Dinner At The Bank House In Hathersage
Published On Thursday 3 Nov 2022 by Sticky Beak
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Many of you will be familiar with the beautiful village of Hathersage, located in the stunning Peak District National Park, as it’s a very popular place to walk and visit. There is a church in the village whose yard is said to contain the grave of Robin Hoods’ companion, Little John, and the Bronte family (of literary fame and renown) used to visit Hathersage regularly. Clearly, there is magic in the fresh, uplifting Derbyshire air over these hills, and another little golden nugget has come in the guise of the Bank House, established in 2018.
Like many villages, Hathersage isn’t blessed with large car parks for many of its venues so on-road spots outside are taken quicker than Usain could shift in his glory days! Don’t despair though, there are plenty of nearby car parks and we bagged a spot in one of these (it only costs a quid between 6pm-8am, at other times you’ll pay usual rates) then cut through down a jitty to the main road.
There is no missing the imposing former bank building; its Neo-Jacobean style dominates the architecture of the street it occupies! Where the bank’s car park once stood is now a superb area in which to enjoy nibbles and drinks al fresco, complete with wooden seating and canopied tables – watch this space because coming soon is an Alpine/Nordic style bar, all ready to see you through the chilly winter months.
We entered Bank House on its ground floor level and the Cocktail Bar was thrumming with energy; people were out to enjoy their weekend with friends and relax in the swanky surroundings. Bank House’s Operations Director, Lawrence, greeted us and asked if we’d like a drink in the bar or head straight up to the restaurant; we opted to go to our table, our tummies rumbling their agreement! The ‘swish factor’ is continued in the second floor restaurant, with a carpet that is designed to mimic a wooden, parquet floor and striking Ochre, Chocolate and Teal textured tiles decorating the upper part of one wall.
Our table, in the curve of the central window, afforded us a view over the restaurant that meant we could appreciate all the decor touches at their maximum beauty. A deep marine blue paint added a superb drama to the walls, partnered by rich mahogany panelling and cabinetry, and continued with the tables and mid-back chair frames. The seat pads of the chairs were ochre or blue; their backs a mesmerising, blurred effect fabric. Fine, floor length curtains draped perfectly to frame the magnificent, huge windows, held with matching tie-backs. Assorted styles of pendant lighting were grouped to provide illumination throughout the restaurant, though not necessarily directly over each table; my personal favourites were the trios of repurposed decanters as their decorative surface twinkled from the bulbs within. The more modern style cluster pendants were softened by swathes of faux foliage; a nice nod to the rural setting. At the far end of the space to us, were some fabulously modern, angular wire cage lights and I noticed that the tealight holders on each table picked this trend up subtly, tying it in nicely through the restaurant.
Tom was to be our server for the evening and I warn you now folks, he is such a friendly and personable gentleman that you’ll secretly fall in love with him! Whenever we needed a recommendation he was there with several options, adjusting them as our preferences were revealed and all done with a quiet confidence and a smile. Chilled water in a decorated bottle was swiftly brought over, soon followed by a pint of Spanish lager for His Nibs and a large glass of Shiraz for me. If you don’t fancy wine (there is an extensive choice, both by the glass and bottle), then there’s a wide variety of cocktails or a Gin and Tonic from the novel length list!
One of the things I loved about Bank House was the lack of snobbery and pretension; there were people dressed up and there were people dressed in smart casuals – children are also welcome in the restaurant and it was lovely to see family groups having a great time together. Executive Head Chef, Andy Wornes, has deliberately created a menu of interchangeable Small Plates, Sharing Plates, Mains and A La Carte dishes so that every age group and palate is catered for. As a family man himself, Andy wanted to ensure no member of a family is left behind; how wonderful is that?
Tom recommended we start with a trio of Small Plate offerings if we were then going to have a main course dish to follow or go for more small plates, or even a Sharing Plate, if we were inclined to go more ‘off piste’ so to speak. The Man and I decided to have small plates followed by a la carte mains, so we went with Tom’s suggestions of Cod Cheeks (£11.50) and Derbyshire Lamb Cutlets (£12.50), adding 12-hour braised Pork Croquettes (£10.50) to complete the ensemble.
