Ryton restaurant boss Douglas Jordan talks about his labour of love
Ryton restaurant boss Douglas Jordan talks about his labour of love
Posted: 14 Nov 2009
Jordans is the cream of the crop
By Michael Hamilton
Jordans restaurant has just celebrated its sixth birthday and the project has been a labour of love for owner Douglas Jordan – quite literally.
Because he did all the labouring and helped fill the skips with rubbish when he set about renovating a derelict ex-hairdressing salon in Ryton.
Douglas, a chef for 43 years, says: ‘I wanted to move out of Newcastle because it was too saturated with restaurants. I was driving through the village one day with my wife and saw this site and thought it would be just perfect.’
‘I helped knock down the walls and fill the skips. It was the exact opposite of cooking where you have to watch things by degrees. I quite enjoyed it.’
Ryton has never traditionally been regarded as a centre of culinary excellence in the North East and I should know because I come from Crawcrook, a mile away.
But Douglas has put this former pit village in the Tyne Valley well and truly on the regional food map with his chic little bistro.
I’ve been coming for four years now and the quality shows no sign of abating. My initial reaction of surprise has become one of contented satisfaction after a succession of superb meals over the years.
Douglas doesn’t make a song and dance about his cooking credentials. Let me do that for him. He’s currently chairman of the judges for NECTA (North East Culinary and Trade Association) and a member of the Master Chefs of Great Britain.
After attending college in Manchester he worked there for five years (including the Midland Hotel) before a stint in Jersey starting in 1972. He came back to Newcastle after two years and worked for Swallow Hotels for seven years latterly as head chef at the Imperial Hotel.
He went on to become head chef at the Black Gate restaurant before returning to the Swallow in Newcastle in 1989 as head chef.
As well as passing on his expertise to new generations of chefs while teaching City and Guilds courses at Northumberland Technical College, he picked up a host of awards including Cumbrian Chef of the Year.
In 1991 he bought the Black Gate restaurant and picked up an Egon Ronay award for best regional restaurant and Northumbrian Chef of theYear.
These days – as well as running his business – he is still heavily involved in nurturing new talent in the region as chairman of the judges of NECTA for the very popular annual North East Chef of the Year contest.
‘I think a lot of the basics are left out of cookery these days. A lot of young chefs just skim over things,’ he says. ‘I was classically trained and honesty is what it’s all about. I try to do honest British cookery with a few modern ideas.
‘I do adore all food. I love working with fish, making terrines, pates and soups. For me it’s all about doing things correctly. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve only ever had a McDonalds once in my life. I’ve never had Kentucky Fried Chicken and wouldn’t dream of eating a kebab.’
So what’s his food like? Like the man who is quietly spoken, the food is understated. Simple, clean dishes of the highest order.
Take, for example, his woodland mushroom soup starter – it tastes so good you think there must be something illegal in it. Creamy and bursting with full good mushroomy flavour, the advert would say on TV.
My wife had the pressed ham knuckle and roast pepper terrine and aubergine confit. Seriously meaty yet startlingly fresh in equal measure. I know, because I couldn’t resist a bit myself.
I followed with roast chicken breast wrapped in crispy bacon with a sage and walnut stuffing and leek champ. The al dente steamed baby leeks superbly off-set the richness of the succulent breast and nutty stuffing.
My wife chose the tenderloin of Northumberland lamb with gratin potato and rosemary jus. She said the lamb tasted so young and fresh it made her feel guilty it didn’t have a few more weeks to run around in the fields.
Unlike in some fashionable establishments where vegetables are extra, main courses here come with a great big portion of fresh seasonal vegetables steamed just to perfection.
That still left a little room for Jordan’s devilish apple strudel with tea and biscuit ice cream (for her) and a spot of splendid creamy Northumberland award-winning cheese for me.
The décor in Jordans mirrors the simplicity of the food with fresh yellow and terracotta walls, and beech and chrome table and chairs.
Service is relaxed,unrushed, pleasantly open and low key. With a bottle of house wine at £11.95 it all came to about £55.
Sample menu
Starters
Woodland Mushroom Soup – £3.95
Pressed Ham Knuckle and Roast Pepper Terrine, Aubergine Confit – £4.95
Ballotine of Chicken, Pickled Cucumber, Piquant Sauce – £4.85
Melon Cocktail, Orange and Cardamon Sorbet – £4.25
Jordan’s Pate, Apple, Rosemary and Tomato Chutney – £4.75
Grilled Goats Cheese, Chicory and Walnut Salad, Grain Mustard Vinaigrette – £4.60
Potted Smoked Trout, Celeriac Remoulade – £4.75
Main courses
Roast Chicken Breast, Sage and Walnut Stuffing, Crispy Bacon, Leek Champ –£11.95
Pan fried Seabass, Black Olive Mash, Tomato Fondue – £14.25
Tenderloin of Northumbrian Lamb, Gratin potato, Rosemary Jus – £14.95
Confit of Duck, Crushed New Potatoes, Classical Orange Sauce – £12.85
Rib Eye Steak, Chive Soubise Butter, Garlic Croquettes, Seasonal Salad – £15.95
Penne Pasta, butternut Squash, Pine Nuts, Truffle Oil – £8.25
A variety of seasonal vegetables included
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