thecriticalcouple
  • Home
  • The Food Blog
  • CC Cocktails
  • Wellbeing
  • Other Stuff
  • Contact

Holbeck Ghyll: not worth The Trip

14/3/2012

35 Comments

 
Picture
Holbeck Ghyll is situated just outside of Windermere and offers a country house hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant. Visiting for dinner, we were unable alas to see the views though we’re assured they are stunning and it is clearly a landmark property in the area. The style of the hotel and restaurant is traditional with wood panelling throughout, real fires and furnishing in keeping with its manor house status. The restaurant too maintains the theme with old wood tables and chairs, though it’s now looking a little tired in our view. One (occupied) chair next to our table displayed a broken wooden leg support and had upholstery in desperate need of a deep clean. A case for permanent disposal of the chair (indeed many/all of the chairs) could have been made but I sense they have a preference for ‘unchanging’.

The menu itself is a somewhat ‘safe’ affair, well, dull actually, but there’s no reason why if great produce is combined with a talented kitchen that a good meal shouldn’t grace the table. Holbeck Ghyll has held a Michelin star for over a decade and more recently shot to prominence through its inclusion in the TV series The Trip. Food orders are taken in the sitting room over an aperitif and some finger food including salmon mini fish fingers.

Before the starters arrive, a mushroom cappuccino is served which is nice enough with good flavour; sadly, it would prove to be the highlight of the meal.

There’s three of us dining tonight and with a choice of five starters and five mains, each of us choosing something different, we sampled 60% of the menu. Two of the five starters are ‘pressings’, one of Guinea Fowl, one of Ham Hock. The ham hock at least delivered some flavour while both were texturally mushy. The guinea fowl was deemed ‘absolutely awful’. The third starter was the honey glazed pork belly with langoustine: the pick of the bunch, this was adequate but not elevated. The two starters we didn’t partake of were: smoked salmon with pickled beetroot, and tuna with tomato, confit pepper, anchovy and quail egg.

Picture
mushroom cappuccino
Picture
Honey glazed Gloucestershire old spot pork belly with spiced carrot, sautéed Scottish langoustine and pea foam
Picture
A pressing of ham hock and corn fed chicken with fig and pear chutney
On the mains, the Label Anglais free range chicken with smoked bacon, Jerusalem artichoke risotto tasted of nothing at any point. The risotto was over cooked, the bacon chewy and the chicken skin flaccid and unappealing. The presentation sought to do the ‘vertical’ thing but seemed simply awkward.

The sea bass came with spiced cauliflower, braised gem, dill gnocchi and horseradish veloute (not pictured). The fish itself was perfectly cooked inside but the skin was soggy. The gnocchi was considered unpalatable, the cauliflower strange and the horseradish reminiscent of Colman’s.  The final main dish was fillet of veal with butternut squash, broad beans and baby leeks, which did little more for the recipient than the other mains. We wonder about the baby leeks which are not in season from local providers.

Picture
Label Anglais free range chicken with smoked bacon, Jerusalem artichoke risotto
Picture
fillet of veal with butternut squash, broad beans and baby leeks
On desserts, billed as a Cold Rhubarb Crumble: poached rhubarb, sorbet, cheesecake and crisps, this dish was confused and wrong. The rhubarb was solid, there was no crumble as such, just a dry crisp, the cheesecake was more of a mousse and the sorbet brought to mind cheap ice cream. Both plates were returned to the kitchen only half eaten. Dessert number three was the chocolate plate: chocolate soufflé, delice, tart and orange sorbet. This didn’t really work with the petit fours sized desserts mostly excessively sweet or bitter.    

Picture
Rhubarb Crumble: poached rhubarb, sorbet, cheesecake and crisps
Picture
chocolate plate: chocolate soufflé, delice, tart and orange sorbet
Meanwhile, none of this comes cheap. It’s listed as £65 for the starter, main, and either desserts or cheese from the trolley though when it came to it, the cheese option incurred a £5 supplement. Had the beef been chosen for the main course, that too would have been a £5 supplement. The problem is that this was a bad meal and at half the price, it would still not have been value. When we asked for the bill at the end, we were required to take it to the cashier to pay.

