Albrighton Hall Hotel

Rating: *** Over dinner, we decided to play a game. We called it Chef Watch. Based on Bill Oddie’s TV programme, Nature Watch - in which the bearded funnyman tracks down rare and elusive species

We decided to do something similar with chefs. Our Chef Watch would, for instance, show that Gordon Ramsay would be highly unlikely to be in his kitchen if you ate at one of his many restaurants.

Similarly, Gary Rhodes would probably not be at home. But then Ramsay and Rhodes own so many restaurants and they can’t be in more than one place at the same time.

Closer to home, some of Shropshire’s finest chefs - like Claude Bosi, at Ludlow’s Hibiscus, and Chris Bradley, at Ludlow’s Mr Underhills - would score a 10 out of 10 because they are never out of their kitchens.

We decided to invent Chef Watch because we were eating at the Albrighton Hall Hotel. The executive chef there is John Badley, who we have affectionately nicknamed Lucan, as in Lord.

Sunday was the fifth time we’ve attempted to eat at a restaurant where Badley is in the kitchen and the third time we’ve failed to catch him at home. Our 40 per cent strike rate puts him closer to the likes of Ramsay and Rhodes than ever-presents like Bosi and Bradley.

I should point out that my wife and I are both fans of John Badley’s cooking, which is why we’ve booked so often to eat at the restaurants where he works. The trouble is, we always seem to miss him.

We booked him for our wedding day, but he emailed a week before to say there’d been a fall out with his bosses and he wouldn’t be on duty. A month ago, we went to Albrighton Hall hoping to enjoy his food there. Sadly, the restaurant manager told us he was off sick. So we rebooked for Sunday, sure it would be our lucky night. We asked whether he was in the kitchen when we arrived but were told he was on a day off.

The absence of Badley was all too evident in the standard of our food. And, surprisingly, the menu was also lacklustre.

The last time we visited Albrighton Hall we were enthralled by the British classics that were featured. Steaks, salmon and pheasant featured prominently. This time, there was no game and rather than being spoiled for choice, we found it difficult to find something we really liked the sound of.

After much deliberation, I opted to start with the chicken liver paté, served with toasted brioche and red onion marmalade. It was a well constructed dish, with the silky brioche proving a good accompaniment to the sweet marmalade and savoury paté. My wife opted for a red pepper and basil soup, which she enjoyed thoroughly.

My wife’s main course was a pleasing saffron risotto with cherry tomatoes and a well-cooked wild sea bass. It was the best dish of the evening.

I opted for a duo of lamb. It featured miniature lamb fillets served on potato dauphinoise. The fillets were slightly overcooked. There was also a round of shoulder served on sauerkraut potatoes. The sauerkraut tasted as bad as it sounds while the lamb was too greasy.

Our desserts were poor to average. My wife described her chocolate molleux as looking like a cowpat. It did. It was a splat of half-biscuit/half-muffin mix that looked dreadful and didn’t taste much better. My pecan pie was ordinary and served with too little vanilla sauce.

There are great virtues in the Albrighton Hall Hotel. We enjoyed a meal thoroughly a month earlier, though the menu was far better then. The service is old school and extremely good. The surrounds are luxurious and opulent and the ambience relaxed.

The trouble is, the Albrighton Hall is a stone’s throw from the Albright Hussey. We’ve eaten there twice, as well, and had exceptional dinners both times. When you’re paying upwards of £70 for a special occasion dinner, you need to be confident it will be good. So, next time we book dinner on Shrewsbury’s northern border, we know which one we’ll chose.

The Albrighton Hall Hotel offers a set menu - three courses for £28.50.

ADDRESS:
Albrighton Hall Hotel, Albrighton, Shrewsbury
Tel 0870 1942129

MENU SAMPLE
Starters
Seared tuna with nicoise salad, Chicken terrine wrapped in bacon

Main courses
Tornados of monkfish with ruffle mash potato, Blade of beef with creamed potato and parsnip

Desserts
Warm cherry and almond tart with red wine syrup and wild strawberry ice cream, Chocolate marquiche with vanilla shortbread and fruit coulis,

A selection of French and British cheese (£3.50 supplement)

ATMOSPHERE
Relaxed and convivial. There is an elegant air in the oak-panelled dining room.

SERVICE
Very classy. There is old-fashioned silver service with attentive waiters and waitresses

DISABLED FACILITIES
Disabled toilets with plenty of ramps and helpful staff on hand smoking policy

SMOKING POLICY
No smoking in restaurant

By Andy Richardson