Tuesday 30 October 2012

Jacobs & Field, Headington

Headington feels like a real place, far removed from the toy town that is Oxford; a safe enclave away from tourists with enormous rucksacks and humongous cameras, safely protected from the penguin parade schlepping from matriculation to examination to graduation. Headington is the kind of place that has useful shops like hardware stores and newsagents. It also has a specialist running shop, which in my book is very useful but probably isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Ah, yes, tea. Aiming to bring you a sound assessment of a variety of Oxford's many cafés, coffee shops and places to hang out, the Oxford Café Spy has boldly gone on a long journey, braving the complex public transport system and passing by some of the many hospitals in Oxford to bring you a review of Jacobs and Field, a much fêted venue in Headington.

Nestled next door to the upmarket supermarket Waitrose, Jacobs and Field is aimed at the well-heeled upper-middle class foodie. With a mug of tea coming in at around £2, don't expect a bargain builder's brew that you can spin out all afternoon while you watch the world go by. It is, however, very good Fairtrade tea, which comes with an adorable mini bottle of milk and the teabag on the side so you can brew the tea to your  taste (although, as some rather vocal ladies pointed out during my last visit, this means that the water is hot but not boiling when it meets your teabag which could be an issue for the purists among you). I haven't sampled the coffee, but it appears that espresso-based drinks come in miniature glass cups with metal handles which, while chic, means less cappuccino for your cash.

Having read a number of reviews of Jacobs and Field, I was determined to check it out. Discussion of the cakes came up a lot and it is probably evident by now that I never pass up a nice piece of cake. The idea came to me to make the journey following an accidental trip to Headington, after my usual bus to the City Centre was re-routed via the hospitals (unbeknown to me when I boarded). Being of sweet tooth, I went straight over to the counter to case the cakes and was rather disappointed to see just two baking trays, with rather thin, dry looking offerings inside. One of these was labelled 'chocolate brownie' the other 'lemon drizzle cake.' There was also a banana loaf which looked quite nice, though I find a banana loaf to be one of those things which hovers rather too precariously between breakfast and afternoon tea, and prefer it as a brunch option or afternoon snack. Aware that Jacobs and Field is a bit of a foodies' paradise, I expected the tray-bakes at least to have been removed from the tray, cut into squares and presented elegantly on a plate or cake stand. I had also hoped to see stonking great carrot cakes slathered in buttercream or luscious loaf-cakes sprinkled with sugar.

I wasn't bowled over by my first impressions of Jacobs and Field. The layout is quite open plan, with the kitchen area behind the till so you can see what's going on. While being able to see your food being prepared is great from a trust point of view, hopefully ensuring fresh ingredients and good food hygiene, I personally found the many mingling smells quite off-putting as I was kicking back with my tea and cake. It's quite a cluttered place with enamelled kitchenalia hanging from the ceiling and retro plates in glass cabinets - part farmhouse kitchen, part flea market. You can buy some of the trinkets and utensils scattered around the place, but they're far costlier than in your average charity shop.  Given that Headington is stuffed with charity shops like a turkey at Christmas, you'd be better off parting with your pennies for a good cause.

Anyway, returning to the pressing matter of cake, I opted for the brownie - I do like a good, rich and chocolatey brownie. The waitress brought over a thin but sizeable slab with a smooth, well-baked crust and crispy edges - a corner piece. Now, I know lots of people fight over the ends of a chocolate brownie, but I prefer the gooier middle bit - not that that's anything to do with Jacobs and Field - I suppose that's just the way the cookie (brownie) crumbles. And crumble it did. While the bottom half of the brownie was pleasantly moist and chocolatey, the top half was a little bit too well done for my liking. It was indulgent, but not so rich I had difficulty finishing it (actually, I don't think that has ever happened, though I live in hope...). A good, solid brownie, but nothing to write home / a blog about. So I'll move on.

I thought the disappointing selection of cakes might have been a one-off. Finding myself on the bus route towards Headington a second time later that week, I returned to see if anything sweet had been cooking in the J&F kitchens. Alas, the selection was the same. However, stomach growling for a late elevenses / early lunch, I opted for a mug of Earl Grey and a slice of banana bread. The banana bread arrived toasted and with a sachet of Nutella, as well as a generous portion of butter. I went straight for the chocolate spread, slathering it over this huge warm banana bread bricquette. It was very good; perhaps not quite as good as Zappi's lovely moist offering but still very nice. As someone who views many food items as merely a vehicle for condiments, I thought the Nutella was an inspired touch, though it has, perhaps, affected the objectivity of my assessment of the banana bread. Anyway, it's tasty, has a good texture and comes with Nutella. So, yes, it's good.

Cakes aside, Jacobs and Field is a favourite with ladies who lunch and is renowned for its deli and salad bar offerings. The place also does a good line in sandwiches, cheeses and cold meats. From what I could see, the self-service deli featured pasta, grain and potato salads, as well as roasted vegetables and that kind of thing. It looked like good, nice home-cooked fodder, though it did remind me of the bowls of salads you used to get spread on a large trestle for harvest lunches at my local church, when I was a child. While this is no bad thing - the parish has been blessed with many a good cook - I'm not sure I want to pay £10 for a few salads (though it is nice to eat off a real, china plate!).

As for the clientèle - well, this place is undeniably pretentious but I still rather liked it. As my usual haunts are in central Oxford, I've grown to hate overdressed students in oversized spectacles (nothing wrong with being visually challenged, mind - I'm bespectacled myself, though I don't go in for "Two Ronnies" glasses - oh, sorry, what was that? you're not channelling a comedy duo of bygone days?!). In some of Oxford's most sought after haunts, a MacBook Pro is  little more than a very expensive flag with which the student land-grabber can lay claim to his seat. In Jacobs and Fields, there was not a Mac to be seen. What's more, I haven't yet got too sick of yummy mummies and Home-Counties drawls yet; this, combined with the fact that I didn't have to fight for a table means that Jacobs and Field gets away with being a bit posh! Also, I can't help but love the milk bottles.

Cake: 2/5
Tea: 4/5
Pretentiousness: 2/5

Overall: ***