Service varied. There were some genuinely good service moments, but as a venue, ‘serious’ appears to be a corporate identity and the service too often appeared constrained by this. Having the Michelin star has, in my reckoning, inhibited them from doing a more friendly though still professional service with them consciously opting it seems for a more formal approach.

By the reception in the hotel there’s a framed review of the restaurant by Matthew Fort but it is dated 2003 – a better time perhaps. We were unanimous around the table that not only did they fail to deliver a Michelin standard meal, but no single plate was at the requisite standard either in our opinion. This is a real shame because Holbeck Ghyll is a destination venue for tourists in the region, tourists who deserve better at any price, let alone pushing £100 a head all in. 

Post script: the following day we were contacted by the restaurant with an apology regarding the rhubarb dessert and offered a refund. We appreciated this move on their part.

Return to hompage


35 Comments
Kavey Eats link
14/3/2012 08:21:12 am

We had similarly disappointing experience there a couple of years ago (see http://www.kaveyeats.com/2010/09/holbeck-ghyll-disappointment.html) and I was utterly gobsmacked to learn that they retained their Michelin star.
They're right that the views are pretty - there's a few images in my post - but that's really the main thing the restaurant had going for it, and that's simply not good enough at this price and level.

Reply
david goodfellow link
14/3/2012 08:28:45 am

Yep, nothing has changed. My review two years ago on egullet registered the same disappointment.
Wonderful spot, fantastic views, etc, Just a real shame its stuck in a time warp.
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/132857-holbeck-ghyll/page__p__1739269__hl__holbeck+ghyll__fromsearch__1#entry1739269

Reply
NB
14/3/2012 12:03:05 pm

I went there in early 2011 for a lunch and it was great. Not the most exciting menu, but everything we had was done very well. We got a great deal too – something like 3 courses for £25 or £30 – which I'm not sure if they still do.

Reply
Alan spedding ( cumbriafoodie ) link
14/3/2012 02:11:30 pm

Well the food looks ok...not groundbreaking but would be lovely for a weekend treat.I can`t believe that im only an hour away but haven`t managed to try the place out yet.

Reply
David Oddie
15/3/2012 02:23:42 am

Your excellent review echoes my own disappointing experience a year or so ago.I am very surprised they have clung on to their star.The whole experience is somewhat tired.

Reply
RDB
15/3/2012 02:38:46 pm

Oh no !!! I have my wedding booked here in May. Please give me some redeeming feature, even if you have to lie!!!!!

Reply
thecriticalcouple
15/3/2012 02:42:21 pm

RDB,

when we were there, we got talking to a couple who were on their honeymoon there and they adored the place and were having a fabulous time. It is a lovely manor house set in breathtaking scenery. That is all true. We hope you too have a fabulous time.

Reply
RDB
15/3/2012 03:16:16 pm

Thanks Guys, Lorraine is somewhat relieved by this news and the honeymooning couples experience. As for me, well you know what us food obsessives are like, its all about the food!!! :-)

Thanks for the well wishes :-)

NB
16/3/2012 02:31:17 am

It's one the best looking places I saw in the entire Lake District – beautiful views from the top of the hill, looking over Lake Windermere, and the building inside is lovely too.

Reply
anne
18/4/2012 03:20:41 am

I'm shocked by some of the reviews. My future husband and I are not easy to please and have nothing but positive feedback to make regarding the food and service here. So much so we are getting married there in a few days!. Yes some rooms are a little small but others are far larger. We also stayed for New Year and its one of the best breaks I've ever had.

Reply
thecriticalcouple
18/4/2012 07:44:26 am

Clearly Holbeck Ghyll has many fans out there and we are delighted that you have enjoyed good experiences there. We wish you all the best for your wedding and hope you have a truly wonderful day. Our best wishes.

