The Hand & Flowers: Restaurant review

Once I heard lockdown restrictions were easing, I pounced on an opportunity to make a booking for a place I have wanted to go to for years.

The Hand & Flowers by Tom Kerridge, has been recommended to me by so many people; that after a few months of no restaurants and saving some money; I booked a lunch date for two.

Why all the hype and fuss about this. Well... as they say, they are...




​"A cosy, welcoming pub with outstanding food
The Hand & Flowers is the only pub in the UK with two Michelin stars. We’re located in the beautiful Georgian town of Marlow, where we serve delicious, award-winning food in welcoming and comfortable surroundings."

"At The Hand & Flowers, we believe that great ingredients are crucial. Get them right, and you’re 90 per cent there. We take an honest approach to food, allowing the ingredients to be true to themselves, with a drive for flavour and nothing too complex. We have strong relationships with producers to ensure the best possible produce for our guests, and that includes many local suppliers."

I think, 'pub', 'two Michelin Stars' and 'delicious' are the things that appealed to me.
​Chef Tom Kerridge also is a big draw and having one of his cookbooks and watching him, countless times of TV, means I had to sample his food myself.

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Having got to the pub, on a lovely hot day, we sat outside in the sun and had our drinks. The outdoor area was very relaxed and sat in the sun, I felt like I was on holiday.

We both went for cocktails to drink and had an Old Fashioned each. One was with duck fat and the other was alcohol free. Both were very tasty, the Alcohol with duck fat version was very sweet and I made sure I enjoyed every sip in the sun.

The food we had ordered :

• Pork & Baby onion Demi Pie with “Pied de Cochon en Gelée” and Spiced Date Purée
• Salt Cod Croquetta with salami
• Essex Lamb “Bun” with Sweetbreads and Salsa Verde
• Slow Cooked Duck Breast with Sweet and Sour Onion Tart, Cherry Ketchup and Duck Gravy
• ​Hand & Flowers Chips

Looks good right?
It reads well, looked great and tasted even better. As a couple eating, the benefits are obvious; quality time and the ability to share. Although, we each ordered what we wanted (I went for the Pie to start and Lamb bun for main), we still sampled each others dishes... and then shared the chips.

To describe the food, we would say it was clever, full of rich and deep flavours AND absolutely YUMMY.

​Or you could even describe it as complex and simple at the same time.

The lamb bun is a classic example of something looking simple to then being complex and clever.

When it arrived, it look very pretty, but definitely not what I was expecting. Once I cut into in the surprises continued. The amount of meat condensed into the sweetbread was incredible and the surrounding veg helped add a lovely layer of flavour.

The Hand & Flowers is a special occasion type of restaurant. What this means is, book in advance, save up and believe the hype.
It was well worth the visit and I am already saving up to go back again.

GOOD TIMES: The food will leave you full and happy. The best bet would be to book a room so you can just go and lay down after.

WATCH OUT: It is pricey and there will be a wait. So book in advance.

OMG: The lamb bun, is a neat little package, that packs a punch. So tasty and i can see why it is their signature dish.