Latest Restaurant Review (Telford Hotel & Golf Resort)
Telford Hotel and Golf Resort is set in a beautiful part of the Shropshire countryside, just a few minutes’ drive away from Ironbridge. Breath-taking panoramic views of Ironbridge and surrounding areas can be seen from the hotel and the golf course.
The hotel is set within 170 acres of stunning grounds and includes an 18-hole golf course, a spa with seven treatment rooms, a 24 hour gym, 8 conference/function rooms, 114 bedrooms, 2 dining areas (1779 Restaurant/Gorge Bar & Lounge), acres of landscaped gardens and a free car park.
1779 Restaurant is the main dining area in the hotel and is open for dinner between 6:30pm to 9pm every day and if you are lucky enough to book when the sun is out, you can enjoy your meal on the large terrace overlooking Ironbridge. The restaurant has a modern vibrant feel, it is very light and airy with large windows running along the one side of the restaurant, highlighting the fantastic views.
As the new summer menu launches on the 18th July, we were allowed to order from this new menu to try out the new dishes that will be available. The menu offers a wide range of dishes, including a grill section and there are vegetarian options for all courses.
For starters I chose the Pulled Duck Leg and Truffle Arancini and Nik decided on the Seared Scallops.
My starter consisted of two arancini balls which had a lovely breadcrumb coating that was golden and crisp on the outside and the filling was deliciously soft and moist with a vivid strong flavour from the duck. There was a prune puree which was rich and fruity and thin slices of radish and roasted wedges of fig completed my dish.
Nik dish was served with crab fritter, cauliflower and mango, he said, “The delicate scallops had a wonderful golden sear and were really juicy and sweet, delicious when combined with the light crab fritter and some of the zesty Thai green sauce. Even usually boring cauliflower had been served with a twist with a lovely golden crispness. This fabulous dish was finished off with cubes of sweet mango and a gorgeous mango coulis, fabulous!!”
After our starters were cleared away, we were brought a palate cleanser which was a tomato and basil sorbet. This was indeed very refreshing to the palate; the soft cool sorbet had a lovely hint of basil and a light sweetness of tomato.
For mains I ordered the Rolled Minted Lamb Breast and Nik opted for the Pan-Fried Breast of Guinea Fowl.
My lamb had a wonderful crispy skin and was beautifully cooked, it fell apart as I unravelled it and it had a lovely hint of mint. There were pieces of green courgette, chunks of yellow courgette which were chargrilled on top, pea puree, peas, chunks of goats’ cheese that were starting to melt, a rich jus and sprinkled with crisp olive crumbs. A really great dish that not only looked incredible but tasted exceptional.
Nik’s guinea fowl had been pan fried to perfection, the meat was succulent and the skin perfectly crisp. Rolled ribbons of sweet yellow carrots, cubed beetroot, dauphinois potatoes, tangy raisin and tamarind puree, a super smooth corn sauce and a scattering of roasted corn kernels completed this outstanding dish.
For desserts I was tempted by the Cherry Baked Alaska and Nik selected the Praline Mousse.
I have to say my Alaska was an absolutely amazing dessert and is now my all-time favourite. The Alaska was layered with a soft sponge base, brandied cherries, ice cream and topped with a perfectly cooked meringue. Also on the dish were a couple of small chunks of rich chocolate brownie, brandied cherries in a syrup and chocolate crumbs.
Nik’s praline mousse was accompanied with an almond sponge, walnut brittle and coconut ice cream. The praline mousse was velvety smooth and rich, perfect with the chunks of light almond sponge. The walnut brittle had a satisfying crunch and a fabulous smoky flavour from the caramelised sugar, a scoop of light and creamy coconut ice cream finished the dish perfectly.
The presentation of the food was exceptional – a lot of thought has gone into the texture and flavours of each dish with lots of colour and variety on every plate.
Head Chef, Gareth Rowlands popped out to see us and said he has been at the hotel for just over two years and his aim is to bring the restaurant up to Rosette standard. Team effort plays a very important part of achieving this goal and they are all working very hard towards accomplishing this and hopefully it won’t be long before the hotel gets their first Rosette.
As well as the main restaurant there is also the Gorge Bar & Lounge where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or lighter bite meals throughout the day.
If you are looking for a venue for a larger party such as anniversaries or birthday parties, the hotel are able to provide tailor made menus ranging from summer barbecues to formal dinners and they can cater for any special requests or dietary requirements.
Weddings are very popular here as they have so much to offer, with a choice of function rooms, mouth-watering food, plenty of hotel rooms, and stunning grounds for amazing wedding photos.
A hotel isn’t usually somewhere you think to go out for a meal, but we would highly recommend you give them a try, the food is exceptional and if you haven’t visited Telford Hotel before you will be surprised at what it has to offer. I have already booked a return trip with friends to try out the spa with afternoon tea – I can’t wait!
Reviewed by Fleur & Nik Abel