CC

EmmaD
16/3/2012 11:24:24 am

We visited with my parents in Oct 2010, they had never been to a Michelin star resturant before so I hoped it would be a treat for them, but our experiences were much the same as you describe. Our review on trip advisor was also answered in a dismissive and defensive way, which I thought was pretty bad customer service. We really found it all far too stuffy and very very tired. All in all, dissapointing and £350 worse off for it :)

Reply
The Greedy Sheik
19/3/2012 10:18:49 am

Hi TCC
I am planning a walking trip near Ambleside in May with my girlfriend - L'Enclume is on the list (I liked Roganic), Sharrow Bay isn't - and thanks to your review nor is Holbeck Ghyll. Perhaps two trips to L'Enclume instead. I enjoy your reviews - and you've saved me a dull meal - thanks
TGS

Reply
thecriticalcouple
20/3/2012 03:22:02 pm

L'enclume is excellent and you'll really enjoy. If you can do Aulis too, you'll have a remarkable experience and a remarkable meal. Costs a few ££ but so worth it.

Reply
K.Hall
16/11/2013 02:34:52 pm

L'Enclume is ok but my wife and I find Holbeck Ghyll to be superior and better value. We also prefer it to the The Manoir, which has two stars.

TCC
19/11/2013 03:45:22 am

K Hall,

your comment might be interesting if it were actually a genuine comment, but as I see you have left comments under the pseudonyms of H Watson and Keith & Marcia also on this post (see below), I can only assume your motive is questionable. Genuine members of the public rarely use three different names when commenting.

JOHN KATHY SIMMONS
18/2/2013 12:22:02 pm

What Rubbish, we have been to Holbeck for four years, twice a year. We have dinned at many top resteraunts. George San`c Paris two star amongst many others. Holbeck is by far the best good consistant dinning we have ever enjoyed.



Reply
tcc
18/2/2013 12:31:20 pm

we are pleased that you have enjoyed better experiences there.

Reply
Keith and Marcia Learmouth
16/11/2013 02:28:06 pm

We dine at Holbeck Ghyll at least five times a year and have always enjoyed excellent food and service. We have also dined at many top restaurants throughout the UK ( including L'Enclume) and Europe but always return to Holbeck Ghyll. Ignore these adverse reviews.

Reply
H.Watson
16/11/2013 02:31:34 pm

My partner and I agree wholeheartedly with Keith and Marcia Learmouth.

TCC
19/11/2013 04:04:42 am

H Watson says "my partner and I agree wholeheartedly with Keith and Marcia Learmouth [in praising Holbeck Ghyll]". Well of course you would, you are Keith and Marcia!

The H Watson comment was written four minutes after the Keith & Marcia comment from the same computer. For good measure, you left a third comment on the post (above) using the name K Hall.

Writing a comment saying how great the restaurant is and then writing a reply comment under a pseudonym agreeing with yourself and posting a further comment saying how great the restaurant is under yet another pseudonym strongly suggests that you are not a genuine customer of Holbeck Ghyll at all. A member of staff perhaps?

The problem that you have now created is this: since the comments that you have left praising Holbeck Ghyll are clearly manufactured and not genuine customer comments, it throws into doubt all comments on this post praising the restaurant. How can a reader be sure that any are genuine? I increasingly suspect that they are not, and they do all sound similar in tone.

If your goal was to discredit our review and restore the reputation of Holbeck Ghyll, such a clumsy and deceitful approach to doing so has, most likely, done quite the reverse.

Holbeck Ghyll
19/11/2013 06:28:08 am

Dear Critical Couple
As one of the owners of Holbeck Ghyll, I am very shocked and saddened by your accusations regarding these recent comments on your page. These comments have not been generated by either of the owners or any of the management. Keith and Marcia Learmouth are guests of ours and we are so happy to hear that they have had good experiences in our restaurant.

We take all reviews and comments, either positive or negative to be genuine. We take the comments on board and try to learn from them in order to provide a better service to our guests. Your original review was used in exactly the same way.

If we feel that we would like to respond to comments from reviewers, we do so in our own names, not as pseudonyms. We cannot control what is posted on the internet but we do not engage in or condone dishonest practices. We would also never bring up any other establishments in our comments. We think it is great that we have such fantastic restaurants and food producers in Cumbria and that the county has become a foodie destination in its own right.

I have found your accusation most upsetting but I must now try and return to my work.

