Behind the scenes at a
ALISON BRINKWORTH HAS A PERSONAL ‘SATURDAY KITCHEN’ SHOW AT ONE OF THE REGION’S FINEST COUNTRY HOTELS
BROCKENCOTE Hall Hotel in Worcestershire is among the best restaurants in the UK and a favourite of Take That – and for a few hours, I had the luxurious Victorian country estate and its chef all to myself.
My visit coincided with a ‘wellbeing week’ when Brockencote was closed to give staff some well earned time to recharge their batteries, following a difficult year for the hospitality industry.
This stunning hotel, in Chaddesley Corbett, near Kidderminster, is a longstanding three rosette holder in the esteemed AA guide, putting it in the top 10% of restaurants in the UK and Ireland.
Tim Jenkins has been the head chef at Brockencote Hall since 2016, satisfying foodies, afternoon tea diners and celebrities including Gary Barlow and his fellow Take That band-mates during their stay.
Tim meets me in the sumptuous surroundings of this chateau-like manor house as sheep graze nearby in scenes that could have been painted by Constable.
Inside, I get an all-access pass to areas that are usually a no-go for visitors, like down in the cellar that runs across the length of the building.
Within its cool, damp alcoves is an Aladdin’s cave of wine and piled high boxes of champagne – its main seller as most guests come for special occasions.
Among the cobwebs is the creme de la creme in its collection – a vintage Chateau Rothschild and a 1966 Chateau Ducre Beaucaillon SaintJulien.
Upstairs, I feel like the lady of the manor perusing the grand 21 bedrooms of the original manor house and west wing, along with two private dining rooms.
They are all blessed with uninterrupted views of its 70 acres of countryside through large sash windows.
Eden Hotel Collection, which also owns Leamington’s prestigious The Mallory Hotel and The Greenway in Cheltenham, took over the hotel in 2011, restoring the building to its former glory.
It’s glamorous yet timelessly classic at the same time, which is probably why it
picked up the Small Hotel of the Year prize at West Midlands Tourism Awards in 2020.
Tim says that the main restaurant is the “heart and soul” of Brockencote.
It’s a classic white linen affair across 14 tables that look out to glistening fields full of sheep (which are not on the menu because that ‘‘crosses the line of what people are comfortable with’’).
Tim, 41, grew up in Kidderminster after his family moved from south Wales when he was six. He has risen
through the ranks in the Brockencote kitchen over the past 14 years, training under four chefs, many of them French.
“One of the chefs was a forager and that’s when we started using the garden more,” explains Tim. “In summer, I walk around with the gardener for an hour to see what’s ready and then ask the team of chefs if they have ideas. I like them all to feel involved.”
“I like cooking fish but I’ve been told I’m best at pastry,” said Tim. “That’s not a bad
thing as it’s the hardest section. If you mess up on pastry, it’s off the menu as it can take two days to correct. That’s why the beginners start on vegetables.”
Pastry is a big thing around Brockencote with hand-made cookies at every turn and cakes that have made the afternoon teas so sought after.
Tim’s dishes are renowned for their careful construction, with a balance of flavours and looking almost like works of art.
“It’s all about having clean flavours. We try and cook
things that we like to eat. Good flavours but we try not to be too complex.”
I sit in the kitchen with Tim as he cooks up the Six-Course Tasting Menu. It’s like my own Saturday Kitchen show.
First up is roast cauliflower veloute with a cheddar gougere. In other words, a posh creamy soup with a light choux dumpling. It’s draped with beautiful dribbles of green chive oil and tastes like a creamier, lighter version of cauliflower cheese.
Next is salmon from Loch Duart in Scotland that has
been cured for a day and a half in sweet and salty ingredients like honey, dill and gin.
It comes with a buttermilk dressing that has been hung in muslin for six hours to make it pipeable on to the plate and the combination with pretty charred pink grapefruit is fresh and completely moorish.
The fish course is a panroasted cod with crispy leeks, pickled shallots, sea herbs, leek and potato veloute. There’s a big chunk of good quality, perfectly cooked cod alongside what seems like a
celebration of leeks in various forms.
Its forte is the burnt leek and dehydrated potato black topping that adds a crunchy texture, while there’s an acidity from the shallots.
The big hitter is pan roast venison with a shank croquette that comes with smoothly blended red cabbage, various types of garden beetroots and crispy kale.
The meat is hearty and the croquette adds a depth of flavour and crunch, along with the kale. This is a dish made to bring cheer to a bleak mid winter.
Moving on to dessert, there are two to enjoy. Tim explains that his pain d’epice panna cotta is based on an apple crumble.
The creamy panna cotta is surrounded by caramelised apples and has a demerera oat crumble that has a sticky sweetness and aroma akin to apple strudel. It’s also unbelievably light and I was licking the plate clean in no time at all.
Finally, it’s a dark chocolate delice with passion fruit. Apparently, this isn’t the most popular of dishes on the menu,
but is vying to be my favourite as I do adore chocolate.
Yes, it’s rich, beautifully so, with layers of chocolate mousse, but the tartness of the passion fruit cuts through the chocolate and is just divine.
For those dining, there’s also the option of a cheese course and coffee with home made petit fours, but as I waddle from the kitchen, I save those for another time.
To book a meal or stay at Brockencote Hall click on www. brockencotehall.com or call 01562 777876.