Reviews
Bestselling author Milly Johnson decided to sample some of Yorkshire’s afternoon tea delights for inspiration for her latest book. She searched high and low for her perfect Afternoon Tea. To find the most succulent sandwich, the dreamiest cream scone, the perfect cuppa. Here Milly shares her findings:
“Now the White Heart at Penistone is locally renowned for its afternoon tea offering and so I dragged along yet another willing accomplice. Okay so it’s a pub but it’s such a pretty place it doesn’t matter. And what is it about china cups and plates that make the food taste so much better? This afternoon tea started with a home-made carrot and coriander soup with a kick of chilli – just the thing to have with a glass of Prosecco, for we had a ‘sparkling afternoon tea’. Beautiful. The finger sandwiches were fat and fabulous – egg mayo (my fave) cheese and onion, Yorkshire ham.”
Milly Johnson, Yorkshire Food & Drink, Yorkshire Post, 22 July 2015
"The
menu is equally as artistic as the artwork on the walls"
Susan Hampshire and her colleague Val recently visited
The White Heart for a taste of the fabulous new modern
look and a good old catch up. The report is below.
‘During
out conversational catch-up, we ordered two glasses of
the house red wine along with a bottle of sparking water
to study the menu. The menu is equally as artistic as
the artwork which is on the walls of the restaurant,
which offers not a vast menu, but a good choice.
The
dishes we both chose were really tasty, to start Ravioli
stuffed with Feta cheese and the Leek and Stilton Quiche,
to follow with sea bass and the chicken skewers. Although
there is plenty on the plate, the portions size’s
are sensible and don’t over face. Quality, in this
instance, is definitely preferable to quantity. To finish,
we could manage a ‘boozy’ Tiramisu to share
with a coffee for one.
The
White Heart is certainly a pub and restaurant to offer
bar meals, summer barbecues, special events, a meal out
for a couple or family and friends. Once The White Heart
gets a little more established and its reputation grows,
it’s sure to be in great
demand!’
A return visit? They answered; 'Absolutely'
Susan
Hampshire, Weekend,
Huddersfield Examiner
"It's definitely
to be recommended!"
Recently published
in the ‘Around Barnsley Magazine’ by
Geraldine May in the ‘Dining Out ’ section,
a report on The White Heart was completed and below is
just a sample of what was included. She visited the restaurant
on an evening in a party of three, dining on the evening
menu.
"Once on the
table, we were stunned at the presentation but equally
stunned at the taste of the three staters which were
all different in choice. All three staters were delicious
and soon disappeared under a sea of ooh's and aah's, as
we all sang the praises of our individual choices.With
three different mains to one another, and time for a pudding,
two of the party shared a very 'boozy' tiramisu, and one
managed an Affogato al cafe, (ice cream in a tall glass
served with a shot of espresso and a homemade biscuit).
Would we come back for more? Absolutely, but remembering
that a lot of people already do, so booking is essential.
Yes, we'll certainly
come back and recommend it too. Chris and Gill are doing
a great job with help from their team, and for them,
long may it continue!"
Geraldine
May, Dining Out, Around Town Magazine
"I
went for the fillet steak.... It was superb."
Walking into the warmth
of the populous bar area of the White Heart Restaurant
from a rain-soaked large barriered car park, I was greeted
into the friendly atmosphere by Sam Briggs, the manager
of the White Heart. She told me, "We get a lot of
people who travel here from Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds,
it's quite central to that area."
The White Heart has started having some live entertainment
on a weekend. Friday nights they have last meal orders
at 9 o'clock and then there is a disco. A piano/singing
duo, Natalie and Hailey, were entertaining on the Saturday
I was there as a one-off, but they are going to be appearing
every Thursday. They sung oldies and classics but with
an original style of their own.
I was soon seated in the restaurant area having perused
the menu. Ten starters put my taste buds on alert, including
two soups, two fish courses and three for vegetarians.
I chose the Peking Duck, infused with Chinese spices, stir
fried with oriental noodles and topped off with crispy
seaweed. Indeed the crispness of the seaweed blended admirably
with the soft texture of the duck and noodles and prepared
me adequately for what was to follow.
The downstairs part of the White Heart can cater for around
twenty customers, but there is a mezzanine floor too. Sam
told me a little bit about that. "We opened three
years ago this Boxing Day. It was originally an old coaching
inn, but it has been completely revamped. Walls were knocked
down, but when the ceiling came down the real ceiling was
very high, so Gill and Chris Ward, the owners, decided
to put a mezzanine floor in. It's nice for private parties
and seats about twelve, or sixteen on one long table."
