It’s always a pleasure to revisit a venue that The Man Bird and I have previously loved, so we were thrilled to be invited to the ‘Tasting Menu Takeover’ at Restaurant 1650 at Ye Olde Bell Hotel and Spa near Retford. As ‘Banqueting Chef’ at 1 AA-Rosetted Restaurant 1650, this particular evening was described as ‘Nigel’s Night to Shine’ in recognition of Chef Nigel Shaw, and we always love it when a Chef is allowed a bit more of the rein, so to speak, as literally anything can be on the menu!
There is plenty of on-site parking so, having found a spot, we sauntered in to reception where we were directed to the event organisers and ushered into the bar, from where we would be seated. As far as restaurants go, 1650 certainly has a ‘wow factor’ to it; with a feel that harks back to days gone by and that ‘old money’ refinement, you relax as soon as you step over the threshold. Leaded windows and fancy drapes, wood panelling, cut-glass chandeliers and plush carpets give an air of elegance, but it isn’t fusty or fuddy-duddy as a swoosh of modernity is on full display in the form of a massive, monochrome print of Chefs working hard in the kitchen. Thinking about it, it’s probably this lack of snobbery or pretension that makes this award-winning restaurant so popular.
Guests were escorted through to the restaurant by Chris, Claire and Lucy and those that hadn’t got drinks from the bar had their drinks order taken: large glass of Victoria Park Shiraz for me, and a large glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for The Man. Jugs of chilled water were already on the black cloth-laid tables, and each place had the evening’s menu tucked underneath the pristine white, cloth napkin that was fashioned into a dinner jacket. Gleaming cutlery and glassware stood out against their dramatic tablecloth backdrop, and a simple brushed gold lamp would provide subtle illumination at each table as the evening light faded.
Wine buffs will be spoiled for choice by the extensive wine list, and there were several diners that opted to have the complementary wine flight (and additional cost of £55pp to the menu cost of £75pp) on this gourmand evening. With each course, a 125ml glass of carefully selected wine would be poured, chosen for its balance against the dish served. Thanks to His Nibs driving, and my reticence to drink [effectively] solo, we both passed on the wine flight, though my Shiraz was the first wine on the flight programme.
Having got us all settled in, Chris introduced Chef Shaw, allowing Nigel to talk us through what we could expect: up first was to be a bisque of Jerusalem Artichoke, with an Oxtail and Keens Cheddar Bon-Bon. The team swiftly served each table and we eagerly tucked in; that first mouthful was incredible, literally like edible velvet! Both of us loved the presentation of the bisque, in a China cup and saucer; it just gave it more pizazz than being in a regular bowl setting. Our palates were soon bathing in the vegetables’ earthy, nutty flavour, paired delightfully with a crisp-outered Bon-Bon that was softening as time passed. Underneath its crisp blanket was a fusion of deeply flavoursome Oxtail shreds and a punchy Cheddar – this was so, so tasty.
Our second course was the stalwart of any self-respecting tasting menu: Salmon Gravadlax with Capers, Horseradish, White Balsamic and Rye Bread slices. There are many ways to cure the Salmon, but Chef Nigel Shaw keeps it nice and simple, using sugar and salt; when a method works (and works well), why mess with it? There was certainly plenty of flavour going on in this dish; silky, oily Salmon slices provided a stout base for the pungent Horseradish cream to launch itself from, with Ozonic Capers banging their own drum, too. The inclusion of White Balsamic in this dish was genius; offering an ‘agrodolce’ angle (sweet and sour), the White Balsamic is subtler and fruitier than traditional Balsamic, and it was sublime alongside the Salmon, Horseradish and Capers. I fashioned my own little blinis, cutting the dense Rye Bread into bite-size squares and topping each one with the fish and its partners. Perfect.
His Nibs had been looking forward to our next course from the moment he’d spied it on the Tasting Menu: Sticky Pigs’ Cheek on Langoustine Toast. The posh version of Prawn Toast, the Langoustine one, didn’t disappoint with its contrasting textures of crisp fried bread and soft, fragrant filling, and it was certainly different to the intense taste of the ridiculously tender, juicy Pigs’ Cheek. I honestly think that this morsel may be the tenderest piece of meat to ever have passed my lips. Both elements were incredible but, personally, I didn’t think they made the most natural bed-fellows - a feeling only made more ardent by the sticky glaze that topped the Pigs’ Cheek.
