Delicious UK - (03)March 2020

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 139

hungry traveller.

CATCHOFTHEDAY,

CLOCKWISEFROM

ABOVELEFT

Enjoya stayby

thelakewith

yourownprivate

island;elegant

Hookdining

room;lemon

solemeunière

withshrimps;

noordinary

shepherd hut

WORDS:

PHOEBE

STONE

G R E A T E S C A P E S

The Fish Hotel: a fairytale idyll

WHYIT’SGREATIf youwantto‘get

backtonature’,yetbepacesfrom

a freshlyshakencocktail,this

Cotswoldsresortis justtheticket.

Partofthe400-acreFarncombe

Estate,TheFishoffersclassicrooms

andsuites,plusvariousalternative

outdoorsyabodesthatarethejewels

initscrown.We’retalkingtreehouse

chaletssuspendedinwoodlandand

luxuryshepherdhuts– oneevenhas

itsownminilake,islandandboat.

Thehubofthehotel,housingthe

barandlounge,avoidscountrydécor

clichésinfavourofa Scandilook

withnature-inspiredprintsand

a groovy360°logburner.

THEFOODHotelrestaurantHookis

culinarydirectorMartinBurge’s

loveletterto(sustainable)seafood

fromDevonandCornwall.Oysters

fromPorthillywereaneyes-closed

moment,richandintense.Beautiful

Foweymusselscameina rockpool-

likebowl,drenchedina flawless

creamy-sharpwhitewinesauce.

Themust-orderis thewholelemon

sole: snowy, tender flesh showered

withcapersandtinysweetshrimps

ina goldenbuttersauce(seep118

fora simplerdelicious.version).

Onlyonedishmissedthemarkfor

me:a filletofbreamoddlypaired

withstill-crunchypeppers.

Dessertsvariedfromdelicateand

accomplished(yuzucrémeuxwith

strawberrieswasfineif fussy)to

robust(orangecrepesoufflé,sticky

withGrandMarnier,whichsatisfied

myinnerpuddingfiend).

Breakfastincludesfinepastries,

cereals,yogurt,driedfruitandjuices,

butthestaris theeggs-benedict-to-

orderstation,bolsteredbya buffet

ofeveryEnglishbreakfaststalwart,

mostlysourcedfromwithin 15 miles.

Youcanalsochoosetodineatthe

moreformalDormyHousehotelon

theestate,whereat TheBackGarden

restaurantI hadanexquisitesmoked

haddocktart,setwithplumppetals

ofsmokywhitefish,babypickled

onionsandslow-cookedeggyolk.

THEROOMSWestayedinSnout,one

offiveHideawayHuts.Eachhasa

secluded outdoor space with firepit

andopen-airbathbigenoughfor

two.Insideis snug(particularlythe

bathroom)butstunning,withtiptop

attentiontodetail:thewoodsmoke

scentfromtheminilogburner,

chilledfluteswaitinginthemini

fridge(stockedwithproseccoand

beer)anda tree-canopyview

throughtheskylightoverthebed.

WHATTODOWHENYOU’RETHEREThe

pubsandchichiartgalleriesof

Broadwayarea 40-minuteramble

away,andtherearemapsinthe

loungeforplanningwalks.Having

saidthat,it wouldbeunderstandable

if youwantedtostayputasthisis

thechancetoliveouta luxurycabin-

in-the-woodsfantasy,where

someoneelsehasgotthefirewood

in,youcanorderpizzatoyourdoor

andthetoughestdecisionis whether

tohavea bathinyourroom’sroll-top

oroutsideunderthestars(magical).

COSTDoubleroomsfrom£150B&B,

HideawayHutsfrom£270,based

ontwosharing.Dinneraround

£40-45forthreecourses.

thefishhotel.co.uk