REV I EW
Ra v enwood Hall Ho t el RESTAURANT REVIEW THIS CLASSIC, COSY HOTEL IS PERFECT FOR PLANNING A GETAWAY TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN LOCKDOWN IS ALL OVER
pass the time. There’s no spa at the hotel – though there is a pool in the summer months – but the sofa-strewn lounge was extremely snug, and a fire was lit for us in the ancient fireplace in the centre of the house. One of the hotel’s superb team brought us the restaurant’s wine list – which, according to my other half, included some wines that were a) brilliant and b) absolute bargains – and ordered two glasses of chablis to drink while we read. We were called through to dinner, and even though the hotel was quiet, other guests had arrived just to dine, which is always a really good indicator as to the quality of the food ahead. We were led through the dining room and shown to a table next to the roaring fire, where we settled down for a feast. The first courses were a fresh, bitter and crunchy winter salad of leaves, lettuce, cashew nuts and apples, and a trio of ox-cheek croquettes with a horseradish sauce. We also couldn’t resist the retro allure of potato scallops as nibbles, which arrived rustling in a wire basket and disappeared almost as swiftly as they landed on the table. Every dish felt considered, balanced and beautifully seasoned – even on a quiet Sunday evening, the kitchen team was cooking its heart out. “They’ve paid attention to the small things”
here are times in life when you just need to be looked after. In the current situation, when we are all wishing ourselves somewhere
Mains were classic fish and chips – perfectly battered, with the freshest mushy peas either of us had encountered in a while – and a handmade chicken and mushroom pie, with delicious pastry work and buttered cabbage beneath to mop up the sauce. The desserts all sounded spectacular and original: classics with tiny nods to contemporary trends and flavours. We chose their take on a “s’more”, a marshmallow toasted and sandwiched between two handmade cookies, served with ice-cream and chocolate sauce – and a trio of perfectly kept cheeses, plated with generous portions of crackers, quince jelly, the aforementioned rhubarb chutney and gloriously scented truffle honey. We wobbled upstairs and fell asleep almost immediately in the huge, comfortable, half-curtained bed. The next morning, we threw the balcony doors open, flooding the space with fresh air, spotting the ponies as they also breakfasted across the lawns. Heading downstairs we were met with smiles from the team and offers of juice and fresh coffee, before being led to a table and presented with the breakfast menu. The hotel’s dogs wandered around downstairs to greet guests, adding to the family feel. We chose a full vegetarian breakfast, plus avocado on toast: both were delicious and cooked with the same care and attention demonstrated in the evening meal – then sadly, we had to leave Ravenwood to return to the real world. It’s not often you encounter such genuine hospitality these days: it really felt as if every member of the team truly cared about maximising our enjoyment of our visit, even on a dark Sunday evening in winter. The food was honestly extremely impressive, the service was personal and genial, and the whole experience felt like stepping into a pair of much-loved slippers – we will be back, as soon as we’re able.
other than stuck in our own homes, what could be better than booking a stay at Ravenwood Hall for later in the year? It’s the perfect treat to look forward to for when we can all get out and about again. This tiny hotel outside of Bury St Edmunds is understated but feels refined, in an old-school, classic way: from the second you pull off the main road and pootle down the winding woodland drive, the rest of the world falls silent, and you can finally breathe out. The overwhelming impression is that the Jarvis family (who have owned the Hall for 30 years) truly care about hospitality, treating you if you were a friend coming to stay. Every detail has been considered: from the homemade rhubarb chutney served with dinner, to the china teapot in the bedroom to allow you to start your day with a proper cup of tea, they’ve paid attention to the small things that make such a difference. We arrived on a Sunday evening, just as dusk started to fall. The car park was bordered with rolling lawns, hedges and a few pens containing geese and two Shetland ponies, who watched as we strolled up the gravel drive towards the historic house that forms the main part of the hotel. The cosy reception room- stroke-bar is tartan-carpeted and dotted with family photos from weddings and gatherings, which just serve to increase the impression that you’re being welcomed home. We were directed straight upstairs to our room which looked out over the lawns, into the large pine tree that sits next to the hotel: the ponies were just visible from the small Juliet balcony. We had a few hours before dinner, so decided to hit the lounge with books to
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