The palate-cleansing course, Passionfruit Sorbet, was most welcome; our taste buds were a little overwhelmed to say the least – in the best way, obviously! Served in dinky glasses, and topped with colourful, edible flowers, the pastel-toned sorbet was a wonderful sight…and the first cool mouthful was every bit as superb. Chef Shaw had hit the reset button in a gentler style than many of his peers; refreshing without face-scrunching, but a marvellous balance of sweet and sharp, nonetheless.
Feeling reinvigorated, our palates were keen to continue their gastro-odyssey, and we were soon being presented with the Slow-roasted Shoulder of Lamb, Crispy Sweetbread, and Garden Vegetables. As with his previous courses, Chef Nigel’s attention to detail was marvellous: every single element of this dish had been placed with precision and care on the serving plate. The slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder had been fashioned into a cylinder and turned on its side so that it majestically held court over the crisp-outered Sweetbread and the colourful vegetables: Carrot, Crushed Garden Peas, Asparagus Spear and Jersey Royal – maybe it should’ve been the spud that held court?!
Anyhow, I digress. Impossibly moist and tender, the Lamb Shoulder melted in the mouth, imparting its deep, rich flavour; just as rich was the creamy, offally Sweetbread which, if you don’t know, comes from either the Thymus- or Pancreas- gland of [usually] a Lamb or Calf. I always think that crushing Peas makes their sweetness really shine and, crikey, these were gorgeously sweet in the mouth and not so soft that they were soggy, either. The Asparagus spear was trimmed at its base to remove any tough woodiness, and its grassy taste was clear in the mouth. Fun (if slightly ick!) fact: when you eat Asparagus, it makes your urine smell weird for a while! Do you know why? It’s because Asparagus contains a sulphur-containing compound called Asparagusic Acid. Fun/Geeky fact: only about 40% of the population can smell this compound, the other 60% are what is known as ‘Asparagus Anosmic’. Store this nugget of information, it may come in handy at your local pub quiz!! Thankfully, neither the nutty-tasting Jersey Royal or still-crunchy, trimmed, halved Carrot contribute to this phenomenon.
His Nibs and I have met the lovely folks at cheese producers Cryer and Stott before at food shows, and know that their produce is top-notch. Our next course featured one of their cheeses, the stunningly intense Lilibet Blue, in the centre of miniature, fried Beignet (doughnut), paired with a zingy Grape Jelly. Now, you all know that I am a self-confessed Turophile, so you’ll be shocked to hear that I could only manage half of the trio of dinky treats. To say I was bereft at leaving cheese, and such a good quality one as Lilibet Blue, is the understatement of the decade! His Nibs, on the other hand, really doesn’t like strong blue cheeses, so he had one small bite (which I thought was really game of him, bravo my handsome man) and then left this. This was the ‘marmite’ course of the menu, and a few people didn’t ‘do’ blue cheese, either.
We had reached the final course of the evening: a Trio of Chocolate. How time flies when you’re having fun! A White Chocolate chunk containing Dark Chocolate Brownie took centre stage, flanked by a quenelle of Dark Chocolate Ganache and a scoop of marvellously indulgent White Chocolate Ice Cream. This was beyond good. I will admit, I had to leave the last inch of my Brownie and some of the Ganache – my tummy couldn’t accommodate anything else; not even a coffee!
Chef Nigel Shaw had done a tremendous job with his Tasting Menu Takeover, so it was lovely (for us, probably not for him so much) that he came back into the 1650 restaurant to garner everyone’s thoughts on his team’s efforts. The verdict was that this was a superb menu: the quality and quantity of the food certainly couldn’t be faulted, and the breadth of dishes was fantastic as well. From start-to-finish, this had been a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and one that both of us would happily do again; therefore, Hot Wings are happily awarded to this excellent Barnby Moor/Retford venue.
To book a table call 01777 795121 or visit www.yeoldebell-hotel.co.uk and in the right-hand corner of the page is a ‘book now’ tab; click on that and hit the ‘stay, spa, or table’ button as desired. Restaurant 1650 and the Bistro are open for evening a la carte dining Mon-Thurs 5.30pm-8.30pm, Fri-Sat 5.30pm-9pm, and Sunday 5.30pm – 8pm.
