What a difference an invitation can make. From sitting in queues of motorway traffic on a wet and foggy Monday, an invitation from @eatsocialshef resulted in networking with 15 or so editors, photographers, tweeters and bloggers - celebrating the launch of the Social Sheffield Foodie Network.
One of Sheffield's leading independent restaurants - Silversmiths was the venue, but it is a restaurant that is full of character and has left me quite impressed with a number of its projects, a business that is clearly embracing innovation and technology.
Meeting the owners and chefs makes a real difference, if they remain behind closed doors - diners miss the stories and personalities, but may never know about the exciting projects and the effort behind scenes.
Silversmiths offer a new menu each month, but what caught my ear - is the use of local and fresh produce, which even involves wild foraging. (Ok Google - what is wild foraging?)
Upon arrival I was met by the Social Sheffield team and was impressed to see we had the venue to ourselves. As I jumped into the ice breaker, Justin (owner of Silversmiths) handed me a delicious elderberry cocktail. I'd happily return to Silversmiths to share this great drink with others.
We were then treated to a taster menu consisting of 9 dishes! Yes 9!
Starters
Up first was the whipped cheese, which worked very well with the honey and nuts. It was full of flavour and I think this dish proved to be the favourite starter amongst the guests.
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| Whipped goats cheese with local honey and toasted nuts |
The second dish combined three of my favourites and so the scallops, chorizo and pea puree was my personal favourite. Nice work Lee! (Head Chef - @leesimonmangles)
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| Cured scallops with homemade chorizo and pea puree |
The final starter was venison heart casserole with Yorkshire pudding. This dish was delicious! As this was only a taster, I started to imagine what a Sunday Lunch at Silversmiths might taste like. Fantastic!
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| Venison heart casserole with Yorkshire pudding |
Mains
Ready for dish number 4? To start the mains - Broccoli and Harrogate Blue Cheese tart. I was slightly disappointed by this dish. I love cheese, but I'm not a big fan of blue cheese. The tart was also quite crispy and so proved a challenge to eat with a knife and fork.
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| Broccoli and Harrogate Blue cheese tart |
The second main could have easily have been added to the venison casserole and Yorkshire pudding, to form a delicious dish. The lamb was a real treat, proving to be my favourite main of the night.
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| 16-hour braised lamb breast |
The third and final main was pan-fried Whitby mackerel with beetroot risotto. I have not tried beetroot risotto before and it is also a main I wouldn't usually order at a restaurant. This dish didn't impress me as much as some of the others, mainly due to my own preferences, but the mains continued to showcase the variety and creativity of the Silversmiths restaurant.
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| Pan-fried Whitby mackerel with beetroot risotto |
Desserts
6 dishes down and it was time for dessert - aka the grande finale! I'm not entirely sure on the names, but I have to admit trying each dessert and not knowing what to expect was actually quite fun, especially discovering the popping candy.
The Silversmiths team were great hosts, Lee provided descriptions of each dish before they were served. Justin provided a useful insight into Silversmiths and what the restaurant is all about. The Social Sheffield guests were also treated to both white and red wine, with coffee to close. I opted for a beer, toasting the end to an enjoyable and successful launch of the Social Sheffield Foodie Network and great atmosphere, hosting and evening of delicious food - thank you Silversmiths.
I must add that the Silversmiths team highlighted a number of interesting projects, one of which must be kept secret for now.... But I can share the Silversmiths is the only restaurant in South Yorkshire to appear in the new book - "The Great British Cookbook". I am interested to see the outcome of the projects and I would like to return to share a few cocktails and to enjoy a sit down meal with friends.
Yes, you can easily find really good food for cheap but this place is worth the money. Try it all, the sea bass and pork chop, YUM! The decor is moderate, but the Boston restaurants were very busy, and the food has good variety.
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