Sunday Lunch At The Kedleston Country House, Quarndon
Published On Sunday 17 Aug 2025 by Sticky Beak
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One of the best bits about the blog, for me, is that over the years we’ve got to see some raw talent at its inception and one of these happens to be Mr Leo Hill. Back in the day, Leo (with some help from his mum, Suzy) opened a bijoux restaurant called Arthur’s in Belper and The Man and I were invited along to sample his dishes. Right from the get-go, Leo has had a flair for putting unusual combinations together and used foraged ingredients and herbs, as well as seasonal vegetables, to concoct some very memorable morsels.
As things do in life, the stream of experience has taken Leo and his partner, Emily, along on its ebbing and flowing current, to the present day where Leo is Head Chef in the kitchen at The Kedleston Country House. The Man and I have previously visited this gorgeous venue - a few times, actually – and always loved it, so we thought that it would be perfect to take Mummy Bird there to try Leo’s Sunday roast.
We were greeted very warmly at the door and shown through to the Study, an area we actually haven’t dined in before! In common with the rest of the building, the colour palate was calming and neutral, with accents of rural life on the soft furnishings. The walls were painted in muted sage, delicate duck egg blue and creamy chalk, their hues picked up on the bench-style seat and side-tables in the space. A dark wooden, waxed floor matched some of the tables, the others in lighter tones but all of a solid, sturdy type.
Our server for the afternoon was the lovely Ellie, and a more polite, bubbly person you couldn’t wish to meet; she made us all feel like royalty and took care of our every need. The first thing she did was get some chilled water for us and then took our drinks order upon her return: large Pinot for Mummy (£6.80), large Chardonnay for me (£7.50) and a pint of Moretti for His Nibs (£6).
You all know that I like things kept simple, so I was delighted to see that the price structure was exactly that: 1 course £21 pp, two courses for £26pp, and all three courses for £32pp. There was a trinity of both the starters and puddings to choose from, and a quartet of mains. The first thing that caught my attention was the Heritage Tomato and Roast Peach Salad – I wasted no time in calling dibs on that for my starter, and I was swiftly followed by Mummy Bird stating that she was having the Smoked Haddock and Baked Potato Velouté with Crispy Onions and freshly minced Chives. His Nibs didn’t get the leftovers, though, so no sympathy required; he ordered the Panko-crumbed and fried, Ham Hock Terrine with Roast Pineapple and Rum Ketchup to kick his meal off.
Each starter was carefully presented on lovely crockery, and Ellie brought a soup spoon out (on a dinky wooden board, no less!) for Mummy, and without any further ado, we all tucked in. There was a rainbow of colours on my plate; greens, yellow and red from the tomato, and rich orange from the darkened Peach halves. My palate was swooning in delight at the contrast, and balance, between the concentrated sweetness and gentle smoke of the Peach and the sharper Tomatoes, of which each variety had its own unique flavour profile. Torn (never cut!) fresh Basil leaves added an extra bounce of taste in the mouth, partnering the Tomato and Peach perfectly. For such a seemingly simple dish, this was truly complex in terms of taste and texture; quite marvellous.
The Man has had plenty of Terrines in his time, but I think that this coated and fried one is a first; and what a beauty it was! The ultra-crisp, Panko coating gave the senses that initial blast of pleasure, followed by the deep, rich taste of the chunky, pressed Terrine. Lifting things brilliantly on the palate was the smooth, thick ketchup and its fruity Pineapple note and warming Rum rear-guard. If this had come as a main course, I think His Nibs would’ve gone double-dipping!
Chef had utilised the Smoked Haddock judiciously, so that you certainly got its characteristic wallop in the mouth, but without it taking over completely. The rounded creaminess of the jacket spud’s body provided a natural thickness to this ‘soup’ as well as softening the taste of this dish. For a blast of texture, the Crispy Onions and their intense taste had formed a mound in the centre of the bowl, and an extra Allium zhuzh came via the minced Chives that provided colourful flecks within the velouté itself. This was another example of something simple being elevated to glory in the skilled hands of Chef Leo Hill.
