GFG Regional winners 2008

[malcolmwilliamson]

Allium's success in the SW is reported on its thread. The following are the other regional winners.

London – Pied à Terre, Fitzrovia

Midlands – Perkins, Plumtree

North West – Ramsons, Ramsbottom

North East – Weaver’s Shed, Golcar

Northern Ireland – Bay Tree, Holywood

South East – Hungry Monk, Jevington

The East – Great House, Lavenham

Scotland – Ee-Usk, Oban

Wales – Fairyhill, Reynoldston

I ate a very enjoyable and reasonably priced Prix Fixe lunch at the Great House http://www.greathouse.co.uk/index.html a couple of weeks ago and feel its success is warranted. It was very much a good rural French restaurant experience delivered in rural East Anglia.

I had a brief conversation with Thierry the French front of house manager. He was dismissive of the current fad for celebrity chefs.

The hotel/restaurant is owned by the Crépy family. They have a sister restaurant in Bury St Edmunds where the emphasis is on sea food, and a brasserie on a boat in Ipswich.

Has anyone else ate at any of the regional winning restaurants?

[Andy Lynes]

South East – Hungry Monk, Jevington

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Gosh, that's, um, unexpected. Time for a banofee pie revival I guess.

[olicollett]

Hmm my folks have recently moved to near Bury, might give the great house a try sometime

[bakerestates]

The East – Great House, Lavenham

Has anyone else ate at any of the regional winning restaurants?

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How bizzare, have just returned from lunch there today with a supplier. Had not been before but most people in this area rate it as somewhere worth a detour. Very beautiful setting and the restaurant is very comfortable, rambling around a courtyard, white linen, good glassware.

Service was fine for me, if a little haphazard - plates handed to me across my host, pudding menu on table as soon as mains had been cleared.

Bread was a cold French stick with salted butter. My starter of pork roulade with caper & parsely mayonaise was okay - may needed more kick for me and pork a little tastless. Main of sweetbreads with oyster mushrooms was very cloying and the sweetbreads over cooked to the point of crisp on the outside. Side of 'ratalouille' was just courgettes, melted cheese, odd bit of tomato and too much dried oregano.

Pudding of strawberry & almond tart was a little heavy and the almond seemed to be almond essence.

(My host had pork belly glazed in balsamic with potato puree - okay. Good cheeses).

Wine list long on France obviously.

Cost £16.95 for two courses, I'd go again but would like to try a non-midweek lunch. GFG winner, um!

[erica graham]

Ramsons in Ramsbottom was awarded the Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year yesterday at a ceremony in the British Museum. A nicer chap you'll not find- bit far for me to go and try though.