New Beginnings 2: The Magdalen Arms

During the dark, dingy and sometimes desperately miserable times of Winter, my younger sister; a new resident of Oxford and my best friend Tat and I took to meeting up and eating out. As a rule we tried to go for somewhere that would be reasonably priced, tasty and preferably not a chain, as my fellow Oxfordians know, this can be quite a hard task.
One rather cold and grey Sunday lunchtime in November we decided to take a chance on a new and promising sounding pub, The Magdalen Arms. Later that week, we went again and sampled the dinner menu which was just as delicious and surprising as the Sunday menu. Before we knew it we were eating there several times a week, the menu changing everyday, to accommodate seasonal vegetables, game and fish. The board outside invited allotment owners to swap their produce for drinks. The food simply cooked and finished to reflect the quality of the produce itself. The friendly staff engaged us in witty banter and suddenly: we were home.
In early January, we popped in for a little snack, as a starter I believe I had the woodpidgeon breast, served beautifully rare, with a sweet onion puree and a marvellously salty and savoury duck scone. As I finished my rich, tender and moist ox-cheek-and-dumpling-main-course, I popped up to the bar to get a drink. Whilst it was being made, I showed Florence Fowler, the owner, a review I had read by a foodblogger I follow on Twitter, Dos Hermanos and after she had shown Tony Abarno and the other chefs she asked me about myself. I told her that I was passionate about good food, but I scooped salad for a living and that the learning curve had quickly turned into a flatline.


"Why don't you come and work for me?"


So I did. After a week of trial shifts I quit my salad scooping, gave my notice and became part of the front of house team. An advocate for the kitchen, it felt good to be so close to food that amazing. As Florence and I were sorting out the paperwork for my employment she asked me where I would most like to be as part of the Magdalen Arms team. I think she probably meant the bar or the floor. I misunderstood, and replied,


"The kitchen"


And so it was. I started off just one shift a week. On my first shift, I was introduced to a whole world of raw meat as Tony (mostly!) and I processed twenty rabbits, fifteen wood pigeons, ten chickens, broke a haunch of venison down into individual muscles and last but not least, made the game terrines. I worked incredibly slowly and carefully, asking endless questions, "Like this?" "Should I keep this bit?" "Cut here?" every question was met with patience or calm demonstrations. 
I can't imagine how frustrating my presence must have been for Tony and the other chefs and when, after a month in the kitchen Tony asked me if I would like to start in the kitchen full time, I was absolutely terrified. I felt like a hinderance rather than a help. My lack of training was so apparent, no amount of passion could counteract the fact that I had almost no idea what I was doing. 


"Forty hours a week babes"


I accepted. And the learning began. Intense, stressful, sleepless yet incredibly satisfying and rewarding learning. As I write this I have been working full time in the kitchen for two months. I'm pretty sure that I learn new and surprising things everyday. About food, people, business etcetera ad infinitum. I still have to ask questions and I still make mega fuck-ups, but as we welcome new staff into our kitchen I realise this isn't such a bad thing, if you don't ask, often you won't ever know and I definitely learn from my mistakes. I'm very glad I took a chance on this opportunity and I'm extremely thankful that Tony took a chance on me. I think I'm just about starting to make it worth his while!


To read a wide range of reviews look here 
Or just see for yourself and book a table at The Magdalen Arms, call 01865 243159