Hambleton Hall

[Kropotkin]

I’ve seen no thread nor much discussion of this place on here or elsewhere. Perhaps unfairly, I’d thus imagined it as a rather dusty, staid country house pile until I saw Aaron Patterson cooking up some interesting stuff on the latest iteration of the Great British Menu. Given that Mrs. K likes her fancy lunches in stately country houses during the summer, we pencilled in Hambleton for a day-visit while Kropotkin junior was incarcerated in nursery. And overall, I’d say it easily justified the drive.

They offer a good range of options at lunch: the good value set lunch options (at £25-30); a larger ‘special lunch’ (£32); and the taster menu (£60) plus what appeared to be some of the full evening carte (at appreciably steeper prices). Given this surprising range of choices, Mrs. K ditched the idea of a modest lunch and promptly demanded the full tasting menu. This commenced with an amuse of essence of watermelon: a shot of neat liquid with a robust flavour, but this was gone in a second and therefore, ultimately a little underwhelming. Better -and better than it sounds- was an assiette of tomato which included beef tomato with a tapenade; basil foam; a tomato soup; and a goat’s cheese and tomato flan. While not technically flawless, these elements were all good individually and together made for an interesting plateful. Next up for me was a Mosaic of foie, chicken and veal with orange and hazelnuts that was all pretty decent - although the rationale for the hazelnuts was lost on me. Mrs. K asked to substitute this dish and was impressed to be offered the full run of the menu. She opted for a lasagna of seafood – I can’t remember the exact components, and only that Mrs. K pronounced it excellent and was loath to share.

The fish dish was sea-bass on a bed of cous-cous and a foam that I couldn’t identify, with small tiles of pickled onion, courgette, and red-pepper. This dish was fine, although at this level I would have liked to see something more ambitious in the preparation and presentation. The meat was a saddle of lamb and the deconstructed plating saw the supporting elements scattered across the plate. This was a solid, contemporary 1-star dish – competent and well constructed. But much more excitement arrived with the assiette of deserts to share. This was a real winner: a gleaming and generous range of little treats for us to scoff down, with special mention (since you ask) for a sphere of nougat, a passion-fruit soufflé and a perfect slice of custard tart. We sloped into the splendid gardens for coffee and slightly-disappointing petits fours (the best of which was a raspberry cream pf). However, these were included in the price - which makes a pleasant change from the additional fiver some places levy at this point.

Throughout the service was good and the setting was indeed uber-grand country-house-hotel. Yet the stuffy disdain that these places sometimes perfect seemed alien to the smooth and impressive sommelier and the consistent, unforced charm of all the staff. The only problem was the low beams beneath the table-tops, disguised by the linen; both myself and an adjacent diner crashed knees into these, sending water flying. This is a tiny quibble though, and I suspect we’ll be back: I thought it was very good (if lacking a little of the ‘wow’ that would push it onwards), while Mrs. K was most pleased with the whole episode. A mercy-dash up the A1 saw us liberate Kropotkin jr. just before nursery closing time: a good day all round.

Edited August 20, 2008 by Kropotkin (log)

[Timothy Burke]

I was fortunate to be Matthew Fort's local companion when he came to visit Hambleton for that GBM trial and was hugely impressed. Aaron is a lovely chap and his food, what I've had of it, is flavour-packed and technically superb. When it came to the GBM I suppose it wasn't modish enough, plus they clearly wanted sparks to fly between Sat Bains and Glynn Purnell - Aaron's quieter, modest personality didn't fit their bill.

[Bapi]

Thanks for that review Kropotkin. It brought back happy memories of our stays there. In fact, the first night of our honeymoon was spent there and what a perfect place it was to start our gastro tour of the country.

We returned a couple of times in the summer which is highly recommended, especially if one is staying. The use of their pool overlooking Rutland Water, and ordering a drink or two on the pool phone is a rather opulent, but fun thing to do.

Aaron Patterson is certainly a talented chap- his nage of seafood sticks in the memory as does a delightful essence of tomato on a blisteringly hot day. A revelation for me at the time. I had never had anything like it before.

Mmmm, you have got me thinking about a return trip here now........

I have to go now my wife is watching the X Factor and I can not bear to listen to it for a moment longer. If I wasn't off the sauce I would piss off to the pub. Sod it- I am going anyway.....

Cheers

[RDB]

Thanks for that review Kropotkin. It brought back happy memories of our stays there. In fact, the first night of our honeymoon was spent there and what a perfect place it was to start our gastro tour of the country.

We returned a couple of times in the summer which is highly recommended, especially if one is staying. The use of their pool overlooking Rutland Water, and ordering a drink or two on the pool phone is a rather opulent, but fun thing to do.

Aaron Patterson is certainly a talented chap- his nage of seafood sticks in the memory as does a delightful essence of tomato on a blisteringly hot day. A revelation for me at the time. I had never had anything like it before.

Mmmm, you have got me thinking about a return trip here now........

I have to go now my wife is watching the X Factor and I can not bear to listen to it for a moment longer. If I wasn't off the sauce I would piss off to the pub. Sod it- I am going anyway.....

Cheers

←

Bapi off the sauce!!!! Surely a 'nage of seafood sticks' would require a few drinks to get through

[howardlong]

I took my parents (and seven other family memebers) there for their 45th wedding anniversary after I'd been there and stayed myself a few times. I found them from the Relais & Chateaux book, and it happens to be convenient for them.

We had one of the set menus in a private dining room with matching wines with the help of the sommelier. We all had a super and unforgettable time, together with a truly amazing 1959 magnum of Veuve Cliquot that was still fresh as a daisy and although still perfectly fizzy, the bubbles were tiny, and no madeirisation at all.

Problem is that it's their 50th anniversary is next year, so I am sure I'll have to think up something...

It's a real gem in a culinary desert.

Cheers, Howard

[dustbuddy]

Just a short note on a thread which hasn't seen much activity. I was at Hambleton Hall on Saturday after a long break from visits (c. 4 years). The decor remains old school but the food is still excellent. However, the highlight for me was the wine list which also has lots of good wines for relatively low prices - where else could you find a bottle of '96 Huet Le Mont Molleux Premier Tre for £60. I will try to publish a full report when I have a little more time.

[sheepish]

We ate lunch there today. The dining room, and serving-ware are old school, but I like that. Food isn't trend setting, but not old-fashioned. I don't get to eat out much, so meat-fruit, foie gras ice-cream are new to my palette. We tried the taster menu which judging from what others were eating appears to consist of 7 full size plates of food, although it didn't feel over bearing. The only hole I could pick, if I was looking for holes to pick, were repeat ingredients. OK February isn't awash with in-season veg, but jerusalem artichoke as an amuse, and then as puree on two dishes seems overkill. And toasted "granola" turned up on nibbles, amuse and main.

Still, I'd happily go back. The "lunch for less" deal looks a steal. As mentioned the wine list looks very sensibly priced, although no bargains on the half bottles. I might perhaps uncharitably describe it as a poor man's Le Manoir in terms of ambience, but really it's a shrewd man's Le Manoir. Half the price or less for really only a small step down in quality. I felt very satisfiied.