotel primarily because (for a hotel) it allows me sociable working hours. I feel more like a human than a robot. My role allows me to be myself.

What keeps you in the hospitality business?

I’ve worked for many years in hospitality and what really keeps me engaged is the team and customers I look after. In my role being creative is a big plus. Also, the fact that every day is different is a bonus.

Tell us about your college and your apprenticeship course?

The opportunity to attend Petroc weekly has really helped me gain confidence in areas of cooking I haven’t practised as much in the workplace. Personally, I have found college learning doesn’t seem as pressured as school was. The opportunity to include my learning in the Carlton kitchen has been an extra benefit.

What do you think of Ilfracombe, and do you enjoy living here?

I love living by the sea as it is. It’s great that Ilfracombe has a slower pace of life and being close to family that are here has been great.

Food preferences. What is your favourite dish on our menu? What do you enjoy eating at home?

If I had to choose just one dish it would be our Scotch Egg, from our Brasserie menu. The way we make it involves slow cooking key elements and combing these with other quality ingredients. Whilst at home I really enjoy cooking and eating pasta carbonara.