Cheltenham is the next stop on my journey and it's time to again revisit some restaurant friends. Lumière in Cheltenham brings together the cooking skills of Jon Howe and the front of house charm of partner Helen Aubrey to create what has become one of our favourite restaurants in the country.
Having first visited there almost a year and a half back, we were convinced at that time that Jon and Helen would make Lumière a huge success and that for once, we had stumbled upon a truly great restaurant in its blossom of youth. We had we believed found a winner, something that is even more evidently true now than then.
A lot has happened for them in that year and a half including nationwide recognition and a swanky new kitchen, one that I know would be the envy of many chefs. Long overdue a revisit, my UK walkabout wouldn't be complete without stopping by to visit Lumière and see for myself the progress made since my last meal there.
So how have they come on? The answer is of course fantastically well, with both cooking and front of house increasingly reflecting Jon & Helen's confidence to put themselves in the mix and do it their way, and so they should for there's an abundance of talent here. I took two dining companions with me that day, one a vegetarian, and both new to Lumière: both loved everything from start to finish. I too was thrilled to see that Lumière was once again shooting the lights out with every plate.
The canapés delight from the first moment: how about a smoked Lincolnshire poacher cheese scone with truffle cream cheese and beetroot jam as the first thing you eat? Crispy crackling with Bramley apple sauce was also soon dispensed. Following that, an amuse of chervil tuber velouté, white pudding bonbon, trompettes and ceps with truffle ash had everyone round the table cooing. After that, things never looked back.
Having first visited there almost a year and a half back, we were convinced at that time that Jon and Helen would make Lumière a huge success and that for once, we had stumbled upon a truly great restaurant in its blossom of youth. We had we believed found a winner, something that is even more evidently true now than then.
A lot has happened for them in that year and a half including nationwide recognition and a swanky new kitchen, one that I know would be the envy of many chefs. Long overdue a revisit, my UK walkabout wouldn't be complete without stopping by to visit Lumière and see for myself the progress made since my last meal there.
So how have they come on? The answer is of course fantastically well, with both cooking and front of house increasingly reflecting Jon & Helen's confidence to put themselves in the mix and do it their way, and so they should for there's an abundance of talent here. I took two dining companions with me that day, one a vegetarian, and both new to Lumière: both loved everything from start to finish. I too was thrilled to see that Lumière was once again shooting the lights out with every plate.
The canapés delight from the first moment: how about a smoked Lincolnshire poacher cheese scone with truffle cream cheese and beetroot jam as the first thing you eat? Crispy crackling with Bramley apple sauce was also soon dispensed. Following that, an amuse of chervil tuber velouté, white pudding bonbon, trompettes and ceps with truffle ash had everyone round the table cooing. After that, things never looked back.
smoked Lincolnshire poacher scone, truffle cream cheese, beetroot jam; pork scratchings, bramley apple sauce
chervil tuber velouté, white pudding bonbon, trompettes and ceps with truffle ash
Scallops and pork belly courtesy of the kitchen becomes our first starter, in a dish which brings the two main elements together well, something not always evident elsewhere in serving up this popular combination. Then it's on to our ordered starters and a Mozzarella dish that stunned the table into gasps with its bold creativity. Here a Mozzarella sorbet is flanked by smoked watemelon cubes and chorizo tubes (red onion for the vegetarian) giving a very different take on Mozzarella and showing how at Lumière, they constantly seek to make the familiar once again exciting and original.
Diver caught Oban scallop, pork belly, cumin caramel, carrot, orange, anise
Laverstoke Park buffalo mozzarella sorbet, smoked watermelon, avocado, chorizo, apple, pistachio
Looe day boat red mullet, mussels, cockles, clams, saffron, orzo, fennel
Wont run through all three mains here but just to note that the vegetarian option of potato and truffle terrine was outstanding in delivering to the veggie at the table a different and again exciting main that left her feeling loved by the kitchen, feeling that the vegetarian option is not just an afterthought. The presentation of all dishes was a picture (and indeed pictured below) and the partridge was nicely tender, how partridge should be, having seen other restaurants struggle with it earlier in the season. Put another way, it was all an all round success.
potato and truffle terrine
Badminton Estate fallow venison, parsley root, girolles, quince, beetroot, liquorice root
Red leg partridge, puy lentils, artichoke, celeriac, prune, lapsang souchong
Everybody loves the pre dessert of parsnip infused milk with white chocolate and cranberry biscotti. Oh how I wish I could have this every night before bedtime! Desserts then showed the same flair as the rest of the meal leaving us impressed with everything, start to finish and without exception.
parsnip infused milk
cranberry biscotti
William pear, Pedro Ximenez, Rosemary, Milk Chocolate
Tiramisu: coffee, chocolate, Mascarpone, rum
'Shipwrecked cheesecake', cider brandy, blackberries, apple, crumble
We were disappointed for Jon and Helen earlier this year when they were overlooked by Michelin, as what they are doing here is without doubt exceeding the standard for getting a star. Having, on this trip, travelled the UK experiencing the best of regional cooking, Lumière serves up food that is the equal of anything we ate over the period. But it is still early days and other awards have, and will continue to rain upon them, with every one of them is well deserved.
The conclusion from our previous post on Lumière hasn't changed: Jon, Helen, and their restaurant Lumière represent the bright future of British cooking. They're lovely people who combine hard work with talent and therefore deserve to succeed, and we have no doubt that their success in the years to come will be huge. Visiting Lumière is simply a pleasure every time.
Visit Lumiere website
Previously I visited: Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter
Next stop: Simon Radley at The Chester Gosvenor
Location map for Lumiere
The conclusion from our previous post on Lumière hasn't changed: Jon, Helen, and their restaurant Lumière represent the bright future of British cooking. They're lovely people who combine hard work with talent and therefore deserve to succeed, and we have no doubt that their success in the years to come will be huge. Visiting Lumière is simply a pleasure every time.
Visit Lumiere website
Previously I visited: Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter
Next stop: Simon Radley at The Chester Gosvenor
Location map for Lumiere
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