F O O D & D R I N K
For the love of lamb
SWINFEN HALL’S GOURMET DINNER SEASON IS BACK WITH A BANG, WITH A
MENU DEDICATED TO LUSCIOUS LAMB. AMY NORBURY DISCOVERS MORE
With a walled garden packed with a glorious
array of fresh, seasonal fruit and veg, plus
freely roaming sheep and a deer park to boot,
Swinfen Hall’s onsite larder must be a dream
come true for any chef worth his salt. After
all, having some of the finest produce in the
Midlands right there on your doorstep is the
ultimate in local, seasonal inspiration, ready to
be plundered and transformed into stunning
dishes to grace the hotel’s Four Seasons
restaurant’s fine dining menus.
And it was Swinfen’s home-reared Manx
Loaghtan lamb which was the headline act for
the season’s first gourmet dinner.
Swinfen’s flock of rare-breed sheep graze
in peaceful hay meadows and are fed no
additives or chemicals. The meat from Manx
Loaghtan sheep is highly prized for its well-rounded
flavoured, and is darker in colour than meat from
commercial breeds.
While the Manx Loaghtan has made it onto the
menu previously, this is the first time that Swinfen’s
kitchen team have dedicated an entire menu to all
things lamb.
And while the lamb was undisputedly the star of
the show, head chef Bruce Cheyne - who joined
the Swinfen team earlier this year - also made the
menu a real celebration of Swinfen’s 100-acre
COD COOKED IN MANX
LOAGHTAN FAT
PRESSE OF MANX
LOAGHTAN BELLY
larder, harvesting an abundance of fruit, vegetables
and herbs from the walled garden ensuring the
restaurant’s ‘gate to plate’ ethos really does apply.
South African-born Bruce has extensive experience
in kitchens across South Africa, America and the
UK. An ambitious and creative chef, he has trained
with the likes of Tom Aikens, Lee Westcott and The
Wilderness’ Alex Claridge and has headed up the
pastry department in Michelin and multi-rosette
restaurants as well as working in developmental
kitchens.
Swinfen Hall is his first head chef role, and the
talented chef has already made his
mark with exciting seasonal menus
inspired by his bountiful surroundings.
The evening began with a champagne
reception on the terrace, enabling us
to catch the last vestiges of the early
autumn sunshine. As the Tattinger
flowed, trays of delectable canapes
were brought round to get the taste
buds tingling in preparation for what
promised to be a delectable dinner
ahead. Puffed chicken crisps melted
in the mouth, while tiny beetroot and
goats’ cheese macarons were delicate
little flavour bombs which exploded on
the palate.
While celebrating all things lamb was
top of the agenda, the dinner also
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