Ockenden Manor is a hotel and spa situated in Cuckfield, West Sussex. It dates back to Elizabethan times and with the beautiful South Downs countryside as the view from the dining room, we made the hour and a bit drive from London for lunch there while the sun was shining. This isn't just about the view from the dining room however, Ockenden Manor's restaurant has a Michelin star so our expectations are raised.
The manor house, as might be suspected, aims for a traditional charm. While the spa by all accounts is very modern having only recently been built, the hotel looks to bathe its guests in tranquillity. The dining room in keeping with this is traditional and with large window doors leading into the garden, the room is light and airy, especially today with the doors open.
The menu like the venue is traditional but fairly extensive (a choice of seven starters) and seasonal. At £53 for three courses, it is broadly what you might expect for a starred manor house.
For starters, we chose Assiette of Pork, apple celeraic salad together with Loch Duart Salmon, confit, Jersey Royals, English asparagus, aioli. The pork plate contained a head croquette, pork belly and ham hock. The flavours were there, the cooking about right though it was perhaps a touch overdressed with greens. The salmon was cooked well, the quail egg a little runny in the middle and the tomatoes giving full flavours.
The question that both the starters raised that stayed as our issue of debate following the meal: is this just too traditional? Where does the wow factor come from and (beloved of GBM judges all season), what's innovative about this? Admittedly, we lean towards contemporary food as a preference over traditional. What's more, the hotel probably accommodates an older rather than a younger crowd, but this still seemed to us like it was being played it too safe.
The manor house, as might be suspected, aims for a traditional charm. While the spa by all accounts is very modern having only recently been built, the hotel looks to bathe its guests in tranquillity. The dining room in keeping with this is traditional and with large window doors leading into the garden, the room is light and airy, especially today with the doors open.
The menu like the venue is traditional but fairly extensive (a choice of seven starters) and seasonal. At £53 for three courses, it is broadly what you might expect for a starred manor house.
For starters, we chose Assiette of Pork, apple celeraic salad together with Loch Duart Salmon, confit, Jersey Royals, English asparagus, aioli. The pork plate contained a head croquette, pork belly and ham hock. The flavours were there, the cooking about right though it was perhaps a touch overdressed with greens. The salmon was cooked well, the quail egg a little runny in the middle and the tomatoes giving full flavours.
The question that both the starters raised that stayed as our issue of debate following the meal: is this just too traditional? Where does the wow factor come from and (beloved of GBM judges all season), what's innovative about this? Admittedly, we lean towards contemporary food as a preference over traditional. What's more, the hotel probably accommodates an older rather than a younger crowd, but this still seemed to us like it was being played it too safe.
the manor house
the dining room leading out onto the terrace and gardens
amuse of chicken oysters, wild asparagus, morels
Loch Duart Salmon, confit, Jersey Royals, English asparagus, aioli
Assiette of pork, apple, celeriac
Romney Marsh Lamb came as a saddle, breast, croquette served with Provencale vegetables and fondant potato. The breast and the croquette were decent enough but the saddle arrived looking a little tired on the plate. Again, potato fondant and the veg was all very traditional. It is interesting to compare it with the lamb dish served at The Sir Charles Napier enjoyed in the same week where minted broad beans, golden sultanas and a wild garlic broth lifted a very similar lamb dish to the next level in our view.
Romney Marsh Lamb: saddle, breast, croquette with Provencale vegetables and fondant potato
Turbot: English asparagus, confit tomatoes, tapenade, razor clam gratin
Desserts were better with the Milk Chocolate and Caramel Delice precisely crafted. The banana elements, the sorbet and the caramelised banana were both well judged on the plate. The other dessert chosen offered a more seasonal Rhubarb Claufoutis, strawberries, creme fraiche ice cream and was fine.
Milk chocolate and caramel delice, hazelnuts, caramelised banana, banana sorbet
Rhubarb Claufoutis, strawberries, creme fraiche ice cream
Service had highs and lows. A friendly greeting on arrival (by the manager?) and well judged use by him of our names (see our article on this) was offset by absent staff at the end when we wanted to pay our bill. And while it doesn't overly bother us, a waitress clearing the table scraping leftovers from one plate to the other is not typically the Michelin way. No wine today but a quick look at the big Bordeauxs for fun revealed some interesting mispricing with a Mouton 2001 selling at £385 while a more humble Palmer 2004 was on there for £400. Guessing they bought the Mouton some time back.
There were some good things going on here including the home made bread, the salmon itself and the chocolate delice. Other elements were however more average in our view. We would have liked to have seen some more contemporary touches throughout the meal to achieve an overall sense of something a little more special. With such traditional cooking, because the idea doesn't offer the wow factor, the cooking has to be spot on to make it memorable; this meal didn't complete that journey.
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Related links
Ockenden Manor website
There were some good things going on here including the home made bread, the salmon itself and the chocolate delice. Other elements were however more average in our view. We would have liked to have seen some more contemporary touches throughout the meal to achieve an overall sense of something a little more special. With such traditional cooking, because the idea doesn't offer the wow factor, the cooking has to be spot on to make it memorable; this meal didn't complete that journey.
Return to homepage
Related links
Ockenden Manor website
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