TABLE MANNERS
The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home and at the centre of that beating heart is the kitchen table. In my mind’s eye this is a lovingly crafted piece of scrubbed pine where friends gather to eat a mouth-watering selection of dishes seemingly thrown together in an instant, served on colourful platters sourced from far flung countries. The wine flows and friends entertain with stories of daring do. In reality I usually forget to put the carrots on, hubby gets into an over-heated discussion about politics and the hound steals the smoked salmon off the table …. So it’s always nice to sit at someone else’s table and enjoy the fruits of their labour.
The Kitchen Table started out as a bespoke catering company back in 2011 and under the guidance of inspirational chef Sima has been wowing guests ever since with its imaginative food, friendly service and ethical approach. Sima is a passionate supporter of local businesses and if it can’t be sourced from in and around Totnes you can be sure it is Fairtrade and often organic too. Thankfully you now don’t have to organise a party to enjoy a taste of The Kitchen Table as every weekday from 12-2pm a Workplace Lunch is served from their production kitchen in Totnes.
An Industrial Estate may not feel like the most salubrious setting for lunch but Sima and her team have created a welcoming little oasis out of their backstreet catering unit. From the plethora of potted flowers and herbs outside, to the crammed shelves of herbs, spices and homemade produce inside this really is a quirky patch of foodie paradise. The walls are hung with eclectic prints and posters, bowls of fruit & vegetables lie waiting to be turned into tantalising treats and the kitchen table is as one would expect : old, stained and surrounded by mismatched chairs. : a bit like me after a good dinner party!!
The lunch choice isn’t huge – usually a tart, tortilla or pie plus a selection of freshly made salads – but when everything is this good who cares! Most days the offering is vegetarian but we arrived the day there happened to be some smoked trout left over from a function so I plumped for the trout & watercress tart while my lunch companion had the homity pie. Each was as tasty as the other and served in healthy portions! We shared the salads on offer which included a punchy quinoa and mint dish, deliciously pink tinted slaw and a lightly spiced carrot hummus which resulted in a plate as pretty as it was tasty. And all at an amazingly reasonable price.
What I really loved is that this is clearly a working kitchen – the team were busy in the background preparing for a weekend wedding and there was a gentle hum of laughter and conversation. You feel like you have just dropped by to a friend’s house to say hello and been offered something to eat at their table whilst they potter around the kitchen. Sima clearly loves what she does and was happy to chat about the local food scene of which she is extremely supportive and knowledgeable (there is even a collage of inspirational local producers and artisans in the loo). How she has time to organise the Rotherfold Artisan Market in Totnes as well I’ll never know …
All in all a great place for a casual lunch – do visit – you’ll certainly be welcome at their table.
GO IF : you like to seek out unusual places to eat great tasting food
MDD LIKES : their dedication to reducing plastic and food waste
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