Head Chef Andy ensures that all his food is at its peak and the quintet of a la carte dishes reflected in-season meats, fish, game and vegetables. Forgive me a moment, but I just have to mention how gorgeously decorated the menus all were; the rich cream paper was printed with flora, fauna, foliage, spices and fruits of the season in those gloriously warm, rich autumnal colours across the orange, red and brown spectrum.
For our mains we chose Venison Loin with Dauphinoise Potatoes, Chestnut Mushrooms, Glazed Fig, Roast Chestnuts and Veal Jus (£34, my selection from the A La Carte menu) and Maple-Glazed Pressed and Braised Brisket, Baby Turnips, Carrots, Girolle Mushroom, Dauphinoise Potatoes and Veal Jus (£22, The Man’s pick from the regular mains menu). All food is prepared fresh each day, cooked and served to order to ensure the best dining experience that Andy and his kitchen team can provide. Their efforts haven’t gone unrecognised; Bank House holds one Rosette currently and is in the process of achieving a second one!
Clearly, presentation isn’t going to be average, basic, or run-of-the-mill – I think we can all be sure of that! Each small plate was served on crockery that showcased its character perfectly (whether in shape or shade) and every element was precisely placed. To that end, I shan’t bang on about this aspect of our meal, you can ogle the photos and make your own judgement. Similarly, you can take it as read that Tom checked back at every course, keeping a discreet eye on our drinks whenever he passed our table as well.
Bank House’s Cod Cheeks are delightfully firm and meaty in texture; they have an irresistible soft, silky sweetness paired with that all-important satiety factor, making them utterly divine here. Foamy veloute made from seafood adds a lovely charm and flavour, the arty, Coral-inspired Tuile adds visual impact, and crispy shards of Prosciutto bring a bold contrast to the moist Cod. This was a plate that was anything but small in terms of texture and taste!
For crunch lovers, I can highly recommend the Pork Croquettes; adjacent tables couldn’t fail to hear that wonderful sound of Panko crumbs being smashed into by a knife.Under the rocky surface was impossibly tender, velvet soft braised Pork that instantly melted on the tongue, leaving its sweet flavour lingering behind like a lovers’ kiss. Apple is a classic partner of Pork’s and here Chef Andy uses crisp, julienned pieces for texture and visual interest; the tart sharpness of the apple certainly got our attention. Adding an extraordinary depth of flavour to this dish was the gorgeously thick Carrot purée; this minx had a tongue-twizzlingly rich flavour to it that in my head came from honey-drizzled Carrots being slowly and carefully roasted to impart an intense caramel tone to its taste. Whatever, it was blooming moreish!
The Lamb Cutlets were precisely trimmed to the bone at their top which made the bottom, perfectly pink flesh seem even more voluminous and enticing.There was a surprising amount of meat on these cutlets – at first glance they didn’t look as if they would cause us too much trouble, but boy did we know we were eating them! A beautifully verdant herb crust sang its bright song, the notes shining clearly against the richness of the Lamb and the indulgent fragrance of the glazed Fig. Humble Parsnips, with their gentle perfume, were brought into the seasonal spotlight as roasted pieces, magnificent purée and ultra fine, crunchy, crisp thins.
When The Man Bird was presented with his Maple-glazed Brisket, his eyes lit up and his nostrils sat up and took notice at the rich aromas wafting their way! After sampling his initial mouthful, he looked at me and simply said “that was chuffing amazing”; I can’t really expand on that, can I? I think that says it all! Dense (yet impossibly soft) Beef Brisket had been lovingly enhanced by Bank House’s Executive Head Chef Andy Worne’s top-secret Maple and Beef Stock glaze that is reduced, by patient cooking, into a wondrously sticky, decadent (almost) sauce. Baby Turnips and Heritage Carrots’ inherent flavours had been ramped up to enable them to hold their own against the Brisket, and Girolle Mushrooms’ fruity, peppery flavour added another layer to this taste concert.
