I’m not a big fan of making bold statements – but Boringdon Hall has really captured a piece of my heart. If I’m completely honest however, I didn’t really expect as much as I got from Boringdon Hall. Its website is a little too mysterious to be truthful and while I’m sure it was appropriate a year or a two ago, now is the time for change because they have a shiny new world-class spa and a brand new head chef named Scott Paton (who’s cooking is stunning) – it all needs to match, especially with the new direction it looks like this hotel it’s taking.
Before dinner we sat outside on the terrace, taking in the lush green surroundings, luxury cars parked outside and a glass of my guilty pleasure, Champagne – paired with a duo of creamy, cheesy light biscuits which went down a treat. I always say the first and last thing you eat should be the most memorable and I can tell you know that they most certainly were.
A pre-amuse bouche later once seated at our table, starters arrived and what a treat they were. One of the prettiest and most remarkable dishes I’ve eaten all year was this Brixham crab salad with curried emulsion, mango and cardamom. A wall of delicate, flaky crab is complimented by a centre swirl of silky smooth curried emulsion which left the palate salivating, while dollops of sweet mango sauce helped bring it all together. The seared Orkney scallops, spiced peanut, watermelon and Lime was a taste sensation in itself, all beautifully cooked and the watermelon went surprisingly well – a flavour combination I judged a little too quickly.
One thing you must prepare for here at Boringdon Hall when main courses arrive – is huge portion sizes. Gargantuan plates of pure perfection, not even including the sides. Dry aged Devon lamb, boulangѐre potato, basil, aubergine and courgette was an absolutely stunning plate of local, quality ingredients. The lamb cut through like butter, the layered potato with pockets of meat was drool worthy and the swirls of basil (and mint perhaps I wasn’t sure) helped marry everything together with each mouthful. Such an enjoyable dish. Hurdon Farm pork collar, Jerusalem artichokes, hazelnut and truffle jus was another stunner, full of perfectly cooked meats and accompaniments, but perhaps needed just a little more refinement. I’ve a feeling dishes like these are catering to existing diners before Scott’s arrival, slowly easing customers into a more refined menu. You can tell the kitchen has so much more to give – which makes eating here even more exciting because it already gives so much.
And then there was desserts – which were on another level altogether. The whole restaurant will most certainly be on its way to a Michelin star in a year or so, but desserts are already here. Not only do they look the part, but taste it. There is absolutely no style over substance – it’s the full package. We had no real favourite from our selection either, both were equally as good. Warm chocolate tart, bananas and lime – a stunning medley all created with love and passion. I simply fell in love with the festive looking dish of strawberry, white chocolate, meringue and strawberry milk ice cream. Full of textures and silky white chocolate. A dish I hope appears back on the Christmas menus later in the year.
In case you couldn’t quite I tell, I fell in love with Scott’s cooking. There’s still away to go if the kitchen is looking for any shiny stars but it’s on the right track. Another thing I found interesting is trends hadn’t quite hit this part of the UK when it came to customers. One table next to me had never seen whipped butter, while the other table couldn’t quite fall in love with the 64 degree cooked duck egg. There’s certainly going to be a challenge here getting people to try new things, but they seem to be working very well at doing it and our well spoken waitress described everything so immaculately that we were left salivating before we even picked up our knife and fork. If you’re in Devon and looking for a meal to remember – Boringdon Hall is it. I can’t wait to come back and see how the food develops. This is a very interesting place to be right now.
Food certainly looks Michelin worthy! Mr S would love those epic portions!
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I’m full just thinking about it!
I couldn’t have agreed with better choices; I always end up leaning towards scallops for starter, if it’s on the menu, then lamb for main, or beef. Either red meat will do for me! This looks incredible, I am already eager for my supper now!