FALL FOR THE HALL
PAUL COLE CHANCES UPON A TASTY TREAT ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LUDLOW
THERE is, says Laura Penman, such a thing as love at first sight. When she pulled up on the drive of Fishmore Hall it was in a sorry state after years of disuse and neglect.
But there was just something about the former 1820s family houseturned school in Shropshire.
“Until October 2007, Fishmore Hall was virtually derelict,” she says.
“But, as we pulled into the driveway, estate agents’ details in hand, we knew that we could transform its splendid faded glory into something really special.
“The views alone made it worth it, with countryside stretching out from every window, and the towers of Ludlow Castle peeping up from behind the trees.
“This was what we had been looking for – somewhere to create the type of hotel we would want to stay in ourselves.
“Somewhere with luxurious rooms, indulgent bathrooms, and a menu that makes the very best of this very foodie part of the UK.”
It took just under half a year to start the ball rolling.
“There was 22 weeks of banging, hammering and head scratching to create what Fishmore is today,” says owner Laura.
“We were thrilled with the result. Well, we think we’ve exceeded even our expectations!”
Fishmore, in fact, is a hidden gem. Just on the outskirts of foodie favourite Ludlow, you can quite easily drive past without realising it’s there.
And that would be a crying shame because the hotel’s splendid formal exterior conceals quirky comfort and quiet class inside.
Each of the 15 bedrooms has been individually designed, room numbers delightfully written in letters rather than numerals.
They are comfortable and classy, eschewing the hard-edged chic many town hotels mistakenly seem to love.
Not that you don’t get all mod cons. There are pillow menus, walk-in rainfall showers and free-standing tubs, free Wi-Fi, flatscreen TVs, minibars and a tea and coffee pod machine.
And, of course, those views out across the hills, especially as the sun goes down.
It’s the ideal backdrop for Fishmore’s Forelles restaurant, the fine dining eaterie headed by talented young head chef Joe Gould.
He previously worked with John Campbell at Coworth Park and Olly Rouse at Lainston House, where he was awarded Winner of Chaine des Rotisseurs UK Young Chef of the Year 2015.
He joined Fishmore Hall from Aurora Restaurant in Ipswich, and has also developed dishes for venues such as Ascot, the London Eye and the Royal Albert Hall.
Nearby Ludlow’s foodie star may have faded somewhat in recent years, but Gould is a talent to be reckoned with.
We ordered the seven-course tasting menu at £75, adding the optional wine flight for another £30 each.
It was pushing the boat out but, well, it would have been rude not to.
Speaking of boats, Gould and his team aim to source the majority of their ingredients from within a 30-mile radius of the hotel. However, being landlocked in Ludlow, the seafood and fish served in Forelles comes fresh from the Isle of Skye and Brixham.
The tasting menu is an adventure for the tastebuds as Gould displays his skills, from the complimentary amuse-bouche – a modern take on pea soup – to the cheeses (Marmite butter, anyone?).
Each course is detailed by the friendly waiting staff, and the choice of wine explained, too.
It is, thankfully, well-paced. I’ve had tasting menus before where the courses come thick and fast; I’ve enjoyed others where you could take a turn round the garden between dishes.
At Forelles, dinner is a laidback leisurely affair taken over three hours, ending with coffee and petit-fours in the lounge area.
And while we’re talking laidback, there’s something in the garden you don’t expect to see at a country house hotel.
A modern Nordic spa. Built elsewhere and lowered in by crane, the SPAShell boasts four treatment rooms – they can combine to create two couples rooms – a steam room and sauna, and an outdoor Cedar hot tub l from which you can gaze at the Clee Hills.
I had the spa’s signature Lava Shell Thermal Rescue Experience, in which heated lava shells are massaged onto the body, untying all those knots, easing tensions and resulting in deep relaxation.
The masseuse was so good, you couldn’t tell which were shells and which her hands, the mark of any good hot stone treatment.
We saved Ludlow for our last day, the historic town centre just minutes away. There are more than 600 listed buildings here, old timber framed frontages galore, lots of quirky coffee shops and cafés, and independent shops offering all manner of arts and crafts. On the Sunday we were there, a market square antiques market was fascinating.
There wasn’t time for the castle, but that’s an excuse to come back next time.
Wonder what Joe Gould will be cooking up by then?