HIS & HERS WERE DELIGHTED TO BE INVITED TO THE CELEBRATIONS AT CARDEN PARK. WE APPROACHED THE ENTRANCE TO THE COUNTRY ESTATE FEELING EXCITED. IT IS A SWEEPING DRIVEWAY, STRAIGHT OUT OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. EVENTUALLY AN IMPOSING STRUCTURE, AND A FOUNTAIN CAME INTO VIEW.
Words: Jean Hill
We barely had time to take in the scale, style and comfort of the interior, before we were led out onto the terrace. It was a beautiful evening and the view was breath-taking. We were warmly welcomed and handed a glass of fine Old Gold sparkling wine from the Estate’s vineyard. We met the General Manager, and learnt that the Estate boasts two championship golf courses, a spa, and fully equipped gym. Not to forget the swimming pool and the sauna. It’s a four star hotel, and it is the ambition of management and staff alike that it become the best hotel in the country.
It has already won a raft of prestigious awards. Steve Morgan, the private owner, has made huge investments. It is a hundred acre estate that has been transformed through a unified vision. The staff tend to stay. They are friendly, relaxed, and really efficient.
The 20th Anniversary Menu
We discovered that the menu for dinner was going to be retro, looking back to 1997 when the hotel first opened. It was a modern twist to old classics. The starter was Prawn Cocktail deconstructed. The presentation was awesome yet authentic, but the Marie Rose sauce was secondary to overall flavour.
The salad was beautifully crisp and fresh and the tomato sorbet embellishment was a lovely touch. The prawns had a fresh lemon/lime kick. The main was a tour de force. It was fillet of beef, tender not quite rare, that was juicy, with a robust flavour. This was accompanied by sticky beef cheeks, slow cooked for a depth of taste. The onion sauce and jus perfectly complemented the dish.
The dessert appeared with a flurry, like a conjuring trick. It was Black Forest gâteau presented with a dot of chocolate mousse, vanilla sponge and griottine rolled in chocolate soil. All this and homemade cherry ice-cream. It is quite an achievement to bake light, melt in the mouth cake that is a foil for sweet and sharp cherries.
About Carden Park
Carden Park is within easy reach of Chester. There is a brilliant offer on afternoon teas, which can be enjoyed on the terrace, for a very modest £17.50 per person. Dinner prices and guest rooms are competitively priced. And this gives rooms with a view a whole new visionary meaning.
cardenpark.co.uk
Tel: 01829 731000