For mains, both Mummy and I had contemplated having the Wild Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Oil and Crisped Shallots, though we finally went with other choices: pan-roast Supreme of corn-fed Chicken with Wholegrain Mustard, and roast Rib of Derbyshire Beef (cured in treacle), respectively. The Man Bird opted for roast Porchetta of Derbyshire Pork with Toffee Apple Compote. All the roasts at The Kedleston Country House are served with triple-cooked Potatoes, Beef Dripping Yorkshire Pudding, Maple and Clementine-glazed Carrot, Cauliflower Rarebit, Garlic and Lemon-buttered Greens, Jerry Howarth’s Sausage Stuffing, and Bone Marrow Red Wine Gravy.
The most striking difference between the roasts served at Kedleston Country House and other venues (and one that hits you immediately) is that the meats, Yorkie Pud, Carrot, Stuffing and Roasties are served on a smaller-than-usual plate. Don’t fret though; the greens and Cauli Gratin found homes on side plates that Ellie had popped down for us before she brought our mains and accompaniments out to us. It was actually refreshing to have room to manoeuvre all the elements around your main plate without fear of anything falling off – the side plate certainly made things a lot easier to navigate.
Without exception, the meats were beyond tender and juicy; flavour exploded over our palates, making us grin gleefully. The Mans’ Porchetta looked absolutely stunning, the Loin having been lovingly wrapped by the Belly meat and curled tightly to ensure the gorgeous striations of the meat layers stayed visible when served. At the very heart of this ‘parcel’ was a mixture of minced Garlic, Herbs and Spices that all swirled together in harmony to produce a delightful layer of flavour to this meal. Needless to say, I nabbed the crispy crackling for myself, and it was perfectly seasoned and herbed – nom nom nom. Pork and Apple is a classic pairing, but Chef Leo likes to put his own stamp on things and, on this occasion, it was serving an impossibly rich, swoon-inducing Toffee Apple sauce with the Porchetta; a genius move, in His Nibs’ opinion.
As I helped Mummy with the cutting of her Chicken Supreme (due to her hands being weak, not the Chicken tough), I inhaled that beautiful, comforting smell of roast chicken and smiled as I lifted the skin to reveal soft, tender, juicy breast meat underneath. The beauty of a supreme is that the skin preserves moisture during roasting whilst the proximal wing bone that remains attached adds a superb depth of flavour. A small pot of Wholegrain Mustard came with Mummy’s dish, though a nicer, sweeter one than the norm; this had no harsh after-taste at all, just lovely Mustardy warmth. Chef had served me with a pair of fantastically thick slices of the Beef Rib and, wowsers, I don’t know what alchemy happens when the flesh is cured with treacle, but I can tell you what the end result is: flipping magic. The beef literally melted on my tongue, releasing its deep, rich taste to my palate and the Horseradish Cream lifted things to dizzying heights - I was seriously in love with my meal.
Now, as you all know; there’s stuffing, and then there’s stuffing…but Chef Leo’s stuffing is next level. Serving serious main character energy, this Jerry Howarth’s Sausage charmer is not mucking about in the taste stakes - it has come to win the whole damn tournament, never mind the game! I kid you not when I say that each sphere of stuffing was at least 3oz; no wonder we struggled to clear our plates! Roasties are one of the cornerstones of any decent Sunday lunch/dinner, and the ones served at The Kedleston Country House are nothing short of magnificent. With their crisp-but-not-tough, herbed outers and tasty, supersoft inners, these have got it all going on. The carrots are also a bit extra, having been roasted whole in Maple and Clementine to impart even more sweetness to their caramelised sugars.
Alongside the extra Bone Marrow and Red Wine Gravy, were two bowls of the golden-crusted Cauliflower Gratin and a dish of Lemon and Garlic Buttered Peas, Savoy Cabbage and Tenderstem Broccoli. We didn’t need any extra gravy, thanks to being served enough with our meats, though I have to say that if there’d been a few bits of baguette going begging, they’d have been dunked in; the gravy was that good. All the vegetables were still gently firm to the bite and all bursting with peak-season flavour. We got a lovely citrus hint and the unmistakeable waft of Garlic, too, alongside the veggies: I would just say that if you don’t like Garlic, it might be best to state this to your server when you order.
