The Man and I were lucky enough to be invited along for a Brunch-Breakfast at The Dovecote Restaurant at Morley Hayes. We have dined at this venue previously, in the Roosters Restaurant, as the ground-level made it much easier with Mummy Bird; although The Dovecote is accessible for disabled guests, too.
Morley Hayes is an absolutely stunning setting; you can see over the expansive, immaculately landscaped gardens as you approach from the road! The sprawling driveway gives you even more opportunity to drink in its beauty, as well as see the [golf] driving range on one side, and the 27-hole golf course (split into the championship, 18-hole Manor course, and the 9-hole Tower course) on the other. The estate has clear signage to its various locations and accommodation, and there is plenty of parking for your vehicles…there is even a helipad for if you fancy giving your chopper a run out (as you do!).
Having parked the jalopy, His Nibs and I strolled across to the beautiful stone building that is home to Roosters and The Dovecote. The reception has that refined calm to it, and there are plenty of nooks in which to sit and relax within the blue and cream palate of the décor that has brushed gold accents to lift it. One of the team swiftly acknowledged us and confirmed our booking, and then escorted us through to our table where we were handed over to Cerys, our server. All the staff were very smartly attired in their white shirts and ties paired with black trousers and a navy, tied apron
From our window table, we could see over the roof and into the garden and its terrace; folks from an imminent wedding were beginning to assemble there, and I have to say that Morley Hayes makes a magnificent setting for nuptials. Anyway, my day-dreaming came to a halt as I turned my attention to the Breakfast and Brunch menu, thanks to the not-so-subtle rumbling of my tummy. There are two great choices: the Champagne Breakfast/Brunch at £37.50pp, (a multi-course extravaganza), and the Dovecote Breakfast/Brunch that costs £27pp that offers 2 courses from an extensive choice of items. We were sampling the Dovecote Brunch, so turned our attention to making our selection – not easy when there are so many mouth-watering choices!
His Nibs had a black coffee (from Langley Mill business, 47 Degrees) and I fancied a pot of breakfast tea to go with our feast. There are also juices, hot chocolate and a range of smoothies on offer, if you prefer those. Straight away, The Man called dibs on the Strawberry Croissant as his first course! Okey doke then, I’ll go for the Smoked Salmon with Hash Brown, and Herb and Lemon Crème Fraiche. My beady eye had spotted the Barbequed Persian Chicken with Avocado Vierge, Feta, and Sweetcorn Salsa, so that was my choice of second course; The Man, as you know, does love a Full English, but the lure of a scrummy-sounding Rump-cap Steak proved too strong to resist.
Whilst we waited for our food, I looked around a bit more at my surroundings, finding lots of detail to like. The 2 AA-Rosetted Dovecote has a rustic charm to it, with lots of exposed beams and red brickwork, though it has certainly been elevated to something much above the ordinary. Each table was set with a pristine white cloth, cutlery you could see your reflection in, and pretty arrangements of fresh florals in clear glass vases. The restaurant was bustling with folks celebrating, as well as groups and couples (like ourselves) who’d just come out to enjoy a leisurely weekend morsel. I noticed that The Dovecote is family friendly, and welcomes children; dogs aren’t permitted inside, either in the hotel rooms or in the restaurants, though service dogs are exempt from this (do check with the venue before any booking, though). Given its popularity, I would certainly recommend booking ahead, rather than chancing it and walking-in.
Soon enough, Cerys was bringing our first brunch course out and, wowsers, the Strawberry Croissant looked splendid! Rather than the crescent moon-shape of regular Croissants, Chef had made a flattened round of the yeast-leavened dough; don’t panic though, the shape may be different, but its spectacular, multiple laminae can still be seen. In the centre of the Croissant was a mound of piped Crème Diplomat topped with toasted Hazelnuts and chopped Strawberries, all decorated with luscious swirls of White Chocolate. This was breakfast goals; as in mic-drop, exit-stage-left, ‘nuff said type of goals. The contrast of texture between the crisp Croissant and its silky Crème filling was superb, and what can I say about the Strawberries? Clearly, the fruit was a variety chosen for its intensity of flavour, and it was showing-out like a squad of NFL cheer-leaders on Super Bowl Day! If luxuriance is your go-to at breakfast/brunch time, then look no further than this marvel.