Andrew McPherson link
27/6/2013 01:36:52 pm

As the manager at Holbeck Ghyll, I am very disappointed that these three diners didn't enjoy their visit. I prefer to listen to such constructive comments face to face. Should any blog readers be concerned about visiting Holbeck Ghyll I would urge them to contact me directly and I will do my best to make sure you visit will be enjoyable, as most people do enjoy their visit.

Reply
Sarah
24/7/2013 08:15:13 am

“We recently dined at Holbeck Ghyll just before this spell of glorious weather so the stunning views which we know are there were just not so clear on a rather soggy Saturday evening.

We were with a friend from California & she was most impressed with the architecture of the house & the many original features, including the lovely fireplace in the entrance hall, which is where we opted to sit instead of peering through the rather murky cloud covering above the lake.

The welcome was warm, professional & hospitable, so far so good. Would this set the tone for the evening? Menus arrived followed by drinks & a delightful array of canapes, about 6 in all including ham boudin, onion tart & truffle infused cream cheese in filo basket. All were of extremely high quality & well executed.

For starters 2 of us chose the hand-dived scallops and the other the Scottish langoustines The langoustines were perfectly cooked & the celeriac remoulade was a great match. The scallops, however, were exceptional & the black pudding beignets a revelation. When our friend asked what black pudding was I hardly dare tell her but they were just too delicious to resist. Another convert to northern food.

We chose 3 different main coures and could not fault any of them. Brill was new to our friend who said she enjoyed it immensely. I had the Guinea Fowl Boudin with spring vegetables. The tarragon Gnocchi was super & the whole dish was well balanced and full of flavour. My husband decided on the Filet of Aberdeen Angus which he said was cooked to perfection & he particularly enjoyed the crispy boneless oxtail & braised salsify.

Desserts were similarly impressive. The chocolate plate was perfect for the chocoholic amongst us & the date pudding a revelation for a Californian (Sticky Toffee Pudding for grown ups).

Service throughout was attentive, informative & discrete. The sommelier helpful & knowledgeable.

All in all it was a very pleasant evening. I think my only critical comment would be that the dining room and sitting areas are in need of a facelift but that certainly did not detract from the overall experience.

In the last year or so we have been fortunate enough to dine at El Celler de Can Rocca, Arzak, Dinner by Heston & Per Se which all in the top 11 in the world and I would not hesitate to recommend Holbeck Ghyll for a fine dining experience in the heart of the English Lake District.”

Reply
Malcolm C
29/8/2013 04:26:52 am

We are looking forward to our 3rd visit in 4 years for our wedding anniversary. Yes the cooking is safe rather than exciting, but it does what it does supremely well. Service is the perfect combination of friendly without being familiar, and highly professional without being over formal. Trust me, we wouldn't be returning if it was as bad as you make out.

Reply
Mark H
7/10/2013 01:15:51 pm

Made a reservation 2 months ago and heard nothing further. Phoned to check a few days beforehand. They had made the reservation for the preceding day and hadn't bothered to send the e-mail 'which they always do' but couldn't explain why they hadn'ton this occasion. Fully booked so nothing they coukd do and couldn't care less..

Reply
Dave
17/11/2013 01:18:34 am

Mark H, to be fair to them, if you made a reservation online and never got a confirmation, why did you leave it months to phone up and check if it had worked or not? If you'd phoned up straight away you'd have known one way or the other. I agree, not great that their email didn't work, but I wouldn't have sat there going "oh well, I'm sure everything will be fine" when I had months to make sure it was ok!

Reply
Mark Hunter
17/11/2013 03:09:17 am

The initial reservation was made by phone. Had no idea at the time whether or not to expect an e-mail confirmation. Clearly one should have been sent, if I had been told that was normal practice I would have got back to them in the event it didn't occur. But they seemed happy enough to be busy.

Reply
Lucy
7/4/2014 04:14:47 am

I just wanted to say that my friend and I ate here a couple of years ago, the food was delicious and we were treated wonderfully. Genuinely surprised to read this review, but still hoping to go back soon!
xx

Reply
TCC
25/9/2014 06:08:27 pm

Update. Announced today that Holbeck Ghyll has lost its Michelin Star.

