05 May Warm As Toast (More…)
The Lickfold Inn, West Sussex’s Sunday Times “Top 100 Restaurant” is probably best known for fine dining. It’s certainly the place to go for a “special occasion”, like an anniversary. However, it also just happens to be the regular haunt of Team Concise, the highly successful international yacht racing team that has its headquarters in nearby Haslemere.
Over the winter, Team Concise saw its women’s boat compete in the Transat Jaques Vabre. This iconic 6000-mile race from Le Havre to Itajai in southern Brazil is sailed with just two crew and is a huge challenge. Pip Hare and Phillipa Hutton Squires, the only all-woman team did incredibly well finishing the event in “just” 25 days.
Meanwhile, the team’s ultra fast 70-foot trimaran Concise 10, raced out to the West Indies where she competed in various events as well as promoting tourism and yachting on behalf of the Government of Barbados.
It was only natural that after a fast, furious and freezing 3000-mile return trip home that Captain Ned Collier Wakefield couldn’t wait to get back to “his local”. Wakefield commented, “Sitting at the tiller, even wrapped in everything you have, you still get numbingly cold. The heat just leaches out of you. That’s when your mind naturally migrates to warmer places. And for me, that was in front of the great big log fire at “The Lickfold” – a glass of wine hand and endless grazing from the bar menu – Pine Chicken, House Smoked Salmon, Prawns and Aioli, Crispy White Bait.”
Ned’s Dream Sequence
It was certainly “drinks all round” when team CEO Tony Lawson and Ned visited the pub to “share” their prize from the Round Barbados Race. Concise 10, flying her adopted Bajan colours, smashed the all comers course record in front of the “home crowd”. As well as carrying off the silverware Captian Coller Wakefield won his weight in Mount Gay Rum. Nine cases in all.
Jack Francis (Team Member), Graham Squire (House Chef), Gennaro Effuso (House Manager), Ned Collier Wakefield (Captain)
With Lickfold Inn Restaurant Manager, Gennaro Effuso and Chef Graham Squire on hand to provide a welcome, Tony Lawson was soon behind the bar mixing up his infamous Mount Gay Rum Punch.
” An old time barman at Sam Lord’s Castle gave me this recipe. It is a proper rum punch. None of that “tourist stuff” with orange and pineapple juice. It’simple really ! Just follow the 1-2-3-4. rule.
That is – 1 (Measure) of bitter (lime juice), 2 of sweet ( sugar syrup), 3 of strong (rum), 4 of weak (water). Stir together in a jug. Pour over a glass full of ice cubes. Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, a dash or two of Angostura Bitters and a Maraschino Cherry. Eh, Viola! And no umbrellas, please”.
Rum Punch!
As the rum punch flowed and Chef Graham served up one plate after another from his summer menu Ned’s memories of his freezing ride home soon faded. Talk turned to the next big event, the Round Ireland Race in just seven weeks time.
House Smoked Salmon
Tony Lawson
CEO Team Concise
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