Western Morning News (Saturday)
Perfect food... perfect drink... perfect views... and a perfect experience
Martin Hesp enjoys a Wellness Retreat break at a stunning hotel in South Devon
Here are some questions that must face many a head-chef working across our much visited and popular peninsula... How can we make the food we serve compete with the amazing view which can be admired outside our restaurant window? Can the menu reflect the gorgeous natural setting our establishment enjoys? If we’re based in lovely countryside or on a stunning coast, can we help our diners to almost literally eat the view?
If chefs working in beautiful places aren’t thinking along those lines, then they should be. And one man who most definitely is has been telling the WMN how he deals with such a delightful challenge. Ian MacDonald is head-chef at one of the most beautifully situated hotels in all of Britain, and he was telling us about the incredible levels of thought and care that go into menus at the Soar Mill Cove Hotel in South Devon. For those who don’t know this wonderful establishment, it is located at the top of a small remote valley that drops down to one of the most picture perfect beaches you’ll find anywhere on this peninsula – which really is saying something.
The rocky, magnificent, more-or-less empty coastline, which runs seven miles from the Salcombe estuary in the east to the village of Hope Cove in the west, is widely regarded as one of the finest stretches of littoral in the country. And there is only one building or establishment of any size along this lonely section of coast – Soar Mill Cove Hotel.
So the questions I put to Ian ran along the following lines... “How does a chef live up to the stunning location of the place where he works? Do you feel an extra responsibility when it comes to serving food that matches such an extremely beautiful backdrop? Indeed, does the magnificent scenery actually inspire you to go the extra mile?”
I felt fairly safe in asking, because I’d just eaten a wonderful dinner at the hotel’s restaurant – a large airy room which does indeed boast fabulous views. Indeed, Ian has recently applied a major redesign to the food he offers at the Soar Mill Cove Hotel – and he has done so because things change in the hospitality industry a good deal.
For instance, 25 years ago not many British hotels located in remote and beautiful places used to open at all in winter. They relied solely on the summer season holiday trade. Now that has changed and establishments like the Soar Mill Cove Hotel have all manner of facilities (such as spas and indoor swimming pools) to keep the clientele coming back for stays during most of the year.
Needless to say, good food and drink has an important part to play. Which is why Ian has been busy revolutionising the dining experience, skilfully adapting to modern tastes while showcasing the area’s bountiful produce and seafood.
Despite having worked at the hotel for nearly 20 years, Ian likes to keep things fresh. He believes in adopting an innovative approach to traditional cuisine and has recently unveiled a more family-friendly menu which draws inspiration from the superb coast and countryside of the South
Hams area. “So yes, the fantastic scenery we have really does inspire us,” Ian told me. “The South Hams area offers a fantastic wealth of ingredients – both from the land and the sea. Our new menu is designed to offer families a taste of this region’s heart and soul. We use locally sourced meats, fresh vegetables, and seafood straight from the coast.”
The menu features an array of dishes that cater for entire families – and always the kitchen insists on using local produce were it can. “We use the butcher at Salcombe Meat, for example. Famously, if he can’t see the fields from his shop at the top of Salcombe, he doesn’t buy the meat. He’s got his own sheep, his own cattle. We get all our seafood from Moby Nicks in Plymouth – which is fresh every day – so the bass is wild-caught, not farmed.”
Ian agreed that if you’re serving food in a very special place, then the food should reflect the fact.
“It goes hand in glove. We’re not paying it lip-service, it actually makes sense to do that and have local products. But what we have decided to do is go a little bit more family-friendly. We are getting more families, many of whom are eating earlier in the evening, plus we are open to the many non-residents who like to come to this beautiful corner of Devon. So the idea behind our new menu has been to become more flexible,” said Ian, who is a classically trained chef.
“Classically trained... but I’m not snobby. We’ve got to change with our clientele, otherwise we get left behind. So what we’re trying to do is stay relevant while remaining focused on quality – focusing on the customers we have and trying to understand what they want. After all, this is a customer based industry. If we’re not listening to what the clients want, then there’s no point in opening the doors.”
Which is why, for example, the Soar Mill Cove Hotel is now offering special Wellness Retreats which are open to people of all
abilities and ages and run by some of the region’s most experienced trainers and fitness instructors. The days include a focus on strength and conditioning, a group walk exploring the cove and taking in the breathtaking scenery, and a nourishing ‘wellness’ themed lunch (the retreat, to be held on Sunday, February 25th, 19th May and 22nd September cost £149 per person. Call 01548 561566).
The drinks offering is another factor which any establishment should be thinking about. And at Soar Mill Cove they’ve been doing just that with a newly curated drinks menu and a recently refurbished bar. “We have placed the focus on the ‘Best of Devon’,” commented general manager Becky Weller. “We are now really emphasising the fact that we work with a fantastic number of quality local producers: Calancombe (South Hams vineyard and distillery), Salcombe Brewery, Bays, Hattiers, Dartmoor Whisky and our very own Jenny’s Gin which is made with local honey, samphire and gorse blossom picked here in the valley, to name a few.”
Back in the dining room Ian concluded our talk on how establishments situated in outstandingly beautiful places can showcase the best a location has to offer.
“We’ve got to be flexible – but still focused on quality – and you can do that and keep everything local. It makes sense to do it financially and it makes sense for the environment. We’ve got to use things seasonally – for example, we’re coming to the end of the venison now but we’ll replace that with spring lamb. And that’s good because, in winter, venison feels right – and in spring, spring lamb feels right.”
Feels right – and tastes right. As I say, we enjoyed a memorable meal at the Soar Mill Cove Hotel and Ian has kindly given us a couple of his recipes to try if you’re not able to get down to that sublime corner of the South Hams coast.