Reply
Sam K
30/5/2016 12:35:42 pm

Hello. I find your review of Holbeck Ghyll and subsequent follow ups extremely ungracious. I haven't been to Holbeck Ghyll but have booked it for some family members today on the basis of other (and far more numerous) excellent reviews and this is the only page I found with such negative and repugnant comments. If you don't like the food then fine, but the fact that you saw fit to attack other commentators and then (I can only assume smugly) announced that HG had lost its Michelin Star as an update is perhaps an indication of how petty you are and that your only
motivation is to rubbish this restaurant. The reasoning seems completely unknown to me. I'm rooting for HG and hope they continue to receive excellent reviews and loyal custom in spite of such terrible behaviour by people who choose to be so vindictive. I hope to visit one day to experience the food for myself. In my experience such toxic reviews are often not a true reflection of the establishment the subject of such vile comments.

Reply
Christopher Henry
27/2/2015 01:04:59 am

We were so hoping you were wrong having pre-booked before the star disappeared. Unfortunately you were more than right, and indeed we think you have been generous in stating that its a manor house with wood panelling and nice furnishings. We didn't see one decent piece of antique furniture. The reception rooms are over filled with chairs, and small occasional tables with the cheapest lamps on them and lampshades that BHS used to sell. No silk no tassels no charm no poise. There wasn't a decent painting of any great value, the ceilings were grubby from fire smoke, and there were places where the carpet was threadbare. This is not a loved and cared for institution, it has had its glory days and is simply left with a stunning view. As far as the cooking is concerned, we agree its less than inspirational, my veal was floating in a gravy as opposed to a reduction, the pre-dinner canapés hardly justified the name, --olives, spanish dried and salted corn, some tired bread sticks with humus which any fool could have purchased from Asda ( sorry Asda that was cruel ) and finally an apologetic little fish ball sitting on a ??tomato paste ---like Dolomio --no no it cant be !!! The canapés were not announced ---the waiter would have looked a fool ---these are olives, and those are bread sticks with Humus from Tesco ---na, na, ni, na na !! I respectfully suggest that the staff go for retraining preferably at Hambleton Hall in Rutland and that the decorators move in. Lampshades from the lampshade factory in Chirk Shropshire. Sad story.

Reply
Gyles Porman
28/4/2016 10:49:31 pm

The food is OK but the rooms are like what you'd expect at your grandmother's house with crazy prices.

If you go, as we did, on other people's reviews and the prices of the rooms, you'd expect a stay at Holbeck Ghyll to be super luxurious and comfortable. It is not.

If you are hoping your bedroom experience will be like the marvelous Llangoed Hall in Herefordshire or the Chester Grosvenor, you will be very disappointed.

This is a shabby, aging, uncomfortable hotel with pretensions of 5 star glamour.

We paid £425 a night for the Lord Lonsdale Room (1) and found the room was overlooked from the car park and so we had to keep one wall of curtains permanently closed.
The Curtains came off the rod because they had not been properly hung.
The i-pod dock was first generation so our i-pod did not fit
The wi-fi is incredibly patchy and slow
The bedside lamps were too dim to read by
The chairs and small sofa were uncomfortable to sit on
The pillows on the bed were not feather/down
The sounds from the TV/Radio etc in the small box room next to ours were quite audible

The bathroom itself was very small and windowless.
The lights by the mirror did not work, so shaving was treacherous
There was neither a shower or a bidet
The toilet itself was not sectioned off
The expel-air was incredibly noisy

I could go on. But the long and short of it, if you care about quality or comfort, the dining room is good and the food is of a reasonable standard, but do not stay overnight here.


Reply
Joseph Nichols link
29/4/2016 12:39:04 pm

Dear Gyles,

I am most sad to hear you did not enjoy your experience with us at Holbeck Ghyll, indeed if you do look through reviews we receive excellent responses to both our food and the hotel itself which is why I take your feedback very seriously.I welcome you voicing your concerns and I will most certainly investigate all of the niggles you have detailed in your review and action any work required.

