Food Review: Overton Grange, Ludlow

It’s been more than two years since I last visited Overton Grange Hotel, in Ludlow. And on that occasion, I marvelled at the high standards of food and the accomplished level of service – but wondered why my friend and I were the only two diners in for food on a Saturday night. Perhaps it was the time of year, perhaps the locals knew something I didn’t.

I’d anticipated the restaurant would grow busier. After all, it had recently appointed an impressive new head chef who was looking to move things along. And, lest we forget, Overton Grange once had an impressive reputation for great food. It was where the brilliant Lyon-born cook Claude Bosi cut his teeth and won his first Michelin star. And it was where the exceptional Wayne Smith had also worked, before he began a journey that ended with the creation of his own restaurant, the frequently-exceptional Mortimers, in Ludlow Town Centre.

So my partner and I looked forward with considerable glee to a Saturday dinner at the beautiful country house hotel, with AA two-rosette food, log fires and more. And yet our dinner was groundhog day by another name. The food was good, with area for minor improvement; the service was engaging and attentive – and there was another almost-empty dining room with as much atmosphere as the planet Mercury.

I’m guessing Overton Grange doesn’t need to have a bustling dining room – for no business runs sustainably with two guests or, on this occasion, four guests, for Saturday dinner. The venue’s website talks in flowing terms about its wedding offer and its appeal for holiday-makers with details of an indoor pool, lovely rooms, glorious views and spa treatments. And perhaps the focus is on those guests, rather than locals who want to eat nicely-prepared, seasonal dishes.

Whatever the reason, it’s a pity that Overton doesn’t make more of its kitchens for the chef who began in impressive fashion two years again remains at the helm and is a seasoned performer.

When my partner and I arrived, there were two other dinner guests – a couple who were also guests of the hotel. A restaurant manager and waitress were polite and welcoming to both tables, taking orders for drinks, offering menus and engaging in friendly chat.

In short order, we were shown through to the dining room; a light and airy space that was under-stated, warm and conservatively furnished. There was no pizzazz or sense of occasion; just a comfortable and unshowy area in which to eat.

The menus were good, with a fixed price of £39.95 for three courses and a choice of four starters, four mains and three desserts, or cheese.

The selection was good. On the evening that we visited, scallops with curry, cumin-marinated golden sultanas, cauliflower and raisins fought for space with a chicken confit terrine with pickled vegetables; goat’s cheese cannelloni, beetroot and hazelnut and pigeon with celeriac, black pudding and girolles.

I opted for the scallop dish while my partner chose the beetroot. Both were ring-a-ding-ding impressive. The scallops were lovingly tender, like a Valentine kiss. They’d been caramelised on the outside before being whisked off the heat while they were just under-done, so that the residual heat cooked them perfectly by the time they’d reached the table. The gently warming notes of curry were like a down duvet on a winter’s evening while the cumin, sultanas and cauliflower added aromatic sweetness and earthy tones. Well-balanced, well-presented and executed with considerable skill, it was a standout dish.

My partner’s beetroot and goat’s cheese dish was similarly pretty, similarly well-balanced and presented attractively. The chalky flavours of the cheese were adroitly allied to the sweet and earthy beets and it made for enjoyable eating.

Our mains were also a delight, though might have been executed with greater precision. My partner had the pick of the dishes with two beautifully cooked sea bass fillets, which sat atop an orzo risotto. The plate was garnished with smoked eel – utterly, utterly delicious – and a flavoursome jus. It was a triumph. The orzo was al dente while the fillets had crispy skin and fall-apart flakes of salty flesh.

My beef dish was in the same league, though flattered only to deceive. A nicely cooked, rare fillet was served with a soupcon of pearl barley, heritage carrots and a red wine jus. The jus was magnificent. Beautifully seasoned, it showed real skill on the part of the chef. The garnish, however, was underwhelming. The carrots had become luke warm by the time they reached the table, which is never a good look. And though the beef saved the day, the details let things down. We both enjoyed a light and refreshing dessert that comprised a blackberry bavarois with compressed elderflower jelly and a yoghurt sorbet. The components were completely in unison and offered a good end to a nicely put together dinner.

The restaurant manager was impressive throughout, nurturing a youthful waitress and being confident and helpful across the evening. However, whether such efforts were worthy of Overton Grange’s absurd 10 per cent service charge is a moot point. Most restaurant managers and waitresses would consider an evening with four guests just one step removed from a day off. And adding a service charge seemed amiss. While London restaurants and some in Birmingham city centre engage in such practices, there are hardly any in Shropshire who feel it necessary. The rules of engagement are – or ought to be – simple: the staff are paid by the restaurant and customers leave a tip if they feel it was earned. Service charges feel like coercion and seldom have a place in Shropshire restaurants.

I’m not sure why Overton Grange has been so quiet on the two Saturday nights that I paid a visit.

It has a delightful location, staff with good skills and a pleasing menu. I can only imagine that it’s focus is on the wedding and hotel markets – and that’s a shame, because the restaurant is one of the county’s better places in which to eat.