Four Seasons Restaurant, Wynnstay
For more months than I care to remember, Four Seasons Restaurant, at Oswestry's Wynnstay Hotel, has been at the top of my list of places to visit, writes Andy Richardson.
The simple reason for my interest is its chef, Alan Dann. Dann has a formidable pedigree, his CV is a match for any chef in Shropshire.
Before becoming Executive Chef at Wynnstay, he'd worked at the Lion + Pheasant, in Shrewsbury.
His food there had been decidedly refined. Happily, the Lion + Pheasant found a thoroughly accomplished chef to lead their kitchens when Dann moved to Oswestry.
But Dann has remained on my list as being a chef whose restaurant I needed to visit. His career has been too full of achievement for me to miss him. Dann started cooking in 1988 at England's best restaurant, The Waterside, at Bray.
His apprenticeship in the great Michel Roux snr's triple Michelin-starred kitchen was followed by a stint at the Chapon Fin in Bordeaux, which holds two stars, while he moved next to the three- star kitchens of Michel Geuard at Eugenie les Bains.
The peripatetic Dann continued his sojourn through France via the three star La Côte St Jacques and another three star location, Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, in St Etienne.
Dann ended his French apprenticeship in 1996 when he returned to the UK to chef at Lower Slaughter Manor in the Cotswolds, where he won the country-house hotel two stars from Egon Ronay in his first year and a coveted Michelin star the next.
His career also includes a spell as head chef at George Blanc at Vonnas, a triple Michelin star holder that is one of France's most iconic restaurants.
Having been dazzled by Dann's food at the Lion + Pheasant, I was relishing my visit to the Wynnstay. My friend and I booked a table for two on a busy Friday night and the maitre d, a busy, bustling European with bags of character, arrived in a flash, complimenting my friend on her appearance.
I chose to start with an ultra-French dish of rabbit terrine with prunes and an Armagnac jelly. It was a treat.
The sharp acid of the prunes cut through the sweet savouriness of the rabbit and it had been presented with great artistry. It was pretty much faultless.My friend started with a Mediterranean vegetable dish: the vegetables had been pressed into a terrine-style construction and were served with summery flourishes.
We'd spent a long time contemplating our main courses and I'd eventually opted for the pork three ways, comprising a fillet, belly and what I took to be shredded shoulder.
It was an interesting dish, though had not been executed with the precision I'd expected. The fillet was marginally overcooked, though the belly was silky deliciousness itself and the shoulder came encased in a parcel of crisp, golden, deep-fried breadcrumbs.
My friend opted for swordfish with sweet potato and for dessert, we chose a summery British classic of strawberries and cream. It was a little out of kilter, but the flavours were all good.
Our expectations for Wynnstay had been very high and, in truth, we weren't quite as dazzled as we'd hoped to be. That's not to say we didn't enjoy our dinner: it was packed with flavour, expertly presented and paired great flavours. Dann's restaurant comes highly recommended.
ADDRESS
The Wynnstay Hotel, 43 Church Street, Oswestry, SY11 2SZ
Tel: 01691 655261
