Rating: **** It’s more than a decade since Shropshire announced itself to the world as being a centre for gastronomic excellence, writes Andy Richardson.

Diners enjoy beautiful views

In that time, the county has been home to a number of great chefs. It’s won a cluster of Michelin stars and provided a showcase for some of the nation’s best producers and cooks.

Of course, a number of talented chefs have long since moved on to pastures new. Of the four Michelin-ranked cooks who put Shropshire on the map a decade ago, only one remains: Chris Bradley, the uber-talented chef-patron of Mr Underhills, in Ludlow. Others, namely Claude Bosi, Shaun Hill and Ken Adams, have long since shipped out.

Happily, the region is on the crest of a new wave. A new generation of chefs are providing the culinary thrills and spills for which the county became renowned.

The talented Will Holland, at La Becasse, in Ludlow, has enjoyed plenty of headlines and plaudits and he is being joined by a new group of chefs, including Ian Matfin, at The Lion Hotel, on Shrewsbury’s Wyle Cop; Stephane Borie at the Michelin-starred Checkers, in Montgomery (more on both of those, in coming weeks) and David Jaram, at Fishmore Hall.

Jaram is a stunning cook, one of the Midlands’ finest. He cut his teeth at the Close Hotel, in Tetbury, under head chef Daren Bale before moving to Newbury to work under head chef Simon McKenzie at Newbury Manor. Thereafter, he relocated to Nunsmere Hall under Nigel Goodwin and sous chef Marc Hardiman.

Positions at The Haycock in Wansford, then The Greenway in Cheltenham followed before Jaram moved to Fishmore Hall to head up a brand new operation. His appointment was an inspired choice by Fishmore’s owners. Jaram uses the best local ingredients and puts them to use in imaginative ways.

His skills are matched by the attractiveness of Fishmore itself. My friend and I arrived for a midweek supper at the venue and were delighted by our first impressions. Fishmore has been tastefully renovated and is decorated in neutral tones. The dining room oozes sophistication, as does a small lounge, in which my friend and I ordered aperitifs as we perused the menu.

While doing so, we were bought a slate platter of amuse bouche, which comprised a goat’s cheese beignet, micro shepards pie, salmon pastry and cheese straws. They were light, unfussy and deliciously appetising.

The menu was a seriously attractive prospect: it was difficult to whittle down the selections from a list comprising such high levels of creativity and skill. Happily, we had more time to ponder, while enjoying a small cappuccino cup of creamy, frothy cauliflower soup with a truffle oil and salt.

Fishmore Hall has a lounge area where diners can relax beforehand

Eventually, I settled on a scallop starter, served with pear and vanilla, while my friend opted for the pave of salmon. Both were exceptional. My scallop was a thing of rare beauty. It was expertly seasoned, perfectly presented and came with micro greens, vanilla and a delicate dried pear crisp.

It was the sort of dish that would have had MasterChef’s twin-Michelin-starred guest, Michel Roux Jr, purring his approval. It was quite literally faultless. My friend, meanwhile, relished her pave of salmon, which was also cooked immaculately and with impressive precision.

Our mains were similarly impressive. I opted for a rabbit dish, featuring a range of cuts with fruity accompaniments, while my friend selected pigeon served with cauliflower, curried pine nuts and apricot. Both were sublime.

The pigeon was the standout and a fillet had been cooked with serious skill. It was decadently rare. The combination of earthy cauliflower, sweet, sticky apricot and more-ishly curried pine nuts was exceptional.

And so to dessert. My friend ordered a chocolate fondant with an Earl Grey tea ice cream and prunes while I opted for the raspberry soufflé with a thyme sauce and ice cream.

Our table fell silent as they arrived. They were presented beautifully and transported us to foodie heaven. Both dishes were a delight.

Fishmore Hall has one of the finest chefs in Shropshire leading its kitchen. Make no mistake, Jaram is going places and it’s surely only a matter of time before he impproves on his already-exceptional three AA rosette rating by bagging other plaudits.

He’s clearly a chef with Michelin aspirations. He has the talent: his combinations were as good as any in the county, his cooking was confident and assured, his presentation delightfully artistic and his seasonings very good indeed. Jaram has the raw talent to match the standards of Bradley, Bosi and Hill, in good time.

But, and here’s the rub, the excellence of Jaram’s exceptional food needs to be matched by a first class front of house offering.

At the moment, service at Fishmore Hall is friendly and polite, rather than polished and refined. On one occasion, our waitress couldn’t remember the components of a dish – we didn’t mind and she was grace and humility itself, as she apologised at her error. But Fishmore needs a surer touch in the restaurant, if it’s to match the standards set at the county’s absolute best.

Compared to other restaurants in Shropshire, it’s expensive: our dinner for two came to £110, which included three courses, one bottle of water and a drink each. We declined bottles of wine or post-dinner coffees.

At that price, Fishmore needs to be firing on all cylinders and while the kitchen is a first class operation, its owners need to invest in its front of house team. They need better training, clearer guidance and more finesse. The bosses at Fishmore may think me harsh – and they may be correct – but, for now, it’s four out of five. When they fix the service, it’ll be a full house.

ADDRESS
Fishmore Hall, Fishmore Road, Ludlow SY8 3DP
Telephone: 01584 875148
Web: www.fishmorehall.co.uk