The Launch of "Wheels"

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	Old Reviews and Leaflets - Page 2 of 4
This page is a reprint of a historical document, and should therefore be read in a historical context. For present-day details about “Wheels”, click here.

THE LAUNCH OF THE MASTER CUTLER AT WHEELS

Wheels at the Dell in Warwick Street is the inspiration of Richard Paramor and Ashley Wakelin. An exciting venture incorporating their professional expertise and mutual enthusiasm and knowledge of the tradition of bus and rail transport, this entrepreneurial duo have created a shop selling railway and bus memorabilia as well as model trains and railway accessories. In addition there is ‘The Next Stop’ Coffee Bar; a computerised coach booking operation; ‘Travel at Wheels’ and the ‘S22 Club’ and now their recent triumph ‘The Master Cutler’ restaurant.

There is an almost irresistible temptation to launch into railway metaphor when describing this latest project. It would be so easy to state that, ‘on Tuesday, 26th August, the launching of the Master Cutler was a signal success’, or ‘The Master Cutler was full steam ahead for its maiden voyage at 20.00 hours on Tuesday, 26th August”. It is with a great deal of restraint, however, that such corny indulgences will be avoided.

ABOARD THE MASTER CUTLER

The official opening night of the Master Cutler Restaurant at Wheels was all that it promised to be and more. The assembled company were greeted by Richard and Ashley in the Next Stop and hospitality commenced with a glass of very acceptable wine. At eight o’clock we were invited into the Master Cutler to dine. This was a sociable evening where lively conversation, good food and wine were the order of the day. Named after the famous steam train which ran from Sheffield to Kings Cross, the Master Cutler is an attempt to re-create the old railway atmosphere.

Furnished after the style of a platform waiting/dining room, it is decorated in the maroon and gold of the London, Midland and Scottish Line. The ‘Wheels’ theme and LMS colours are threaded into everything from the tableware to the menu cards.

The Master Cutler has charming additional touches such as the replicas of bygone gas lamps, railway memorabilia and quiet background music which is occasionally interspersed with the sounds of those gentle iron giants as they once steamed and whistled through the countryside. Needless to say, the tables, are aptly named (rather than numbered) after trains such as The Aberdonian or The Cornish Riviera Express.

THE MENU

The menu is the imaginative creation of chef, beautifully cooked and thoughtfully presented using only fresh meat and vegetables. The theme of railways is continued with dishes with names such as ‘Pate Roundhouse’, ‘Chop and Change’ and ‘Brighton Belle’. I chose ‘Devon Belle’, described as ‘a mouthwatering honey roast ham served with a sauce of walnuts and cider enhanced with watercress and gently dowsed in lemon juice. It tasted even better than it was described and the taste-buds danced a little jig of delight. Vegetarian dishes are prepared with equal attention to culinary details.

THE WINE LIST

Through its compiler, Alastair MacBrayne of The Grapevine, the wine list is not without its transport connections. Alastair hails from the illustrious Scottish MacBraynes who pioneered the ferry routes of the umpteen large and small islands along Scotland’s rugged West Coast. This was also the family which provided a bus and mail service plying routes which linked Scottish Towns with, often isolated villages carrying letters, parcels and passengers. For the Master Cutler wine list, Alastair has successfully combined his lasting affection for transport, and more particularly, steam trains, with his exceedingly well informed love of wine to produce a very imaginative selection at affordable prices.

‘Wine Artist’ is an appropriate description of the man who unpretentiously explains the particular nuances of flavour as if an artist painting a portrait.

THE FUTURE

The Master Cutler was declared open by Annie Othen, presenter of Mercia Sound’s “Night Express”. For Richard, Ashley and their friends and helpers, the night was a triumph. The result of a great deal of vision, hard work and energy. If this was also a sample of many such future evenings then this sense of occasion must be assured if only because the ‘passengers’ will experience a feel that they too are participating in the Wheels railway adventure. Unlike real platforms, there was no hurry to depart yet no one missed the train.


	Old Reviews and Leaflets - Page 2 of 4
This page is a reprint of a historical document, and should therefore be read in a historical context. For present-day details about “Wheels”, click here.

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