Some days you just want one of those plates consisting entirely of random delicious bits and pieces, and for these days I turn to Partridges. Severely hungover (thanks to a marathon birthday dinner – a tasting menu with wine pairing at Davies and Brook, and in need of an edible hug, I felt justified in adding quiche, olives, and iberico ham to the same plate. And all available on Deliveroo (what a time to be alive!) I love delicatessens and grocers – heaving shelves stacked with curious jars, and fresh produce which changes with the seasons. Partridges is one of those places – where you pop in for a loaf of bread, and end weighed down with a bag for life, crammed with cake, apples, gnocchi, red onion chutney, etc. This particular time, I was in need of something instantly gratifying, so from the comfort of my living room, I ordered:
– Partridges Olives
– Partidges Lobster soup
– Clementines
– Quiche Lorraine
– Crab and shrimp salad
– Brindisa Bellota Iberico Ham Slices
– Antipasto Salad
I had expected to be most impressed with the quiche. I wasn’t – (there was a lot of red pepper in this quiche Lorraine, thus it wasn’t a quiche Lorraine at all). The crab and shrimp salad on the other hand was something spectacular. A stark white mountain of crab (they don’t scrimp on the crab) and prawns in a mayonnaise dressing that doesn’t look capable of tasting as delicious as it does. 48hours after buying, the whole container had finished (irresistible on crackers). I’ve another surprising observation – the clementines were, are, the most delicious I’ve ever tasted – some feat given these are my favourite citrus. The lobster soup I had the next day, and it was everything I hoped it would be, thick and warming, with that concentrated, creaminess that all good bisques have.
Here’s to the Partridges plate – a glorious buffet of the delicious bits and pieces Partridges has to offer.
Sabrina Goodlife.