Tim Hughes joins a popular supper club at an East Oxford mental health charity, where the food satisfies the soul as well as the stomach

Now, we all love a good meal cooked by a great chef. But how much better would it taste if we knew our munching was also helping a great cause?

The answer, I discovered at the weekend, is... a lot.

As the culinary genius behind the Smoke and Thyme Supper Club, East Oxford foodie Jack Greenall has amassed a considerable following – not least for his imaginative fusion of flavours, but also for his knack at transforming the most unlikely space into a high-end restaurant. And his latest venture ticks every box.

Teaming up with mental health charity Restore, the cheery chef has landed a great venue – the Garden Cafe, off Manzil Way – and is helping to boost the organisation’s work among people with mental health issues, by donating a slice of the takings; diners paying what they think the meal is worth.

A bring-your-own-bottle arrangement means Restore also benefits from a £5 corkage fee. We, meanwhile, get to drink what we like at shop prices. Bargain.

The cafe is clean and functional with little in the way of adornment, but benefits from a great location in a secluded garden just off Cowley Road. Entrance is via a locked gate at the back of the compound. Once inside, the bustle of OX4 seems suddenly remote, with only distant sirens serving as a reminder of the world beyond this secret garden.

Diners share tables, which helps to break down that hidebound middle class reserve, and encourage guests to make new friends – though it was apparent that many people knew each other anyway.

Jack introduces each course – every announcement greeted by cheers and an encouraging round of applause; a nice touch!

For a considerable catering operation, the food came thick and fast. And very good it was too.

First out were Thai crab tartlets. These were smooth, complex and highly-flavoured and fabulously spicy – perhaps too hot for some. While just on the right side of dry, they would have perhaps benefited from a sweet chilli sauce.

A slim shot glass of roasted sweetcorn and red pepper soup (“would have made a great Bloody Mary,” was a comment I overheard a few times), served as an introduction to the main event: a butter-confit pork with autumn carrot puree and peas.

The pork was wonderful, as good as any I have tasted, and topped with perfect crackling. The puree was also a delight, and served in lieu of jus – though, again, a little gravy would have sealed the deal.

Jack confessed that his pride and joy, however, was the dessert – a hedgerow ice cream of wild berries served on apple crumble.

The ice cream was also superb – just the right amount of tartness to cut through the residual memory of that fantastically-fatty pork. The dry crumble, meanwhile, packed a crunch to challenge the mightiest molars.

All in all, it was a fine meal, and I’ll certainly be along for the next supper club. More than that though, it was a fabulous social event and a tasty way of supporting a great charity.

“We’re so delighted to host Smoke and Thyme’s supper club,” Restore volunteer Katie-Louise Herring told me. “Not only is it raising vital funds for our services, but it is bringing new people to our beautiful cafe who may never have heard of us before.

“The money raised will make a huge difference. And it’s a perfect link: the money raised through Jack’s supper clubs is helping to support people with serious mental health problems to develop skills in catering. Working in our cafe and kitchen helps our members develop confidence, and prepare for employment.”

I’ll raise a glass of (BYOB) wine to that!

Smoke and thyme supper club, Restore, Manzil Way. 
smokeandthyme.com