Darren Comish started as our new head chef in July of last year following his success of making it to the semi finals on Master Chef. Having received huge praise in his last position from many national food critics we knew he was the perfect choice to take over from David McLaughlin following Holbeck's 15 years of maintaining the Michelin Star.

The house is an arts and crafts property built by Lord Hugh Lowther and with internal wood décor by Charles Voysey, it is indeed dated, to the 1800's, but we work hard to keep this in excellent condition and have recently made several improvements to the communal areas of the hotel in keeping with wonderful period features.

The Lord Lonsdale Suite is surrounded by views of Windermere and the fells but being at the front of the house it's beautiful balcony is above our small car park, I am sorry you felt the need to close out these views as it is not overlooked by any rooms or at a position that would compromise privacy.

We do not want anyone who comes to Holbeck to leave without having felt immersed in warm hospitality and having enjoyed incredible food to a standard that matches our famous views.

I would have greatly appreciated the opportunity to speak to you in person when you visited so I could have found a way to give you an experience we could all be proud of and indeed if you have the time to contact me at the hotel I would enjoy a chance to assure we have acted on your feedback and hopefully find a way to deliver you the luxurious break you had planned with us.

With Kind Regards

Joseph Nichols

Reply
Hugh Chardon
18/6/2019 03:38:58 pm

Check out my history and you will see that I mainly give 5's. The reason is simple, I choose well, get recommends from good people and am seldom disappointed.
We last visited Holbeck Ghyll 10 years ago for our 25th wedding anniversary, billed as dog friendly and Michelin starred, what was not to like ? It was simply stunning, the dogs were looked after, the food and ambience was excellent etc etc.
So with Mrs T turning 70 yesterday (I am much younger btw) I thought it would be a perfect place to re visit.
Now you have to understand that we had a loss in the family last month, Eddie, our best beloved Jack Russell passed away at the age of 16 and this was going to be a difficult trip. That coupled with Moose, our other JRT coming down with pneumonia last week meant we were dogless on the trip.
OK, back story completed, we arrived and were welcomed nicely, shown to a suite above the property that was dog friendly. Wow - a bit of a change in 10 years, it now has a bit of a look of a very posh Butlins, the suites are a little jaded etc, the fixtures and fittings are of an age and the spiral staircase to the tiny mezzanine would decapitate you in the middle of the night if I didn't put a chair in place.
Hmmmmmm - we departed for the first evening and found a cracking pub up the way for dinner.
Breakfast day 1 was OK, nicely done.
So..... The main event - Mrs T's Berthdi tea !
After dicing with death in the shower.... hot/cold/hot/cold, we arrived for pre departure cocktails. Nobody was local, everyone had language issues of sorts, super friendly, but all in their 20's and from Europe. Amuse-bouche arrived and was most excellent.
Sat down, still with cocktails and seemed hurried for wine, bread etc. Wine poured with cocktails still there, I asked for steady service but lost in translation. Each course arrived a little quick, all hot and nicely prepared but we sat at 7:30 and were done by 9 !
OK, we let that lie.
This morning, at breakfast that was so nice the day before, I plumped for the English Breakfast which was on the menu quite clearly as a comprehensive spread. What arrived would have suited a Little Chef ! The sweet potato and onion rosti was a Birds Eye hash brown, there were no baked beans, the mushrooms were solid, the tomato had been under the pass for a decade and the bacon broke, it was so dry. Poached egg was solid despite asking for medium, however the black pudding and sausage were most excellent.
My oh my, what an utter disappointment. I left some, so did Mrs T. Checkout was a soulless affair and we drove away crushed.

Our 'Go To Place' is the Lord Crewe Arms in Blanchland... Faultless, expensive but well worth it. I had hoped for similar here but was left wanting. There are much better places within the local area.

That was an £800 event for 2 nights.........!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Follow CriticalCouple on Twitter


    Categories

    All
    Bars
    Books
    Burgers
    Drink
    Fish
    Giving
    Hotel
    Places
    Pub
    Restaurants
    Seafood
    Steak
    Whisky
    Wine


    RSS Feed

We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. (Oscar Wilde)