“Contemporary fine-dining tasting menus, with a guest counter surround the open kitchen and bar”

Crockers – in their own words

What is it about?

I have personally never visited Tring before. It was always a town where I would pass whilst sitting on the train on my way to and from work in the capital. As the lockdown eased and it was at a convenient location for myself and my friends, it made sense to meet at a place where we’ve never been to previously. 

Crockers at Tring is one of the winners of the 2021 Michelin Plate that serves Modern British dishes. Crocker’s can be found on the high street of Tring. The exterior is sleek, and in the middle of the high street which can easily be spotted. 

If you are looking to drive to the venue, a communal car park is only a stone’s throw away. 

We had booked lunch in the dining room. It was busy, but the tables were spaced out with dividers so each table was separated to minimise contact with others. On this occasion, we didn’t choose the chef’s table – but this is definitely going to be on the books for next time. 

What’s the menu like?

Carefully divided into several courses; the menu consisted of small bites, starters, mains, and desserts.

Here’s what we ordered:

• Whipped smoked roe, dill, and squid ink crisps
• Culture bakery sourdough bread with marmite butter
• Confit chicken terrine, Caesar dressing, Parmesan and sourdough crumb
• Dry Aged beef burger, bacon and onion jam, brioche bun, gherkin, smoked cheddar, gem lettuce, and skin-on fries
• Fish fritter, brioche, pickled cucumber, dill, tartare, and skin-on fries
• Grilled sea bass, St Austell bay mussels, seaweed butter, Jersey Royals, and asparagus
• Valrhona chocolate mousse, raspberry, and cocoa nibs

We always enjoy bread before a meal, and this visit was no exception. The sourdough was freshly prepared by the Crockers team and the marmite butter was delicious – they always say “you either love it or hate it”, and I would say that quite love the combination.

• 

• 

The visually appealing squid and seaweed crisps were delicious. I particularly liked the way the crisps were presented and the taste of the whipped smoked roe that was paired together.

• 

• 

The rich confit chicken terrine has a delicious succulent chicken and rich froi gras. The slight tang taste of the Caesar dressing along with carefully sliced parmesan provided a lovely balanced taste. This is the first time I’ve actually tried chicken terrine, and it is a dish I would try again.

We all enjoy a delicious burger from time to time, and this occasion is no different. It has all the ingredients that you would expect from a burger – the lovely team at Crockers managed to make it slightly different for one of my friends (due to a personal reason), and they were very accommodating. This is something to mention, as the team did want to get to know us which creates a friendly bond between guests and the front-of-house team.

As a seabass lover, I do often order this dish when I dine out. One of the reasons behind this is, I enjoy a different way of enjoying this fish. I often steam the fish with ginger, spring onion, and chillis and topping it up with warm soy sauce, so I am open to new methods.

The skin was removed from the fillet, revealing moist, buttery, and tender flesh. You could taste the seaweed butter on the dish, with the St. Austell Bay mussels that were nicely paired.

The asparagus was a changer for me. Although they were in smaller pieces, I enjoyed the asparagus as it brought out the taste of the seafood. 

 

Fish fritters give me memories of being young in Hong Kong. To be fair, I haven’t come across many restaurants that served fish fritters. So it was great to see this on a menu. 

Although I didn’t try this dish myself, the feedback was – delicious and well-coated. The fish was actually made from cod and carefully coated with light batter mix. The delicacy of the fish meant it could potentially fall apart when being prepared, but it kept its shape. 

The Valrhona chocolate mousse, raspberry, and cocoa nibs were delicious. I’ve always been a fan of Valrhona chocolates, I was delighted when I realised they used these French chocolate. The cocoa nibs were delicious. A raspberry sorbet came with the dessert, which also acts as a palate cleanser between the chocolate mousse and the caramelised pieces.

This is something to mention, as the team did get to know us which created a friendly bond during our meal. I can’t wait to go back and enjoy the chef’s table.

 

Find Crockers Tring:

74 High Street, Tring, HP23 4AF

 www.tring.crockersuk.com