WALNUT TREE INN — Tom BIble

Franco Taruschio basking in the Welsh sunshine in front his restaurant, the Walnut Tree Inn, situated at the foot of the Skirrid near Abergavenny.

A plateau of Oysters ready to be served. Many of Franco’s fish dishes had a strong Thai influence stemming from the Taruschio’s adoption of Thai baby girl 30 years ago.

A busy sous-chef reaching for scallops in the larder.

Delicious lobsters and crab freshly imported from Cornwall.

A sous-chef handing the ‘Porchetta’ dish to a waitress. Franco’s cooking style was also influenced by the Marche region of Italy where he was brought up before moving to Britain.

All the waitresses were from the local community, some of whom have worked with Franco for over 30 years. They formed an integral part of the charm and warmth of the restaurant.

Franco in super busy mode, kept a ‘keen eye’ on the dishes going out to the restaurant, checking that the food matches up to his high standards.

With over 600 dishes sometimes being served on a Saturday night, the rush was always on to get the meals to customers with minimal delay.

Franco in full flow on a very busy Saturday night as he barged his way thru the busy kitchen… much to the amusement of one of his staff!

Cotechini were menu favourite: sausages made from pork bellies and hung for 20 days to bring out their unique flavours.

One of the young sous-chefs checking the destination of his dish on the order board. The order board was followed religiously to ensure that the dishes were executed in order and with minimum delay.

Waitress checking her complexion in the kitchen mirror while doing the washing up at the end of a busy night.

Franco always found time to enjoy a drink with his loyal customers at the end of busy evening.

One o’clock in the morning on Sunday and the waitresses finally had a chance to relax after a super busy Saturday night.

WALNUT TREE INN
©TOM BIBLE2007

14 PHOTOS

OVERVIEW

The following photos provide an insight into Walnut Tree during its heyday.

WALNUT TREE INN

Back in 200 the Walnut Tree Inn, tucked away in the beautiful Usk Valley on the outskirts of Abergavenny was one of the UK’s most famous restaurants. Run by the legendary chef, Franco Taruschio and his wife Ann, they transformed it from a regular country pub into one of UK’s finest restaurants.

Franco was one of the pioneer celebrity chefs appearing on countless TV chef shows and having collaborated on numerous books with his wife Ann. Loyal customers would not hesitate to make the return 2 hour trip from London in one night to dine at his award winning restaurant.

In 2001 Franco and Ann sold the restaurant to fellow Italian, Francesco Mattioli. Despite its initial success under new ownership, the restaurant declined rapidly after losing its Michelin-Star Head Chef. The prices stayed high and the food deteriorated… so much so that kitchen firefighter Gordon Ramsay was called in back in 2003.

After a struggle, the restaurant is faring better but no where near the heydays of Franco. The following photos provide an insight into Walnut Tree during its heyday.