1* Shaun Rankin Restaurant at Grantley Hall - Ripon, Yorkshire
Hidden away in the Yorkshire countryside lies a fairytale escape. Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin has returned to his roots in Yorkshire after his successes at Ormer Mayfair, Bohemia, and abroad in Chicago and Australia. I first met Shaun last summer during our partnership with Lavazza in Wimbledon, and it was a delight to be invited to try his newest venture at Grantley Hall.
The restaurant features unexpected twists for one’s palette. The menu only makes use of the best organic produce, showcasing locally sourced and grown ingredients in Yorkshire, most of which come from the herb and vegetable garden at Grantley Hall itself. The kitchen focuses on creating seasonal dishes and changes its menu frequently to accomodate in-season produce.
“Snacks”
I'm not going to exhaust you with a blow-by-blow account of the meal, as that'll only spoil the surprise for you. What I will say is that for £95 per person, this is a steal for a meal with such quality. The wine list has around 600 labels, and although its deepest coverage is in France, there were plenty of choices from around the world too. We experienced the 12-course ‘Taste of Home’ tasting with the Prestige wine pairing, where each course was carefully executed and intensely memorable.
To start, we were brought a glass of chilled Pol Rogers Blanc de Blancs along with some canapés - ‘snacks’ . The tasty bites consisted of a beetroot crisp and a homemade crumpet with pork and flakes.
“Winter Garden”
An innovative medley of edible ‘soil’, baby carrots, leeks, radishes and chicory, sourced from the gardens at Grantley Hall.
“Bread, Butter, Dripping Beef Tea”
For those who have a penchant for a stellar bread course, you’d be very pleased to know that Rankin’s sourdough is made from scratch in-house, arriving on an impressive bed of rocks. The texture and flavour was impeccable, served with a selection of butter - including bone marrow, jersey, and kitchen garden, accompanied with beef tea.
Rankin’s “Scampi” - an innovative take on the quintessential English seaside dish.
My favourite dish - Duck, Beetroot and Buckthorn.
This was spring delight on a plate, seared to absolute perfection with a deliciously crunchy finish. I thought the rich, salty, delicate and juicy elements of this dish were phenomenal. With this, we enjoyed a glass of 1999 Rioja, Bodega Urbina from Spain, which went down like a treat.
Pineapple weed and Parsnip
A truly sensational dish - Shaun’s parsnip dessert transported me back to christmas with my family, where we always enjoy an abundance of Roasted Parsnips with honey. This was paired with a very intriguing 2015 Emilia Bianco, followed by summerfield cheese, pear and parkin.
Woodruff, Raspberry, Hazelnut
The perfect finale - I first had this dessert last year during our Gastronomy evening with Lavazza, hosted by Shaun Rankin, Jason Atherton and Andrea Camastra at 5 Social in Mayfair.
Individually the elements, were wonderful and together they created a lovely, fruity dish with the creamy yogurt, tangy sorbet and little woodruff pieces delighting my taste buds.
In a nutshell
English cooking combines with European influence to create well prepared and presented seasonal dishes in a luxurious and calming environment – a world away from the stresses of Central London. Although not accoladed with a star just yet, Shaun Rankin’s Restaurant is clearly on the road to obtaining a collection of well-deserved accolades.
A picture is worth a thousand words - I think it’s safe to say I was more than impressed by our stellar wine pairing.
Thank you to the entire Shaun Rankin team for a sensational evening - a real rarity in a truly saturated restaurant market. I can’t wait to see it’s development, and I intend to return very soon.
Eva x
Address: Grantley Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 3ET
Website: https://www.grantleyhall.co.uk/dining/shaun-rankin-at-grantley-hall