All of the flock are huge fans of Cauliflower Cheese and this particular interpretation had been gratinated with breadcrumbs (as well as Parmesan cheese) to give it a hefty injection of crunch. The white sauce was pimped expertly with enough Cheese to clearly taste, but remaining respectful of the delicate flavour that Cauliflower has, and not over-whelming it. There was more than enough of the Gratin, which pleased us all immensely; very often, we think that we could’ve done with ordering an extra portion of it, but not on Leo’s watch!
Those amongst you that have keen eyes (and a predilection for Potatoes) will have noticed the omission of Mashed Potato, and all I’m going to say is that I would rather just have Roasties and have Cauliflower Cheese instead. Controversial? Maybe, but that’s what I honestly think, and The Man Bird (a total spudaholic) actually agreed with me. Fans of the iconic Yorkshire Pudding will not be disappointed here; the batter was rich and comforting, the golden sides crispy and pimped with a meaty gloss from the Beef Dripping that created them.
Ellie had been an absolute superstar, checking that we’d been happy with our food and bringing out a second carafe of iced water for the table. Clearly, she loves what she does, as everything was done with a smile and not rushed in the least, and she giggled as we debated whether to have pudding or not – our family debates are something to behold!
Of course we were going to have pudding; after having had two amazing courses, we weren’t going to pass up the chance to try Leo’s sweet treats. No surprise to say that His Nibs had his beloved Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toasted Vanilla Ice Cream and Smoked Sea Salt, and if ever there was a giveaway that Chef Leo Hill was in the kitchen, this was it. I went for the Raspberry Victoria Sponge, and Mummy had the Triple Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream.
The presentation was divine, as it had been throughout, and we all eagerly dived in. My sponge was wickedly light and airy, with a lovely vanilla note to it, and it was generously filled with intensely rich Raspberry jam and a silky buttercream that had again being enhanced with rounded notes of Vanilla. A gentle decorative dusting of Icing sugar and a whole fresh Raspberry provided the only garnish and, in all honesty, it didn’t need any other embellishment. If I was to be picky - and this is purely a personal preference - I would’ve loved to have had fresh, thickly whipped Cream in the centre rather than the buttercream.
Mummy Bird does have a good appetite on her, and she certainly needed it with the [served warm] Brownie: it was a good 3” square of luxuriantly rich, cocoa heavy, gooeyness, topped with a piped Milk Chocolate Orange mousse…and crowned with a scoop of melting Ice Cream! Not a dessert for the faint of heart, or lacking in appetite, that’s for sure. I doubted that she’d finish it, but by heck she did!
There was no doubting, though, whose plate was winning the ‘best pud’ competition: that’d be His Nibs’ Sticky Toffee morsel. The first thing to grab our attention was the contrast between the bright blue bowl and the rich, deep caramel of the lake of Toffee Sauce that surrounded the pudding and round of Toasted Vanilla Ice Cream. All I can say is that the feast with the eyes was just as good as the gustatory one. The moist sponge was pleasingly dense and gorgeously rich-tasting, and the smoke and tang of the Sea Salt served to intensify the flavour of Toasted Vanilla; all in all, another triumph by Leo.
With no exaggeration, this is one of the nicest Sunday roast offerings in the ‘Shire; it may not be the cheapest (but it’s not ridiculously priced, either), but if you want [taste] bang for your buck, The Kedleston Country House should be on your radar. Hot Wings very happily given here.
To book a table, call 01332 982838, or visit www.kedlestoncountryhouse.co.uk, click on the ‘restaurant’ tab, then hit the ‘book a table’ button. The Kedleston Country House is open for lunch Weds-Sat Noon-3pm, and then for dinner service 5pm-8.30pm. Sunday Roasts are served between Noon-6pm on Sunday, and Afternoon Tea fans can indulge on Saturdays only, but you do need to pre-book this. Breakfast and Champagne Breakfasts are served on Saturday mornings 9am-11.30am – I can’t think of a nicer way to kick the weekend off, can you?
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