Teddington Travel Guide

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I had often walked past the magnificent old building you can see in the image, obviously an old church, which currently serves as an Arts Centre having been deconsecrated. One day recently, having a little spare time on my hands, I decided to go in and see what it had to offer. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, an art exhibition perhaps or some sort of arts class going on. In the event, there was one lady setting out chairs and another on the desk at the door. I explained that I had just been passing and was interested in the building and she was very charming and told me all about it.

I'll give you a potted history of the place. It was consecrated in 1889, dedicated to St. Alban the Martyr and continued as a place of Anglican worshipuntil the 1970's when the bulding was deconsecrated and the congregation moved to the smaller church across the road. It was known, in it's heyday as "the Cathedral of the Thames" and it is not difficult to see why. It is a truly magnificent structure and would certainly have been fit to be a cathedral. I stand to be corrected but I believe the architectural style is Gothic. It is cavernous inside and was designed to house a congregation of 1200. There are still certain reminders of the past use although not many. There are a few pleasant stained glass windows and the pulpit still stands although many of the other artefacts were removed. The pulpit is in a very odd position being halfway down the side of the main area not at the front as is usual in such buildings. I really have no idea what the thinking behind this was but the pulpit itself is a very fine piece of work and worth a look.

There are various classes and workshops and fairs throughout the year with full details on the attached website but it is primarily a performance space featuring music, comedy nights and a host of other things. Again, the website is the best guide here.

As I said, it is not primarily designed for visiting when there is not an event on but I am sure of you go "on spec" as I did, you will be made most welcome, I know I was. It is worth the time.

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As I have mentioned in numerous other tips, specifically restaurant tips, I am a great believer in local knowledge and it was due to a local friend that we visited the King's Head Brasserie in Hight Street Teddington recently. Jonathan, a good friend who has lived in the area for some time, recommended it and specifically mentioned the service. Jonathan owns the excellent Middle Cottage bed and breakfast nearby and he told me that he had directed many of his guests here with excellent results. He even gave us a lift there, delightful host that he is.

As the name suggests, it is a former pub and still also serves that function with a delightful drinking area at the front of the premises. Had we not been dining, a couple of drinks here would have been most pleasant and this is an area with some very comfortable pubs.

The Brasserie boasts the name of Raymond Blanc, an internationally renowned chef whom I greatly admire and several of the menu items boast a BB symbol on the menu signifying Brasserie Blanc as their prevenance. Having done a little research I feel it is more of a franchise operation and the great man is rarely there, although at least the management are completely upfront about it and I know it is common in the restaurant trade. We attended on a midweek Autumn night and had no trouble getting a table which we were shown to by an extremely charming waiter. I should say here that service, as my Jon had suggested was exemplary throughout, full marks for that.

The menu is quite extensive and the choice was difficult. My companion and I opted for the Fisherman's board to share as a starter. This comprises Hot smoked Loch Duart salmon, potted smoked Cornish mackerel, crab mayonnaise and, although not mentioned on the menu, some delightful pickled cucumber. The whole was served with a warmed baguette and was simply delightful. A great start.

For mains we diverged. My friend ordered one of the most strangely named dishes I have ever seen on a menu, namely Priest Strangler pasta with a parsley and walnut pistou. Two things here. Why exactly this particular farinaceous dish leads to the strangulation of Christian clerics I have no idea and I had never heard of pistou before. A little internet research shows that pistou is a sauce made from garlic, olive oil and fresh basil, so like a pesto without the pinenuts really. As for strangling priests, apparently it refers to the type of pasta employed which is called strozzapreti and is supposed to resemble a rolled towel. I didn't investigate any further but I did try a mouthful and it was extremely tasty.

For my part, I had opted for Mr.s Keen's gammon steak, fried duck egg and creamy mash as opposed to the more usual chips (fries). As you can see from the image, it was presented delightfully and I was really looking forward to it. the mash was amongst the creamiest and tastiest I have ever had and I know a thing or two about potatoes being from Northern Ireland! I love duck eggs and this one was cooked to perfection. Now we come to the problem. I fully appreciate that gammon is likely to be salted therefore I had not seasoned it at table but it was incredibly salty. This was a shame as it was nicely cooked and the texture was excellent. I do not know if this was just a one off, a bad batch of gammon steaks or whatever but it really was so salty that I could not finish it. I cannot believe that any cook worth the name would have salted it in cooking so I can only conclude it was like that when it reached the kitchen.

This was such a shame as everything else had been so good. I would probably give it another go but steer clear of the gammon. I do dislike writing negative reports but I also like to write honest tips so here you have it.

To the logistics. the pub is open Mon-Sat: 11am to 11pm and Sunday: 12 midday to 10pm and the brasserie Mon-Thurs: 12 midday to 10pm, Fri & Sat: 12 midday to 10.30pm, Sunday: 12 midday to 9pm. There is limited parking at the premises.

Favorite Dish: The fisherman's board starter was absolutely superb.