Galvin Green Man
Great Waltham, Essex
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Chris and Jeff Galvin are better known as the brains behind several high-profile big-city restaurants, so it’s a pleasant surprise to find them in charge of this self-styled ‘pub deluxe’ overlooking a meadow by the river Chelmer – mind you, Essex is the brothers’ home patch. The Green Man has been dispensing local hospitality since 1481, but old-timers would barely recognise the place these days. The pubby side of things is still intact, although all eyes are now on the restaurant – a ‘huge modern metal and glass barn’ tacked onto the rear of the building. The whole set-up is ‘a revelation,' noted one reader. Chef Chris Ball is well-schooled in the Galvin way of doing things – which means gutsy flavours, pin-sharp presentation and the odd bourgeois French accent. Behind it all is a commitment to British produce, from wood-roasted celeriac and hazelnut velouté to slow-cooked venison with chestnuts or a duo of Great Garnetts pork served with braised red cabbage, rainbow chard and carrot purée. Fish is from local suppliers, while desserts are European classics such as Valrhona chocolate choux bun with caramelised white chocolate and blood orange. East Anglian beers supplement a zesty one-page wine list that includes house selections ‘on tap’.
