Miller & Carter are a British steak house chain with thirty-six restaurants across the country. Their Sirloin steaks recently won an award for being the best in Britain which is an amazing achievement for them. To celebrate, myself and a handful of food bloggers were invited to the restaurant in the Mailbox to find out more about their amazing steaks, which involved being taught how to cook our own perfect steaks in their kitchen! It was such an amazing experience and an incredibly tasty one at that – editing these photos was really difficult because my mouth kept watering at the sight of the gorgeous steak. It was really interesting finding out how their steaks got from farm to table and I’ve got a whole new appreciation for steak now. Keep reading if you want to find out a little bit more behind this fantastic restaurant…
We started off in the kitchen; hands washed and M&C aprons and chef hats on, we were ready to get our teeth into the meaty business. The staff skills trainer, ‘Stevo’, was on hand to talk us through the process and show us how to get the perfect steak. Miller & Carter have their own suppliers and each one is rigorously kept in check to ensure the meat is high quality; each one meets the Red Tractor Farm Assured standards. The cattle they use are fed on grass and finished on grain to ensure that the meat isn’t too fatty and tough. The cows are never stressed out which would always result in a tense meat. They end up with around 45 cuts per animal which are then cured dry and wet to develop the flavour. Miller & Carter’s expert butchers hand cut the meat to ensure every single steak is to the highest quality. Each cows ‘passport’ is kept until the steak reaches the kitchen, so the steak can be traced right back to the farm. In total, the steak that lands on your plate has taken around two and a half years to get there which means it’s passed every quality test and is the best it can be.
After we had a hefty briefing session about where all the meat comes from and how the chefs prepare it, we finally found out how to cook the perfect steak. Stevo told us that the best way to store steak is on it’s side, so that none of the flavours are compromised and the juices don’t escape into the packaging. We each picked a joint to put on that huge, £6,000 grill you can see in the photo! The steak is popped on the grill then seasoned, with a good handful of sea salt and pepper. It’s turned three times before it’s ready to be served, with the signature criss cross markings. Stevo told us that it’s worth taking your time when cooking the steak, as it’s taken so long to reach this point – it deserves the best service!
After the steaks were done, we got to taste them. Never, have I tasted such incredible meat. First we tried the Rib-eye, which was so succulent and tender to the point it literally melted in my mouth. I must say I’m a complete convert to this cut of steak now, as the Sirloin is quite a dense cut of meat. The seasoning was just right, complimenting the rich flavours and adding a lovely texture to the meat. Oh my goodness I was truly in heaven! We were taken to a table where they served each cut of steak along with the sides they offer at the restaurant. Each steak comes with a salad bowl of your choice, (my personal favourite was the honey and bacon dressed lettuce) an onion loaf, tomato, fries and a sauce of choice. The beef dripping one was heavenly! We all got to try one of their ‘soft-tails’ too – I went for a Mango Melba which was the perfect fruity accompaniment to the meal. Miller & Carter don’t charge extra for any sides – the price on the menu includes the sides and is pretty reasonable for a steak restaurant. The quality of the food is unbeatable and it really is a high class dining experience.
So, if you’re still looking for your perfect steak, I’d suggest Miller & Carter. Their steaks are amazing and truly deserve the award they’ve received. So much time and thought goes into ensuring the steaks are of the highest quality. I’d absolutely love to head back in the future and have a full meal there, and luckily for me Harry wants a taste of it too! Thank you to the wonderful team at the Mailbox restaurant for having us and putting on a wonderful lunch for us.
Have you been to Miller & Carter before?
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