What's new on the Autumn/Winter menu?

Anna and Magda get specific on a warming new menu for the colder months of the year. There are lots of exciting new developments... but has the Chef chopped out all the old favourites? 

Winter salad - starter and dessert

Are you changing everything on the menu?

Anna: "No, our customers would not allow it. People expect certain Mud Dock favourites. Let me give you an example. Last year, when we reviewed the menus, we took off the Halloumi sandwich — swapped it for something different. Wow! We didn't realise the reaction we'd get. Many, many people asked for the Halloumi to be back on the menu!

"So we listened. Customer feedback like that is invaluable, especially as we introduce other new dishes. We ask: "Does this main dish meet with customers' approval? What do people think of this or that combination?" 

"People come especially for certain dishes. For instance we are very well known for Tapas and Mezze. There's no way we can withdraw those; people do come from far and wide to enjoy these Mediterranean specialties." 

Magda: "You have to careful, because there is a surprising amount of loyalty to certain dishes, snacks and sandwiches. Salmon and scrambled eggs... if we took that off the brunch menu there would be a riot!  

"We haven't made many chances to the brunch menu when we know it is a big favourite. 

"Also, lots of people want and expect to see steak on the menu, so we update it a seasonal twist, a new flavour. 

"You also have to consider all the customers. There must be a good range of veggie options. More and more people are interested in the vegetarian food, it's really noticeable how that has changed over the last couple of years.  

"At the moment we are offering a veggie risotto and an interesting polenta dish, with mushroom, gorgonzola and almond. That is an amazing dish. Actually that one is gluten free too, and of course we put the dietary requirement information on the menu. 

Anna: "When we move between the seasons the ingredients change. But we tend to work with the same suppliers, many of whom Mud Dock has worked with for 15 years. We know them well and trust them to bring us just the best, the freshest produce. For example, we think our butcher is the best in the world. Chris the butcher, always the same guy delivering, the same top quality meat. His shop is up in Clifton village."

Next time round we learn more about the A la carte options. Nom!

A comfy perch?

Columbia Bikefood rider Jon Shergold puts groundbreaking Fizik Kurve saddle through its paces

Honestly, this is a toughy. What can you say about a saddle that you can get on and put in two consecutive 200 mile weeks without a moment of discomfort? Stunning? Mind-blowing? Pick one, I guess…

After talking to the Hamish, the Fizik rep who had popped in to Mud Dock for a cup of tea and a chat, I had to try one of Fizik’s new Kurve saddles.

Kurve exploded

I’m regularly found putting in silly mileages (I race 12 and 24 hours) both for training and exploring, so contact points are important to me. This is doubly so on a road bike where it is not uncommon to spend upwards of eight hours chasing the horizon. As you can imagine a good saddle is essential!

The new range of Kurve saddles (named for the company’s animal-based scheme for making sure you have the right fitting) is aimed at riders who spend a long time in the saddle (hello…). We demand a high level of comfort from our perch.

The key feature of the design is a flexible composite base, the idea being that the saddle moves as you pedal. Cushioning comes from a thin layer of foam where its needed.

The combination of the new hull, rail and padding is certainly comfy. The Mobius rail is another development in the pursuit of comfort. Instead of connecting to the rear of the  saddle the rails are forged in a loop that suspends the hull, allowing the whole upper assembly to move with you while still supporting the right bits. You can further tune the flex by swapping the ‘Tuner’ at the nose.

I’m now coming up to 400 miles on a Kurve with no chafing, aches or pains. The feel of sitting in a saddle that moves isn’t obtrusive, but it is noticeable if you pay attention.

Final word? I think I’m going for stunning…

Delicious Autumn!

Mud Dock Chef Magda is the prime mover behind our new Autumn/Winter menu. But co-owner Beverly Newman and Cafe Manager Anna also have influence and input into the process. In the first of four posts, Magda and Anna discuss the creative adventure a new menu presents.

Why have you changed the menu?

Anna: "Like many restaurants, our À la carte menu is completely changed twice a year. We have a Spring/Summer menu; followed by the Autumn/Winter menu. So really change is driven by the seasons. 

"We have now got more food that will warm you up as the temperature drops and the rain starts to spread across Bristol!"

Roasted polenta with mushrooms, gorgonzola and almonds

What is the process you go through when updating a menu?

Magda: "We have to think about how each course works with the next. We start with simple building blocks, the base ingredients: vegetables, fish, cheese, meat. Then we work it up from that, keeping the season in mind. There has to be something for everyone.

"And there are bigger, more complex decisions to make, too. The new menu has to fit together like a symphony. The starters and main dishes and desserts need to go well together, in multiple combinations.

"So it is a bit like putting a big jigsaw together, except we are making up the pieces as we go, trying things out, discussing ideas, it is a fascinating process, and one we enjoy very much."

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would
fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. 

George Eliot

Anna: "The other factor we consider is the range of choice. You want enough choice, but not too much. It is well known that too many options makes decisions harder, and the dining experience less enjoyable. So we limit the a la carte menu to 5 or 6 options per course."

Magda: "Creating a new menu is a complex process. We refine things as we go along. We start to make connections between the dishes: taste, smell, presentation... we have loads of ideas! The challenge is bringing it down to a matched set of dishes.

"So there is a process of elimination with several people making an input, everyone in the kitchen will have a view."

Do the owners Jerry and Beverly have any influence on the menu?

"Magda: Absolutely. Beverly is heavily involved in the development of our menu, right from the outset. Once we have a finished menu, we present dishes to them. I like it that way, to present quite a finished menu. We take in a lot of opinions along the way, from our customers, to our staff, and we have got it mostly right when the owners come to taste it."

In the next post Anna and Magda get into detail about what's new — and what could never change — on Mud Dock's menu.