Brockencote Hall, Worcestershire.
I had spent much of the day driving up to the midlands from the south coast through persistent rain and heavy traffic and was feeling very tired and stressful when I arrived at Brockencote Hall, so I was eagerly looking forward to spending a couple of days at one of the finest luxury hotels & restaurants in the county of Worcestershire.
As I drove through the beautiful Worcestershire countryside I started to relax and was looking forward to a glass or two of fine wine, a tasty meal and comfortable room, in which to rest my weary mind & body. I was not going to be disappointed!
Brockencote Hall is situated in an idyllic setting, just a five-minute walk from the picturesque village of Chaddesley Corbett, proudly standing in seventy acres of its own beautiful parkland, complete with a scenic lake, tennis court and a perfectly restored half – timbered 17th century Dovecote.
The restored Dovecote at Brockencote
I stopped the car as I drove on to the long sweeping 100m tree lined drive leading up to the former Victorian country Manor House and took a little time to soak up the vista & well maintained grounds. My wife & I were greeted warmly by the friendly & pleasant reception staff, enquiring about our journey and welcoming us to Brockencote Hotel.
Brockencote Hall was remodelled In the 1940s, following a major fire, as a French-style chateau by the Butler family of the Mitchell and Butler`s brewery fame. In 1985 the private Mansion House was bought as a hotel & Restaurant and thrived for twenty five years until it was purchased in 2011 by Sir Peter Rigby’s group of luxury hotels, the Eden Collection.
A multi-million pound facelift gave new life to the Hotel, blending the best of the traditional & original features with the essential modern necessities. The elegance of the Victorian features still remains particularly in the stunning entrance hall and comfortable library.
The conventional conservatory has been refurbished and revitalised as the Le Colonial Bar and Lounge. The decor was inspired by colonial Indian Raj and has a graceful oak carved bar, high ceilings and impressive views of the parkland which adds an appreciation of the history and space to this striking hotel.
I was unable to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea in the bar or on the adjoining terrace, whilst looking out across the estate and sweeping Worcestershire countryside, as I was visiting during the winter months. maybe next time! The restaurant terrace has a small water feature and there is also a haha skirting the open field, preventing the sheep from entering the immediate Hotel environs.
Later in the evening, whilst enjoying pre-dinner drinks in the library, my wife & I perused the menus, a nine -course Tasting menu & Wine Flight and the À La Carte Menu. There was also a vegetarian menu available. The library was a very comfortable space in which to sit and enjoy canapes and pre – dinner drinks, so good that we returned after our meal to sit and enjoy some coffee & homemade petits fours.
My wife and I sat on one of the comfortable settees in front of the large open – fireplace with a single rural themed oil painting above it. There were wood panelled walls and a wall of books, some real books & others decorative.
We were led into the spacious and elegant Chaddesley Restaurant which holds three AA Rosettes for its outstanding cuisine and has a superb collection of world class wines in a celebrated wall of wine. The Award-winning food combined with personal and attentive service helped create a superb dining experience.
The Head Chef Tim Jenkins has been at Brockencote for seventeen years and has recruited a talented culinary team around him, whose clear passion is food. The teams rich wealth of experience and gourmet skills is used to the maximum to produce fresh, seasonal and innovative dishes on a daily basis, some of which I enjoyed that evening.
My cooking is free flowing and natural, concentrating on delivering the best flavour possible’.
Head Chef Tim Jenkins
Our Meal:
Starters.
Honey glazed VEAL sweetbread, sherry vinegar veal jus, hazelnut & carrot tagine.
Chalk stream TROUT sapling gin gravlax, blood ornage, capers, spring onion & creme fraiche, from the À La Carte Menu.
Mains:
Poached Packington PORK Loin, Brawn, Granny Smith Apple & Charcuterie Sauce.
Roast Worcestershire DUCK breast, leg jam, bok chi & garden beetroot.
Desserts:
YUZU iced parfait, Brockencote honey cake & textures of ginger
Selection of British CHEESES, condiments & crackers
We decided to share the selection of cheese & honey cake. Needless to say both desserts hit the spot and looked terrific. I am a great believer that we eat with our eyes and the beautiful presentation of all of the dishes, only reinforced that belief.
The wine list was extensive but we soon settled on a bottle of Fleurie. a red wine from the Beaujolais region of France. It was a light and fruity wine with forward aromas of raspberries and blackcurrants.
Our dining experience was one to remember, not least because of the staff who were all exceptionally welcoming and helpful. The Award-winning food combined with personal and attentive service helped create a superb dining experience.
Our Room: Our spacious feature bedroom was a very peaceful and comfortable room with a king sized bed, two armchairs with a table and dressing table with a chair. The décor was tasteful, traditional and beautifully appointed.
Two of the walls included large bright windows providing an unimpeded view out over the open parkland with sheep grazing and fine old trees creating a beautiful pastoral scene. The room included a wide range of tea sachets and an Espresso coffee making machine, a Hairdryer, Flat screen Freeview Television, a Safe and most impressive of all, a large state of the art Ensuite bathroom with bath and shower, bath robes, large fluffy towels and Luxury toiletries.
There was also a turn back bedroom service offered which was completed whilst we were in the dining room. The room was also large enough to accommodate an abundance of quality, handmade furniture as well as an oversized marble fireplace.
The 5* Breakfast was worth getting up for too as there was a wide selection of cereal, fresh fruit, various conserves, pain au chocolate, toasts and smoked salmon as well as the traditional full English cooked breakfast or other cooked options.
We could have made a weekend of it by visiting Harvington Hall, a moated Elizabethan manor house famed for its priest holes, which is just a mile away, but unfortunately it was closed for the winter.
Maybe on my next visit to Brockencote Hall!
Brockencote Hall Hotel
Chaddesley Corbett, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY10 4PY
t: 01562 777876
f: 01562 777872
Twitter: @BrockencoteHall
Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of the Eden Hotel Collection. The views and comments expressed are as usual my own.
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