Chewton Glen, one of the UK’s finest country house hotels, will officially launch The Kitchen later this month
The handsome new-build space in the grounds of the New Forest property will have a dual purpose – a cookery school overseen by celebrity chef James Martin which opens on 1 April, and a 42-seat informal restaurant which will open its doors on the 14 March.
Offering a menu of casual comfort food classics, often with a touch of luxury, ranging from wood-fired pizzas and gourmet burgers to healthy superfood salads and indulgent desserts, The Kitchen’s open-plan interior will not only showcase chefs at work, but also provide a glimpse into the day-to-day activity in the busy adjacent 12-station cookery school.
Chewton Glen’s Adam Hart has been appointed Head Chef, and has devised the British-influenced menu in consultation with Chewton Glen’s Executive Head Chef Luke Matthews, with additional input from James Martin, particularly on some of his own well-loved signature specials. Local sourcing is crucial, and as well as British artisan charcuterie (on a create your own board), fish is from the south of England, and cheese from Hampshire and Dorset. Chewton Glen’s own gardens will provide a ready supply of vegetables, fruit and herbs, and guests will be encouraged to visit with the hotel’s own foragers and gardeners.
The lounge area will be perfect for snacks or a lighter grazing experience, and a spacious outdoor terrace will also be available for al fresco dining. Options will include pea and mint croquettes with English feta; gin and tonic scampi; and deep-fried aubergine with caramelised miso. (Prices from £3.50-£5.50.)
Typical dishes on the seasonal main menu will include salt and pepper Brixham squid (with dashi dressing); Cornish mussels with Laverstoke Park chorizo; salad of chargrilled tiger prawns (with kohlrabi, celeriac, dulse, ginger and spring onions); Trenchmore Wagyu beef burger (with field mushrooms and truffle mayonnaise); a variety of Sourdough Pizzas (such as with artichoke, asparagus, Flambards eggs and Dorset truffle, or Nduja, fennel, rosemary sausage and black olives); and a few chargrills, such as salt-aged Udale ribeye, or spatchcocked chicken; and wood-fired whole seabass (with watercress salsa verdi). Tempting desserts will feature a classic lemon tart with crème fraîche; sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce; Rum Baba with Chantilly cream; and a selection of Laverstoke Park ice creams.
Prices for the à la carte menu at lunch and dinner will be from £7.50 for charcuterie; £17 for superfood salads; from £12 for burgers; pizzas from £10; grills from £18; and all desserts at £6.
There will be a compact, international 42 bin wine list with many selections from small growers (bottles from £20), with all available by the glass (from £4) or 500ml carafe (from £16). In addition, there will be an extensive cocktail list that incorporates some local area whiskeys, gin and vodka, plus a range of local and craft beers.
Chewton Glen, Chewton Farm Road, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 6QS
Reservations: 01425 275341
www.chewtonglen.com/thekitchen
Main image: Gourmet Burger, The Kitchen at Chewton Glen
- Chewton Glen is a five-red star privately owned luxury country house hotel, located on the edge of the ancient New Forest National Park in Hampshire, and just a few minutes’ walk from the sea. Featuring an award-winning restaurant (The Dining Room), world-class spa and leisure activities, luxurious accommodation and modern meeting facilities, the hotel has 70 individually designed bedrooms and suites, including the 12 tree-house suites, a nine-hole par three golf course, croquet lawn, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a spa which has been voted the best in Europe. Chewton Glen is a member of Relais & Chateaux and is one of the finest luxury hotels in the UK. It has also been voted ‘Best UK Holiday Hotel 2016’, and listed as one of the ‘World’s Best Hotels’ by Condé Nast Traveller readers.
