When we arrive, an attractively presented country house hotel, a roaring log fire, and friendly and smiling staff lift our spirits. By the front desk, a magazine titled, 'Morston Hall 20th Anniversary', is available to guests and I take one; once in my room, I flick through it before doing anything else and it contains amongst other things, testimonials from Prue Leith, Sat Bains and Delia Smith. Then I see a double page spread written by Michel Roux (Snr) where he says of proprietor and chef Galton Blackiston,"I respect him enormously".
I'm both elated and worried: if Michel Roux is singing Galton's praises, he's clearly pretty damned good, but there again, what if I'm genuinely disappointed, or even worse, actually don't like it?
I need not have worried. The dinner that night was absolutely superb and I was thoroughly delighted that I had ventured out to the UK's most Easterly Michelin starred restaurant. The key brilliance for me about Chef Galton's cooking is that he makes the ingredients sing in a way that I've rarely encountered before, and certainly not as consistently. As such, it becomes more than just an enjoyable meal, it becomes a memorable meal, and one you can 'enjoy' over again as you recall days and weeks after just how good it really was.
Flicking through through their 20th anniversary magazine, there's a highlighted quote from Michel Roux:
Morston Hall has a Michelin Star because it is a little gem. It is a destination where you are guaranteed the most comfortable room with staff that go out of their way to make you feel welcome and excellent food with a wine list to match. For me, it's a slice of heaven.
I'm sure Michel Roux will be thrilled to know we entirely agree with his summary. After 2,500 miles of driving around the UK, stopping off at some of the country's most exciting places to eat, from Land's End to John O'Groats, Mortson Hall was a perfect, brilliant and fitting end to the trip. A genuine highlight.
Visit Morston Hall website
Follow Chef Galton Blackiston on Twitter @ChefGalton
Previously we visited The Magpie Cafe, Whitby
Next stop: HOME!
Morston Hall location map