MYLES Anderson is very much like his home town’s provincial rugby club Hawke’s Bay.
This famous New Zealand rugby club, based in Napier, wear black and white hooped jerseys and their nickname is the Magpies.
The magpie instinct is exactly what Myles, who has travelled miles on his cookery journey, has picked up along the way and added to his culinary skills.
Not only did he pick up the good and discard the bad from the chefs he worked with, he also met his wife Sophie in London.
Myles started out on his cooking travels when he was young and began helping his grandmother and mother cooking in the kitchen.
This lead him onto catering college and from there he worked in various restaurants in Hawke’s Bay before he started travelling the world working in Scotland at a little hotel called the Monocle Mhor as well as in Ireland, South Africa and Australia.
It was when he reached London he met Sophie at The Kingston Tap and then relocated to Taunton as it was her family's home town.
He worked at a number of locations in the town include Oak Manor and was head of catering at King’s College.
It was while at this job at the college, he got the cookery bug back and wanted to return to the kitchen rather than working to a set menu for a set price-contract cooking.
He wanted the freedom and creativity back in his working life, so when the chance came to take over the running of Silvers Pantry with his wife, Sophie, emerged, it was an opportunity too good too miss.
Myles is delighted to be back cooking in the kitchen, especially at work.
He said: “I have always liked food, I like eating and I like cooking.
“What is nice here is the open plan kitchen which means people can watch their food being cooked. “Back in New Zealand open kitchens are the thing, while here not so much.
“We have only been open four months and are currently working on a new menu. What is nice is the freedom cooking can give. You have to make sure what is produced is quality.
“What we have to be is flexible with what we use to cook so there is no waste.
“What I like about cooking is memories, especially food memories. I still remember a steak my grandmother did for me and it is the best one I have eaten. Food memories are about smells and tastes.
“Being a chef is all about learning, all about picking up different skills.
“I am constantly learning every day and what you hope you are able to do is pass on this knowledge.
“When you work with people you absorb what they do, you pick up the best bits.
“One of my aims as a chef is to build up a level of trust. That means getting repeat customers and getting new customers coming back since we have opened.”
What is on the menus at Silvers Pantry? Here are some of the items on offer.
On the breakfast menu is:
- Pantry Breakfast £8.50
- Cumberland sausage, back bacon, roasted tomato, black pudding, field mushroom, eggs your way, toast
- Vegetarian Pantry Breakfast (v) £8.95
- Vegetarian sausage, roasted tomato, field mushroom, crushed avocado, steamed spinach, warm hummus, eggs your way, toast
- Eggs Benedict (Ham) £7.95
- Eggs Royale (Smoked Salmon) £8.75
- Eggs Florentine (Spinach) (v) £7.95
- 2 soft poached eggs with either ham, spinach or smoked salmon, toasted muffin, hollandaise sauce, paprika
- Eggs ‘Doo-Dah’ £8.95 (invented by one of our regular customers)
- 2 soft poached eggs, spinach, smoked salmon, toasted muffin, hollandaise sauce, paprika
- Silvers Pantry Eggs £9.95
- 3 soft poached eggs, ham, spinach, smoked salmon, toasted muffin, hollandaise sauce, paprika
There is also porridge, granola and muesli.
Lunch menu includes:
- Sandwiches (white, granary, bap)
- Classic BLT with mayo £6.95
- Goats Cheese, red onion marmalade, £6.75 salad (v)
- Croque Monsieur
- Hand carved ham, West Country cheddar, béchamel sauce £6.95
- Croque Madame As a Croque Monsieur with the addition of 2 soft fried eggs £7.85
Free Range Chicken Wrap smoked spiced bean salsa, avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream (served warm) £6.95
Pastrami, Swiss cheese, £6.95 sauerkraut, dill pickled gherkin, mayo, mustard.
There is afternoon tea served between 2pm-3pm. This includes Selection of British finger sandwiches (ham & English mustard, smoked salmon & cream cheese, egg mayo & cress, cucumber & black pepper)
A selection of Silvers Pantry delicious cakes and biscuits
- Eton mess
- Warm fruit scone, our homemade fruit jam, clotted cream
- Unlimited tea and coffee of your choice
Details of Silvers Pantry at Prockters Farm, West Monkton, online at silverspantry.co.uk
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