|
 Even
if it was just for one night, it was time to escape from work
and Milton Keynes and relax for a while. We chose Fallowfields,
a Restaurant and Countryhouse Hotel that we had heard good
things about from friends who had visited previously.
The place is steeped in 300 years of history and
was once the home of Begum Aga Khan. Located in the Vale of
White Horse near Oxford, this beautiful countryhouse is just
over an hour’s drive from Milton Keynes and proved to be the
ideal getaway.
The rooms are not quite “home from home” simply
because of their very expensive, old fashioned interior and
antique furnishings but they are certainly made to feel
comfortable. Wherever your room is situated, you will find
lovely views of the surrounding grounds which are immaculately
maintained by the groundsman.
Our bathroom did not look modern, but it was
clean and in keeping with the building. It had a superb corner
bath with a whirlpool that did not work. I did not complain
about the whirlpool not working, simply because no matter where
I have stayed in hotels around the world, I am yet to find one
that does!
There is a trail that can be followed around the
countryhouse and this is a must for people who enjoy knowing
where their food has been sourced. Fallowfields is about half
way through a programme to make their restaurant completely
self-sufficient for food. Indeed, on their menu you will see
find an index of how far away the food has been sourced, and
many ingredients are less than 10 yards away!
The restaurant is beautiful to look at but before
taking your seat you are given the chance to enjoy a drink with
canapés in their comfortable, dimly lit bar area. There are
three leather sofas to sink into and relax and your food order
is taken here before you are invited to take your seat.
 The
restaurant is plush, but it seemed to lack any sort of
atmosphere. This is a small hotel which strikes you as being
ideal if not unbeatable for functions, parties and weddings but
with only a few rooms taken, it was quiet and it felt a little
strange being sat in a room that could probably cater for 60,
with only two other tables taken. There was a flickering light
somewhere, and amazingly, after two hours of searching, I never
found out where it was – but it bugged me no end!
So, onto the food. I started with the Sweet
Chilli and Crab Cake on a warm tomato and onion salsa. This was
sublime. All the ingredients seemed to combine to perfection
with no particular flavour overpowering the other. This was a
fantastic starter which could be served anywhere. It was fresh,
soft and almost creamy and despite the cake being larger than
expected, it was light, leaving plenty of room for the main
course.
For mains, I opted for the
Ginger marinated
chicken on a bed of stir fried vegetables and lemon roasted
potatoes. This was outstanding once again. The chicken was
slightly tougher than you might normally expect but this is the
norm for locally reared, fresh chicken. This is how it is meant
to be! Everything was, as you would expect, incredibly fresh,
and because of that, it was tastier too. The stir fried peppers
were some of the best I have ever tasted and the potatoes were
soft with the slightest hint of lemon. Yet again, all the
wonderful flavours combined brilliantly to form a perfect dish.
Despite only eating two courses there was little room for
dessert. So it was back to our room - Windrush 1, before waking
in the morning to enjoy a superb breakfast. Again, all the
ingredients were locally sourced and I feasted on the home made
bread, muffins, home made juices and also a full English
breakfast. This arrived without the bacon I had ordered but I
doubt I would have had the room for it anyway.
Fallowfields is an experience and if you can afford to treat
yourself to a short break, make sure you add them to your list
of possibles. The service is second to none and comes with a
smile too. |
