Roger Williams lives in the village of Benenden. Although not his area of speciality, being neither food critic nor Foodie, he felt driven to write this little appraisal having tasted BENENDEN SAUCE. His most recent book “Lunch with Elizabeth David” was published this year but he is perhaps better known for his many travel books.
Overall taste: Rich, woody, dark, toothsome, chenille, Royal Opera House curtains, nice people’s changing rooms. Wealdan hedgerowy with a chink of Oriental inscrutability.
Tested on:(1) Salad Niçoise and (2) modest midweek dish of omelette, new potatoes and salad.
Taste: The most surprising element was the Soy Sauce, as this tester has never before experienced Soy Sauce in a salad dressing. On both dishes BENENDEN SAUCE was appreciated, and it was interesting that these two particular dishes (containing, in the first instance tuna, anchovy etc; and in the second, egg and potato) were ones that this taster often enriches with home-made mayonnaise. So Harrington’s BENENDEN SAUCE can, it seems, be an alternative to both salad dressing and mayonnaise.
Quantity: Large quantities were used, because it was felt that this was not a sauce to be feebly drizzled, but one to take great bites out of and knocked back with gusto. Two salads consumed nearly half a bottle.
Accompaniment: Both red and white wine were drunk with these meals, and both were entirely acceptable - a rough red is best, something perhaps from southwest France. Equally, whites did not want to be too smart, too tight or too dry: Lamberhurst Old Cortina would suffice. Pink might flounder. A lager was also associated with several pints of the amber liquid. Gin and elder flower might be served as an apéritif, and a good Muscatel would help shift the créme broulée- the ideal act to follow this potent brew.
Comparisons: Several times during these experiments this taster’s mind drifted to Modena, home of Ferrari, balsamic vinegar and a woman named Francesca Capelli. Balsamic vinegar has the same ability to sweeter things: not only can it excitingly replace traditional malt vinegar on items such as wafer-thin cucumber sandwiches, but it can also be poured over fresh vanilla ice-cream to some effect *. Benenden sauce has the same dual role.
Use as an unguent: The remainder of this bottle of BENENDEN SAUCE was rubbed into various parts of the taster’s body in the hope that it might, as foodies say, touch the spot. Excitable, inscrutable, Wealdan hedgerowy, evocative of Sra Capelli....the same responses that had been experienced internally applied to the external exercise.
Conclusion: This AC/DC sauce, honest, open, generous spirited, that is happy to go with anything. This taster will join the queue to buy it.

* We do not advise this. Think that the tester’s ‘accompaniments’ may have impaired his judgement.