We are delighted to share with you one of Aaron’s signature dishes as inspiration for your home cooking this Easter.

LOIN OF LAMB, LAMB BELLY AND PEPPER STEW

For the slow-cooked lamb belly you will need:

1 lamb belly

Rock salt

Black peppercorns

Rosemary

200ml olive oil

Clove of garlic

Method:

Chop the lamb belly in half width ways, sprinkle with rock salt, whole peppercorns and leave in the fridge for 1 hour. Wash off the lamb belly, put one half on top of the other, place in a vac pac bag, add 1 clove of garlic,1 sprig of rosemary, 200g olive oil and fully vac pac the bag. Cook for 12 hours at 85 degrees Celsius in a water bath until soft. Remove from bag and press bellies between 2 flat heavy trays with greaseproof to prevent sticking, place in the fridge overnight or when set minimum of 2 hours. Slice into rectangles 3cm by 7cm, sear the top until coloured and finish in an oven 160 degrees Celsius until piping hot in the middle. If you don’t own a water bath or sous vide, use this method: How to Sous Vide Without the Machine

For the lamb sauce

Once again this May, our stunning outdoor swimming pool will open for our guests just as the temperature starts to rise and a refreshing dip is called for after a long walk.

The pool is one of many amenities made available to residents staying overnight and provides a perfect opportunity to have a swim or to simply admire the beautiful gardens and views. It is heated to make swimming comfortable for all guests and has a private changing room with shower.

The pool will remain open until the 30th of September, so book far in advance to guarantee your room and don’t forget to pack your swimsuit!

1. What is new on your list and why were these wines chosen?

Most new wines on our list are favourites that we have been tasting lately they are often wines which will be listed on our first page “wines of the moment” they reflect a varieties of grapes and taste from different countries and represent good value.

Wines which are removed from our list are wines which we cannot buy anymore because of vintage changes and didn’t get our appreciation and liking.

In the case of very fine wines running out of a specific vintage might be very difficult to rebuy with a considerable increase in price range therefore we might look for this wine in a different often younger version.

2. What have guests been buying more of recently?

We have seen a trend for buying white burgundies such as Chassagne and Puligny 1 er Cru from top growers and also Chablis grand cru. Top Bordeaux grand cru wines have also been very popular. Immediately after the lockdown lifted guests were definitely catching up with the lost time but now everyone has calmed back to usual standards and are enjoying a wide range.

3. What wines will you

What is it like to live in a castle filled with priceless art and royal thrones? Why not ask trustee Major Sebastian St Maur Miller as you enjoy a private tour of the majestic Grimsthorpe Castle thanks to a unique collaboration organised by Hambleton Hall. You will also be joined by Emma Miller, Collections Manager of Grimsthorpe, who will guide you around the estate’s magnificent collection of art and one of the largest collections of royal thrones and furnishings outside the Royal Palaces.

Grimsthorpe Castle is the final masterpiece of Sir John Vanbrugh, known for Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. This 16th century estate was presented by Henry VIII as a wedding gift to William, 11th Lord Willoughby de Eresby and Maria de Salinas, lady-in-waiting and confidante of Henry’s Queen, Katherine of Aragon. The ownership of Grimsthorpe has remained in successive generations of the same family united under one ancient title, the Barony of Willoughby de Eresby.

Hambleton Hall in Rutland is located close to many of the country’s most interesting private homes containing incredible art and sculpture collections. Hambleton’s owner Tim Hart has been fascinated by these historic houses for decades and has authored an informative guide, available here

On 1^st July 2020 Hambleton Hall celebrated its 40th birthday. Tim and Stefa Hart, the couple who set up Hambleton Hall in 1980 are still directly involved in the management of the hotel and led the anniversary celebrations.

“I feel fortunate that I left banking early in my career and went into the hospitality business. It has brought us enormous pleasure every year. Although the hotel has remained small with 17 bedrooms and one restaurant since the outset, we have continually evolved each area to reflect changing guest needs which has renewed enthusiasm and motivation.” Tim summarises.

Each year we create new dishes in the kitchen and redecorate a bedroom or reception room. In 2010 we started Hambleton Bakery to provide bread for the hotel and retail shops in the area. In 2015 we built the 2-bedroom Croquet Pavilion. Last year we redesigned the 1-acre kitchen garden to incorporate a new greenhouse, raised beds, and additional fruit trees. This year we demolished the kitchen to make way for a new one having calculated that 572,000 meals had emerged over the last 26 years. Now the old Bonnet range has been scrapped and a new Athanor has been installed.”

