British Travel Journal | Autumn/Winter 2023

‘
It's a little more formal at Hambleton Hall, a Victorian mansion... Eating
exquisite canapés while we peruse the menu, we gaze out at the view framed by
two cork oaks and see the cycle path we toiled along just the day before.
’
Every meal we eat is exceptional, starting at the Olive
Branch at Clipsham, a short drive from a row of 150 yew
trees clipped into unusual shapes that line what was the
driveway to Clipsham Hall. Within a series of interlinked
rooms that were once three farm labourers' cottages, the
atmosphere is very much ye olde village inn – beams, rustic
furniture and roaring fires.
Yet the food is a long way from your average pub grub.
My Maris Piper potato risotto with cep, caramelised leek,
truffle and mozzarella works beautifully with the pub’s own
beer – Olive ale, although there’s also an impressive wine
list. The idea, says co-owner Ben Jones, is that if you want
a £180 Mendoza, it’s there, but if you’d rather just relax
with a glass of Riesling for a fiver, that’s fine too.
It's a little more formal at Hambleton Hall, a Victorian
mansion with a sweep of elegant public rooms and
manicured gardens leading down to Rutland Water; it sits
on the reservoir’s promontory. Eating exquisite canapés
while we peruse the menu, we gaze out at the view framed
by two cork oaks and see the cycle path we toiled along
just the day before.
One of Britain's longest holders of a Michelin star and a
member of Relais & Châteaux foodie group, Hambleton
really wows in the culinary stakes, with chef Aaron
Patterson using produce from the kitchen garden and local
suppliers to create artfully arranged dishes. They taste as
good as they look, starting with poached king prawns with
ponzu, avocado and seaweed before a delightfully fresh
dish of tagliatelle and wild mushrooms.
Save room for the sourdough – it comes from their
own Hambleton Bakery in Exton. It’s conveniently near
The Barnsdale, so we pop in later to sample the Rutland
Pippin, a combination of ham hock, sausage meat, apple
sauce and Stilton in an apple-shaped pastry.
In between eating, there’s plenty more to explore,
including the quaint market towns of Uppingham and
38 BritishTravelJournal.com