Given that The Dovecote has been awarded 2 AA Rosettes [consecutively] for nearly a decade-and-a-half, you won’t be surprised to hear that my Hash Brown was a bobby-dazzler. Perfectly spherical, the crisp outer was that iconic St Tropez shade of bronzed brown, matched with a beyond-smooth Potato filling that had been seasoned sublimely. Where the Hash Brown was crisp and crunchy, the Smoked Salmon ribbons were silky and oily in the mouth, gliding smoothly over the tongue. Fresh Dill and Lemon popped beautifully in their respective dots of tangy Crème Fraiche, and more fronds of delicate Dill garnished the dish.
Cerys came to clear away our pair of clean starter platters, taking the opportunity to check that we were still fine for refreshment. Having done a check-back earlier, she had ascertained that we were more than happy with our food and so wasn’t surprised to be carrying empty crockery back to the kitchen.
After a little interlude, we were presented with our second courses, and both had the same high standard of presentation that their predecessors had. As well as arranging each element precisely on the plate or bowl, Chef and his team also give care and consideration to the colour and pattern of the crockery to ensure that each dish is shown to its full potential. These little details really do make all the difference, especially from our photographic perspective – both for the written articles and the ‘gram!
Given that one course had already been served, you’d think the portions would be a smidge more modest second time round, wouldn’t you? Pah, not a chance; the [sliced] Chicken Breast of my dish seemed to have come from the world’s largest fowl, sitting front-and-centre in a lake of Avocado Vierge Sauce! Attractively charred from the griddle and zhuzhed with flavoursome spices typically used in Persian cooking, such as Cinnamon, Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom and tangy Sumac, the tender, moist breast meat was delightful in the mouth. I also loved the replacement of Tomatoes with Avocado to make the uncooked Vierge; the unctuous sauce was certainly a modern twist on the classic French variety, and was tantalisingly clean and bright on the palate. Cubes of bold, salty Feta provided a marvellous ping for the taste buds to get excited over, with balance coming via the Sweetcorn Salsa and its smoky, charred hint. A truly delicious dish.
I would have put money on The Man going for the Full English, but I think he was curious about having a full-on Steak for breakfast/brunch. The Dexter cattle that the Rump-cap comes from are actually from Morley Hayes’ owners, brothers Andrew and Robert Allsop, which makes sense, given that their original background is farming. The flavour and texture of the beef was nothing short of fantastic, and His Nibs had chosen to have it with Fried Egg, Hash Brown, Cherry Tomatoes and Chimichurri; you can also opt to have it with French Fries, Cherry Tomatoes and a Peppercorn sauce.
Served pink, and sliced to showcase its quality, the Rump-cap melted in the mouth. Dexter cattle are quite unique in that they produce meat that is darker in colour than most other breeds, and this allowed the rose-pink centre to stand out on the plate. It isn’t just the colour of their flesh that is worthy of mention; the flavour is beyond compare thanks to the fine fat-marbling which imparts a tremendous depth that palate’s can enthusiastically savour. Buttery, slightly sweet, nutty and superbly deep: some descriptions of Dexter beef; all you need to know is that you need this dish in your life, stat!! Bright and herb-laden, the Chimichurri, in my opinion, was the best accompaniment [certainly, at the early hour of the day] to the steak – Peppercorn would’ve been too heavy: perfect in the evening, but not earlier, I would say. Sweet, bouncy Cherry Tomatoes had been roasted on-the-vine and were comfortingly soft and intensely tasty; for crunchy texture, the Hash Browns stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the ball-park. Another marvellous dish from Chef at The Dovecote.
Throughout our time at Morley Hayes, nothing had been too much trouble for the staff; from the moment we stepped over the threshold to when we left, the service had been exceptional. The food was faultless in every way: taste, texture, temperature, execution, and presentation – it’s easy to see why, year-on-year, The Dovecote is given AA Rosettes. Hot Wings unflinchingly awarded here.
To book a table, call 01332 780480 or visit www.morleyhayes.com and hit the ‘bookings’ tab on the right-hand side; then hit the ‘book table’ tab and scroll down to The Dovecote and tap the ‘book now’ button.
The Dovecote is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Breakfast is served from 9:00am to 12:00pm, Wednesday to Friday, and from 10:00am to 12:30pm on Saturdays. Afternoon Tea is available Thursday to Saturday from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Dinner is served from 6:30pm to 9:00pm, Friday to Sunday, and Sunday Lunch is available between 12:00pm and 4:00pm.
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