A super week for supper

Ever since attending one of Miss Sue Flay’s fantastic underground tea parties back in January I have been on the look out for more supper clubs and underground restaurants in the area. No such luck. Until last week that is. All of a sudden two came along at once (I won’t mention buses or men here). One a more formal affair and not so underground – that is the College Supper Clubs run by Local Secrets in Cambridge. The other a last minute invite from the aforementioned Miss Sue Flay (Sue Flay – get it yet?) to a proper underground affair in Letchworth – read about that one here.  

The supper club at Corpus Christi college was a grand affair – with champagne on arrival and much talk of college history and tradition. We were led through to the dining hall, with tables set out Hogwarts style and shown to our places. The setting was spectacular and for one night you really can be a part of the covert university world. We sat down to leek veloute with a crisp egg, served with a crisp white wine. The leek soup was full of flavour but the egg could have done with some salt added to the water that I assume they’d be poached in. It was an exciting starter and very clever – not least because it had people round the communal tables guessing how it had been achieved and chatting away to each other like old friends.  

Between courses a Cambridge fellow recounted the history of the university (something to do with a murder) and the college itself (the only one to be founded by the local community). He was fascinating and answered every question with a touch of humour. We could have listened for hours. Main course was a pleasant interruption though – rack of lamb with its own moussaka. I struggled to get as much meat as I would have liked from the rack but then that’s just the nature of it, and my fault for not being a chew-on-the-bones kind of girl. The moussaka more than made up for that though – it was quite delicious.

Dessert, as is frequently the case, was my favourite course. A passion fruit and orange tart – it’s perfect tartness was complemented by the creamy coconut sorbet. The only slight let down was that my other half’s tart was burnt and so he had to share mine. 

The college supper clubs are a great addition to the Cambridge restaurant scene and they offer unique experience for locals who want a peak inside the university. If you like good food and a bit of local history then they are great fun. The communal element adds a nice feel and you certainly get to meet people, saying that though, I would say go along with a group of four or six and chat to those around you as well as your friends.  

The best part Learning about the university from a blue badge holder

Needs work In my humble opinion the £58.50 per head price tag is perhaps a little steep.

Book and find out more at cambridgecollegesupperclub.com