Stars shine in the Cotswolds (From Herald Series)

Stars shine in the Cotswolds

10:39am Friday 12th December 2008

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Two of the UK's most innovative and upcoming young chefs put their heads together to create an opulent seven-course degustation dinner at one of the Cotswolds’ best boutique hotels, Lords of the Manor at Upper Slaughter.

Having recently undergone a major refurbishment, including a chic, refined new look for the restaurant and an indulgent update of the bedrooms, the hotel was keen to showcase its attributes, and those of its chef, Matt Weedon (pictured right).

Liaising by phone and computer, and then spending the day of the dinner perfecting their dishes, the top-class duo produced a menu that delighted diners

To create the very special ‘Two Stars in One’ tasting menu he teamed up with Stephen Smith, chef at another celebrated country house hotel, The Devonshire Arms in North Yorkshire. Liaising by phone and computer, and then spending the day of the dinner perfecting their dishes, the top-class duo produced a menu that delighted diners.

The restaurant, which has given over its traditional decor to a restful stone-based scheme with touches of colour to reflect the stunning Cotswold countryside in which the hotel is located, was full to capacity for this prestigious event. Each of the seven courses was matched to wine, adding extra interest tothis gourmet treat — all selected by the head sommelier Fabrice Bouffant.

Guests enjoyed a glass of Champagne and flavourful canapés in the hotel bar and lounge, before being seated in the restaurant.

We started with an appetiser featuring melt-in-the-mouth foie gras layered with smoked eel, a taste sensation that received blanket approval from the seven people at our table.

We then moved on to Stephen's first dish, an extremely pretty plate feauturing the bright pinky orange of confit salmon, the glorious green of avocado cream and a tiny dome of white crab salad, all topped off with a spoonful of intense caviar and a hint of passion fruit.

The next dish, by Matt, was a tomato tasting plate, featuring some incredibly intense tomato flavours in a variety of guises, most successful of which was the terrine.

Also on the plate were tiny and delicious goats cheese beignets, and a slick of salty tapenade. Our whole table declared this dish top-notch, such was the flavour hit it achieved.

Back to Stephen for the main course, and this received a mixed reaction, mainly because it did feature a mixture of pronounced flavours. At its heart was a perfectly cooked fillet of venison ‘sous vide’, which was delicious, but served with a parsnip and vanilla puree (I thought it would have been perfect without the vanilla), cubes of raspberry jelly, walnuts and a chocolate sauce, it really was a bit too much for the tastebuds to cope with.

Next up was a couple of slices of fine Cotswold blue brie, produced by cheese artisan Simon Weaver at his premises just a mile or so from the hotel. They combined tastefully with pinot noir jelly cubes and a dribble of truffle honey.

And so to desserts. The first, by Matt, was a shot glass of banana mousse layered with ‘grue de cacao’ and topped with passion fruit. I would have preferred this without the passion fruit, but it did offer a sour ‘hit’ to cut through the sweetness.

Stephen’s pudding was a caramelised apple pie parfait, dotted with seasonal blackberries, little balls of apple sorbet and edible pink apple blossom. Apart from one of our party, who didn't like anything with apple, we all enjoyed it.

We rounded off the most inventive of meals with coffee and petit fours — impossibly pretty creations including jellies and tiny caramelised choux buns.

I hope the hotel will repeat the event, offering as it did the contrasting styles of two excellent chefs within one menu.

Lords of the Manor Hotel, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire, call 01451 820243

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