Both His Nibs’ and my mains had Chef’s Dauphinoise Potatoes in them and, blimey, they were marvellous! Microscopically thin -and trust me, you could look at them under magnification and appreciate the detail! - layers of potato had been combined with cream, cheese and seasoning then cooked to firm up the outer surface and create a thin, flavoursome crust that had us smiling happily at each other. This was comfort food at its zhuzhed up finest and if I was offered this as a supper dish to savour on its own, I’d accept with no hesitation!
So, to my Venison Loin; what can I say? Wow; just abso-wanging-lutely WOW!! Other than its darker, seared outer the Venison was its natural rich Ruby colour so you’d be forgiven for initially thinking that it was basically raw. Let me reassure you that this was far from the case; the properly rested meat fibres had relaxed and reabsorbed their juices so there wasn’t a single millilitre of blood on my plate and what remained was perfectly pink, earthy tasting game. Just as a point of interest, Chef sources his Venison from Derbyshire when its in-season, and from Scotland when our local Bambi is past its peak, as they have a longer season. Rich, glazed Fig melted on my tongue, pairing marvellously with the musky venison tones, as did the nutty flavour of the Chestnut Mushrooms. Adding some firmer textures to the dish were wonderfully warm roasted Chestnuts, whose sweet, buttery taste always reminds me of family Christmases – Mummy Bird does the most incredible Chestnut stuffing in the world. Fact.
The dessert course was just as swoon-inducing as the previous two had been; I opted for Nougat Panna Cotta with Blood Orange and Pumpkin (£8) and The Man went for Chocolate Marquise with Orange Tuile and White Chocolate (£7.50), which was actually Chef Andy’s mum’s recipe! Originally he had fancied the sound of the Chocolate Fondant with Black Sesame, Blackcurrant and Chocolate (£8.50) but I talked him out of it – much to Chef’s dismay as we found out later. Sorry, Chef!
As a well travelled gent, Chef has gained inspiration from other cuisines and the Nougat Panna Cotta was one dish he’d tried and has determinedly toiled to replicate. Pumpkin is a curious creature; its nutty, earthy, sweet character means it can cross over into both sweet and savoury dishes and on this evening it was twirling seductively with the cooked cream (literally ‘panna cotta’), tempering any cloyingly sweet tendencies that may have had ideas of surfacing. Contrasting confidently with the sweeter elements was the brazen, unabashed sharpness of Blood Orange and this minx made my palate sit bolt upright and salute its boldness! I know I said I wasn’t going to wax lyrical about presentation, but I really would’ve been doing this exquisite dessert an injustice if I omitted to say that it looked like an edible autumnal wreath, such was its beauty!
For those wondering, the marquise is about halfway between a mousse and a torte in taste and texture, so it’s definitely sumptuous and indulgent but doesn’t lay heavy on the tummy. Chocoholics, this is your final destination on the cocoa central line; imagine that intensely rich velvet luxury that fine chocolate has, then multiply that by a trillion....now you’re getting close to the intense pleasure this dessert brings! Flirtier White Chocolate and bright citrus notes bring a playful edge to the flavour profile here. Bravo, Chef.
We concluded our meal with large, ‘proper’ cups (not a tricky handle with a skewiff centre of gravity in sight!) of aromatic After Dinner coffee and, yes, I prayed to the gods for that DeLorean because this was certainly a meal that deserved to be relived and savoured ad infinitum! Cheeky mention that they do happen to do a scrummy-sounding Sunday Roast...might be checking that out as a flock soon!
Hot Wings very happily, and unreservedly, awarded to this wonderful Hathersage team. To reserve a table you can either call the team on 01433 449060 or head to www.bankhousehathersage.co.uk, click on reservations and follow the instructions.
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