Faced with a variety of main courses, as chef Paul Taylor
put it, " You've got 2 sorts of steaks, 3 different
fish, a vegetarian, a pork dish, 2 lamb dishes, a classic
round here - the Barnsley Chop, plus duck and chicken.
There's something for everybody on our menus," I went
for the fillet steak and along with Paul's recommendation
that it should not be well done. It was superb. At medium
rare it was tender and juicy, a testament, no doubt, to
local butcher, Brindon Addy. The lyonnaise potatoes bed,
and especially the mushroom and stilton crust, adding that
twist of gastronomic style.
Classy, contemporary decor make for a cosy feel to the
White Heart, and with artworks on the walls, which are
Gill’s very own work, it is a feature which gives
the restaurant its own stunningly unique style.
To finish off my stylish meal I selected the chocoloate
pudding, but with cinnamon ice cream. Paul told me they
have an ice cream maker in the kitchen and can put together
anything from a brown bread pudding ice cream to a Bloody
Mary sorbet. The hot pudding and the cool ice cream slid
down beautifully with the help of a large cappuccino.
The pudding was home made and Paul readily explained to
me how it had been done. He is a young man who has a well-founded
culinary pedigree and a wealth of ideas. "What I try
and do here is keep things nice and simple and add twists.
It's good to have my own kitchen, my own team, to do my
own rotas. I sit down with my other chefs and decide on
a new menu every two months or so."
Sam said that Wednesday
to Saturday are their busiest nights. They do a different
menu on a Monday and a Tuesday - a set menu of three courses,
and on Sundays they do a Sunday lunch menu with a set price,
a traditional roast dinner.
The final words concerning a lovely meal in a charming
environment goes to the chef. Paul said, "When you
come to our restaurant I believe there's something for
everybody on our menus. I find it hard to believe that
someone can come in here for a meal and struggle to find
something that they wouldn't like."
I totally agree.
Sam
McQueen, Around Town Magazine
"This new venue is a tribute
to its owners and a great addition to dining out in the
area"
Recently published in the ‘Around Barnsley Magazine’ by
Jack Spratt in the ‘Drive and Dine’ section,
a report on The White Heart was completed and below is
just a sample of what was included. He visited the restaurant
on an evening with his partner (and Around Barnsley Magazine),
dining on the evening menu.
“If you are looking for a symbol
for a revitalised, more modern looking, smart Penistone
then The White Heart is most certainly it. Combining
style, comfort, great lounge facilities and excellent
food, this new venue is a tribute to its owners and a
great addition to dining out in the area.
Just recently opened, The White Heart
is a totally refurbishment of the former ‘White Hart’ pub
at Bridge End, and the brain-child and pride and joy
of a local business-people Gillian and Chris Ward.
Inside the cool décor predominantly
beige, cream, brown and maroon/burgundy is very effective
and remarkably relaxing with the atmosphere greatly enhanced
by superb lighting. You are made most welcome as you
enjoy a quiet drink and looking over the menu in the
restaurant which can accommodate up to fifty, with also
an upstairs area that seats around sixteen which is ideal
for a medium sized group eating all together.
The appetizing menu includes a variety
of meals of which the reporter had chosen Sea Bass. In
his own words; ‘ The
Sea Bass was large, light and simply served with a little
herb butter. All too often chefs ‘mess about’ with
fish and spoil it with unnecessary additions. There was
none of that here and the result was a delight.’ The
meal was rounded of with some excellent Italian blended
coffee and that again demonstrates the White Heart’s
attention to detail. An extensive restaurant wine list
demonstrates the eclectic range of high quality old and
new world wines on offer available by the 75cl bottle or
two sizes of glass.
The reporter and partner had the
opportunity after completing their meal to talk with
Gillian and Chris Ward, but also with the chef Paul Taylor.
Paul comes to the White Heart with a well-established
reputation and a host of ideas. He is looking to innovate
but recognises that he has to take his clientele with
him all the way, so expect the old and new with classy
twists to more standard items. Here at the White Heart,
style is of the essence, with a base of carefully selected
locally – sourced produce,
smart unobtrusive service and some quite outstanding table-ware,
the scene is set for the production of mouth-watering food.
On the evidence of the visit to the White Heart, this chef
is more than capable of meeting the requirements of even
the most discerning client.
The overall ambience is very good, once you have got over
the mild shock of realising that you are entering what
once was a very traditional drinkers pub and finding yourself
in a brassiere-style establishment that somehow creates
a combination of chic and warmth that is both welcoming
and relaxing.
Jack
Spratt, Drive & Dine Section, Around Town Magazine
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