Choosing

What a phrase, what a statement! But it’s one that we can stand by with absolute confidence.

If you’re not already in the know, Pride of Britain Hotels is a collection of independently owned boutique and luxury hotels throughout, you guessed it, Britain. With never more than 50 members, it’s a rather elite group, and it’s one we have been part of since 2013.

Pride of Britain Hotels is a diverse consortium that ranges from intimate hotels with just a handful of rooms to as-far-as-the-eye-can-see estates with rooms running into three figures. They’re located everywhere from bustling city streets to the peace and seclusion of the remote countryside. In style they could be anything from rustic chic and traditionally elegant to cutting-edge modern. Periods range from baronial, part medieval, art deco, Arts and Crafts, Georgian, Victorian and Modernist. It’s probably fair to say that the one common thread that joins this group together is a commitment to ‘the art of great hospitality’.

Each hotel is unique yet representative of hospitality, accommodation, location and a guest experience that’s quite simply, second to none. Whether you walk out of a Pride of Britain hotel to the peaceful shores of Rutland Water, as

The annual Hambleton Hall October Mushroom Hunt went ahead on Saturday 10 October. As outdoor events remain possible, this was a well-attended occasion, and local Food and Drink Writer, Debs Pennell, was lucky enough to take part.

This popular event was led by expert mycologist Paul Nichol and Tim Hart owner of Hambleton Hall Hotel. Foragers were treated to a morning of hunting for mushrooms in local woods followed by an exceptional mushroom-inspired three-course lunch at the hotel.

Having collected a veritable array of fungi, guests assembled in the woods for discussion and identification. Paul Nichol’s informative and eloquent description of each mushroom and Tim Hart’s witty interjections were interesting and amusing. The morning’s foraging resulted in the group collecting a goodly number of edible fungi, but with one deadly poisonous variety amongst them, and several rather toxic individual species. Mushroom foraging remains a risky business, with around 50 poisonous mushroom varieties in this country, 15 of those being deadly!

After a morning in the woods, everyone was ready to enjoy Head Chef, Aaron Patterson’s Fungi Foray lunch, which was an enviable compilation of exquisite flavours, textures and autumn colours: Cèpe Tortellino, Wild Mushroom Consommé flavoured with Tarragon, Roast Guinea

Hambleton Hall joined Relais & Chateaux four decades ago. This exclusive collection of 569 of the finest hotels and gourmet restaurants in 66 countries comprises of 29 luxury hotels and restaurants in the UK alone.

In 2019 we participated in R&C’s global communications campaign titled #DeliciousJourneys with a beautiful new video. To watch please visit www.youtube.com/hambletonhall

Filmed over two separate months in two video shoots with the talented film makers from The View South, Aaron and his team demonstrated how the menu at Hambleton is sourced locally from a plethora of high quality game, poultry, fish and meat suppliers alongside carefully foraged ingredients such as mushrooms, herbs, edible flowers, sea vegetables and wild garlic.

Very few ingredients travel more than 20 miles, and these are typically specialist shellfish products from the south coast or Scotland or meat products from France.

The #DeliciousJourneys campaign is designed to shine a light on what makes each hotel completely unique. If you search #DeliciousJourneys in your browser you will find many inspiring examples from around the world.

At Hambleton Hall, the unique flavours of the English countryside are what inform the delicious menu, hand-crafted by the expert hands of chef Aaron and his team.

Some time last summer Mrs Hart decreed that the beautiful decorative scheme that had served us so well in our private dining room for 24 years (with one half time renewal in 2004) was due for the chop!
Readers may well imagine the passionate remonstrances I employed to save the dear old stripes! To no avail. On January, 7th the walls were stripped and the curtains consigned to the skip.
The result of the makeover is illustrated above/below together with a view of Ben Perkins ‘Birds of Rutland Water’, a series of 18, which were commissioned specially for the room.
The bird paintings are a constant reminder of the wonderful resource on our doorstep provided by Rutland Water. Not just for bird watchers but for walkers, sailors, cyclists and fishermen.
On Thursday, 20th June, we have chartered the good ship “Rutland Belle” for the evening. Join us in trying to spot an Osprey and enjoying Aaron’s supper and a glass or two of vin Rosé.