I never need a reason to pay the team down at Ship Wandsworth a visit. That in itself is enough. However, when a bloggers feast with complementing wines and an array of fantastic personalities was offered my way I couldn’t refuse.
On a sunny but crisp 14th of January, I arrived at the Ship to be greeted with what has become a signature treat, the London famous Ship’s scotch egg. Crisp on the outside, runny in the middle. Delicious. Barely had the segment passed my lips and the grinning Oisin Rogers (GM) was offering me a welcome glass of their house prosecco; the Donna Trevigiana. Not even 1pm and we were drinking, yet this light bodied, highly acidic pear and peach sparkling was the perfect palette cleanser before launching into our first course.
The newest section of the restaurant was filled with various bloggers, about 35 in total, all with an insatiable interest in the London food scene. The Ship has followed many of these blogs with excitement over the years and it’s been interesting to note the influence they have on other diners and even the restaurants themselves menus.
I was sat with Ed (@RocketandSquash), Mr Noodles (@eatlovenoodles), Gina (@Gi_Nav), Lee (@Lee_Hawkins) and my good friend Dave from the online restaurant reservation company Livebookings (@Davedoesldn). A great mix of people and therefore interesting opinions when trialling the taster plates that were flying out from the Ship’s pass. For starters, we shared;
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Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait, Rum Soaked Baby Figs, Toasted Brioche
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Scallops with Fennel Purée, Crisped Fennel, Garlic Chives
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Grilled Lamb Cutlet, Spiced Tomato and Yoghurt Dressing
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Baked Black Sticks Blue Mushroom Torte, Truffle Rösti, Creamed Spinach
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Washed down with a Jean Marc Brocard, 2007; the king of Chardonnay from the heart of Burgundy.
My starter of choice at the Ship has always been the signature creamy foie gras, however the old favourite has since been enhanced with new elements. Gone is the bright green crunch of crumbled pistachios and instead you are treated with intense flavour from the intoxicated figs. What a winner.
The lamb cutlet would be my other stand out starter, where the medium rare meat fell off the bone and the spiced tomato side salad with yoghurt dressing ticked a new flavour box to what the Ship is known for. Always upping their game, Head Chef Shaun Harrington persistently pushes new dishes and interesting taste/ presentation combinations.
By the time I’d finished my share of these five plates, I was starting to wish I’d worn forgiving trousers, with enough room to fill the pockets with extra portions to take home. My stomach was approaching contentment, yet we still had mains to come. It was time for some pacing. A Ship bloggers lunch is not for the faint hearted.
The next course saw the introduction of;
Guinea Fowl, Truffled Mash, Sprouting Broccoli, Wild Mushroom Jus
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Chargrilled Beef Burger with Cheese, Pickled Cucumber and Fries
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Parsnip, Tomato and Goat’s Cheese Gratin, Jerusalem Artichoke, Chestnut Mushroom, Spinach Fricassée
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Seared Plaice, Parma Ham, Poached Leeks, Samphire, Champagne Sauce
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Braised Pork and Cider Pie, Mustard Glazed Carrots
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This time accompanied by Paso del Sol’s easy drinking Chilean Merlot.
The burger is an obvious favourite at the Ship, and worth the investment in time and resources at getting it spot on. The image speaks for itself and literally tastes just as good.
The plaice wrapped in parma ham was a treat and became a table favourite, with the group eagerly clearing those plates before sharing out the remains of the others.
At this point most would have handed in the towel and admitted defeat, yet the thought of something sweet was desirable, even if with eyes bigger than our bellies.
I had my heart set on the chocolate fondant, which was as you would expect; deliciously gooey in the middle with a surrounding rich sponge. The others were definitely taken by the refreshing passion fruit panacotta with coffee short bread and I noted a current restaurant favourite the traditional treacle tart with stem ginger ice cream even made an appearance. Presentation spot on, portioning 
always generous and the accompaniment a clever derivative from an expected standard.
Often content just to finish a meal with a dessert wine rather than pudding itself, the sweet nectar that Osh introduced us to didn’t disappoint; All Saints Rutherglen Muscat – hailing from down under.
But our feast didn’t stop here, to round off what had become a perfect afternoon filled with great conversation and even better gastronomic delights, a large cheeseboard was delivered to our table, completed with in-house chutney, grapes and crackers. Divine. Spoilt with the ten year old tawny port that gurgled to the top of our 100ml glasses, we sighed with satisfaction and pondered how any of us would be able to transport our gorged bodies homeward.
Thank you to Osh, Gail and the Ship team (as well as all the lovely bloggers) for a truly well thought out and well delivered event.
(A further thank you to Rosana McPhee (@Rosana_McPhee) for her stunning photography taken on the day).
Emma Dickinson (@EmmaLDickinson)
