Page 157 - Ideal Home - UK (April 2020)

SIMPLE PLEASURES
THE BLACK SWAN AT OLDSTEAD
Yorkshire
This idyllic inn is in something of
a backwater of rural Yorkshire.
Oldstead, a small village in the
north of the region, boasts
stunning landscapes, but fewer
tourist attractions. To account for
this potential lack in passing trade,
Tommy Banks knew his first job
on joining the kitchens at the family
The Banks family,
the innkeepers of The
Black Swan, have lived
and farmed in the
area for generations
pub, The Black Swan, was to make
the inn a destination in its own right.
Today, The Black Swan holds a
Michelin star and is rated among the
world’s best restaurants. ‘Locally
sourced’ is the order of the day, with
nearly all the produce coming from a
three-acre kitchen garden at the back
of the pub. The rest is either foraged
nearby, or comes from the Banks
family’s farm down the road.
There’s one thing on the menu – a
multi-course tasting menu – which
includes delicacies such as monkfish
with celeriac, Oldstead deer and
langoustines with caramelised whey.
BOOK IT Double room, dinner and
breakfast from £175 per person
(blackswanoldstead.co.uk)
THE GILPIN
Lake District
Oh, the lovely Lakes – England’s
most majestic and magical of
landscapes. A place of soaring
peaks, cascading mounds and
tranquil, placid water. There are
many picture-perfect country house
hotels on the route from Ambleside to
Grasmere but, for something a little
more contemporary with a dash
of culinary flair, head to Gilpin
Hotel and Lake House. It's a haven
of countryside comfort in which to
kick back and relax in anticipation
of dinner time – when you’ll find
yourself thoroughly spoilt. HRiSHi,
the hotel’s Michelin-starred
restaurant, draws inspiration from
beyond our shores, looking east to
India and Asia for ideas. Combining
the best of Cumbria’s exceptional
harvest with international cooking
techniques, the chefs rustle up
tempting tidbits such as scallop
with tamarind chutney and tandoori
marinated quail. After all, isn’t curry
meant to be our national dish?
BOOK IT Double rooms from £245
a night (thegilpin.co.uk)
Sit down to
fascinating
fusion cuisine
before retiring
to your lake-view
room – six even
boast their own
cedarwood
hot tubs
IDEALHOME.CO.UK | APRIL 2020 155