When I left London after two decades to relocate to Yorkshire, I knew there would be plenty to miss – friends, fashion, theatre – but above all, it would be the restaurant scene I’d pine for. From the sheer breadth of cuisine to the class of the chefs, our capital is difficult to beat.
But a trip to Grantley Hall near Ripon, made me realise I needn’t have worried too much.
Fancy a hearty meal of comfort food and traditional classics, big flavours and bigger steaks? Head to Fletchers.
In the mood for a light bite and some heavy drinking? Pull up a pew in Norton’s.
Want a healthy and wholesome lunch (followed by a deep-tissue massage)? The Three Graces Spa has you covered.
Or maybe you’re after surf and turf with some sundowners? You’ll want to book at al fresco terrace, The Orchard.
And if you want to push the boat out? There are a couple of show-stopping options for you.
First is Bar & Restaurant EightyEight – chosen as one of the Michelin inspectors’ 25 ‘Favourite New Restaurants’ in the latest Michelin Guide.
Huddersfield-born head chef Samira Effa joined the team last summer and has helped elevate this pan-Asian restaurant to new heights.
A two-time Great British Menu competitor, she grew up with a diverse range of culinary influences thanks to her Iranian mother and Nigerian father. Make sure you order the Warrendale wagyu beef tataki – the perfect blend of Yorkshire produce with Eastern flair.
And then there’s the coup de grâce: Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall – the one-Michelin starred flagship restaurant of this stunning English country house hotel.
Yorkshire folk are fiercely proud of their homeland – few more so than Mr Rankin – whose ten-course ‘Taste of Home’ menu is a seasonal celebration of the best produce from within a 30-mile radius of the restaurant – much of it grown in or foraged from the hotel’s grounds.
On the floor, the charming Lauren Frid runs the show – and has to be the friendliest restaurant manager north of the Watford Gap. (And, by virtue, south of the Watford Gap, too.)
It’s always worth keeping an eye out for the limited-run partnerships between the restaurant and certain prized suppliers. Take The Craft Irish Whiskey Company, for example.
When we visited, Rankin had created a masterful duck course including a rich jus which included a whiskey reduction. To mix up the wine pairing, a glass of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co’s prize-winning The Donn was served to complement the dish.
The Donn is a seriously rare breed: a whiskey which has been aged in not one, but four (count ’em) different types of casks over its maturation: Bourbon, Tawny port, Hungarian oak and Pedro Ximenez.
The result was voted the World’s Best Irish Whiskey in the 2023 Global Spirits Masters blind tasting – and certainly a worthy sparring partner for Rankin’s succulent, aged duck.
Naturally, the menu shifts with the seasons, and to keep the hotel’s offering fresh, there’s also ‘Grantley Gourmet’ – a series of special menus, recipes and intimate events held in the different outlets at Grantley Hall.
It’s this fresh thinking that sets Grantley Hall apart – and makes you want to keep coming back for more.
On my latest trip here, a young family was heading out the main door as we arrived. I overheard a young daughter ask her mother: “Can we live here forever?”
I know how she feels. (London, where?)
See more at grantleyhall.co.uk
