the UK Restaurant and Hotel Zine
the UK Restaurant and Hotel Zine
Ludlow has always had a reputation for being "the most beautiful and
distinguished country town in England" but more recently it has gained
a further reputation as a foodie paradise. Media coverage - press,
television, radio and now the internet - has let the general public into
the well kept secret that within this ancient rural town can be found some of
the best restaurants in the country. It is rumoured that in the New Year
the gentlemen at Michelin will honour it with the highest concentration of
accolades for such a small area. Thus Dine Online sent its intrepid
reviewer Fred Chan to sample some of the delights of this wonderful
town. Strictly speaking Overton Grange is not in Ludlow. The former Edwardian manor house is just out of the town, standing in its own grounds overlooking the beautiful Shropshire countryside. It was converted into an hotel about 16 years ago and has been owned by the current incumbent for about two and half years. In that time, Igi Gonzales, the manager, has put much work into building a reputation for Overton Grange and Les Marches restaurant.. The introduction of Chef Claude Boci a year ago has powerfully signalled his intention that Overton Grange is positioning itself for a place in the gastronomic premier league.
Still only 26, Claude Boci comes with a impeccable pedigree with time in the Paris kitchens of Alain Ducasse and Alain Passard, both of whom possess three of those coveted Michelin stars. Influenced mostly by Passard, Claude has developed a refreshingly simple style of cooking where the natural flavours and textures of ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves and there is a cleanness in the presentation that goes against the current trend of complex matching of sometimes ill suited ingredients. It was with a sense of expectation that we awaited our evening of dining on the Menu Degustation, (priced at Stg 32.00)
An amuse geule of a slice of Toulouse sausage on a bed of Puy lentils set the tone for the evening. Simple in conception yet rich in flavours and textures, the lentils the right side of soft without being mushy. Next came a roasted Cornish lobster in salted butter with a celeriac remoulade. The meat of the claw and tail was cooked with perfect timing and could not be faulted, whilst the richness of the lobster was balanced by the celeriac. Dover Sole stuffed with diced Crosne and black truffle and a rich celeriac purée was very impressive. Accurate cooking of the fish gave that lovely firm texture and flavour that overcooking destroys, whilst the crunchy texture of the Crosne was a contrast to the fish and the hint of truffle finished off an classic dish. If, like me, you have no idea what a Crosne is, I can now reveal that it is a small root vegetable - tuber like - also known as the Chinese artichoke. It is a native of the Lyon region of France.
At this point a mention must be made of the breads. There were olive and sea salt rolls, treacle bread and pain de campagne. This was seriously good - it's almost worth the visit for the bread alone. The treacle bread had the sweet flavour and a superb crust achieved by spreading a layer of treacle on the crust and baking till almost burnt - a taste and texture sensation. I think there must be a general rule that if an establishment cares enough to make top class bread, then it's very likely that the rest of the cuisine will be outstanding as well.
Pan fried Perigord foie gras with beetroot purée again showed good use of a basic (!) ingredient with an accompaniment that balanced out the richness of the foie gras. Saddle of Salt Marsh Lamb (Pré Salé) with pan fried salsify chips and fresh horseradish purée came in the form of very thick loin lamb chops - served on the bone and cooked very pink. The lamb had superb flavour and the salsify chips were a novel accompaniment, though I am undecided about the horseradish purée. The horseradish was combined with apple and caulifower and puréed. There was no question about the technical competence of its preparation, but I was leass convinced that it went too well with the lamb and salsify.
We had French apple tart with a ginger sauce for pudding. Seriously thin slices of apple rested on a base of even thinner crisp pastry, the apple caramelised in the oven and the ginger sauce giving a hint of the exotic. Cheese was served with more of the wonderful treacle bread. That evening's selection was Pont L'Eveque, Tonme, Stilton and very runny Brie. Served with homemade onion chutney, a mouthful of crusty treacle bread, smooth yet salty stilton and sweet chutney, we were in sheer foodie heaven.
Wines are a strong point with a list that impresses with both its range and quality. A decent selection of half bottles is worthy of mention as Igi's selection of Spanish Tinitos and Blancos. An tour of the Overton Grange cellars an be arranged, if requested in advance.
Igi Gonzales and Claude Boci are a formidable team and the Les Marches restaurant at Overton Grange is a place with a future. Take time to make a trip to Ludlow and enjoy the food and hospitality of Overton Grange, you will not be disappointed. Fred Chan January 1999
Open Lunch and Dinner - seven days a week.
Les Marches Restaurant
Overton Grange Hotel, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 4AD
Tel: 01584 873 500 Fax: 01584 873 524
Fred Chan also visited The Oaks Restaurant in Ludlow
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