Fine dining at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire

It’s one of Britain’s leading five star hotel, spa and country clubs. With a Championship golf course, tennis courts and award winning spa, Stoke Park has been a favourite haunt of the rich and famous for centuries. Now, with its recently re-launched restaurant, Humphry’s, they seem to have set their course towards the stars...

It is on a rather damp and dreary day in September that my husband and I, lured by the promise of some mouth-watering food, make our way around a slow moving M25 to Stoke Park. Tucked away in the lush Buckinghamshire countryside, this former country mansion, with its 49 bedrooms and suites, is now the home of a 27 hole Championship golf course, 13 tennis courts, an award winning spa, and of course, fine dining with its flagship restaurant Humphry’s at the helm. Here, Executive Chef Chris Wheeler has, over the past 10 years, accrued many an accolade for his culinary skills. Yet it was when the restaurant (previously named The Dining Room) was re-launched and opened to the public last year that word truly got out. It took just two short months for Humphry’s to be awarded 2 AA rosettes, and a third followed shortly.

HISTORIC GOLF. As we pull up outside the impressive whitewashed building, the drizzle subsides and my stomach rumbles in anticipation of what awaits us inside. But alas, not yet. First, we need to justify treating ourselves to such a sumptuous lunch, and a quick round of golf will do the trick. While working our way around the stunningly beautiful parkland course, I cannot help but marvel at the estate’s long and rich history which dates back to the Norman conquest.       For most of its existence, Stoke Park has been a private estate owned and visited by some of the most famous people in British history. However, it was through Nick ‘Pa’ Lane Jackson’s vision, over a hundred years ago, that it was transformed into a luxury country club, the likes of which had not been seen in this country before. And with the help of eminent golf architect Harry Colt, this beautiful course, which is still rated among the 100 best in England, was created.

LUXURIOUS AND ELEGANT. As we finish our round, the sun finally breaks through the clouds and shows the estate in all its glory. We park our buggy and quickly change into something a bit more respectable before finally stepping into the hotel’s lush interior. We take a seat in The Orangery while waiting for our table, and relax with a glass of wine.         This is the perfect place for afternoon tea and I am greedily eyeing up the next table’s array of hand-made sandwiches, cakes and scones with clotted cream. Luckily, a waiter arrives before I commit an indiscretion and leads us to our table. The décor in Humphry’s is luxurious and elegant. Large windows offer panoramic views of the lake with its iconic bridge, a favourite with photographers, as well as flooding the room with light. The walls are lined with patterned gold fabric panels and large mirrors, with chandeliers and soft lighting helping to create a warm, inviting ambiance.While we are studying the menu, trying to decide between all the tempting dishes, we are served a little aperitif: a smoked salmon mille-feuille, which melts in the mouth. And as salmon is a big favourite of mine, I decide to continue the theme and have Confit Salmon Salad with buttered summer pea purée and herb salad as my starter, while my husband chooses the Red Wine Poached Chicken Terrine with roasted button onions, pickled mushrooms and a red wine reduction. As we wait for our food to arrive, I sip my wine, gaze dreamily out of the window and wonder what life must have been like for the families living here over a hundred years ago, when this was a private estate; Downton Abbey springs to mind. I get lost in visions of beautiful dresses and servants at my beck and call, when I am interrupted by the arrival of our starter and I soon forget everything else and concentrate on the food.

WINNING RECIPE. Before joining Stoke Park in 2003, Executive Chef Chris Wheeler honed his culinary skills as right-hand man to French chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, working with him in various Michelin starred restaurants: first at Le Provence in Lymington and later helping him launch Maison Novelli. For the past 10 years, Chris has steadily been building Stoke Park’s culinary reputation and at Humphry’s, with his modern twist on British cuisine, he seems to have found a winning recipe. Will a Michelin star be next on the menu? Well, rumour has it that “the Michelin Man” has been spotted among the guests.For mains, my husband chooses Pan Seared Cod with glazed artichokes, butternut squash and a tomato and red pepper salsa, while I choose Pea, Broad Bean and Mascarpone Risotto with wild rocket and radish shavings. It has been quite a while since the last time I had risotto and this sounded too tempting to pass up, despite the lure of pan-fried loin of lamb and roast supreme of duck. When it arrives, looking pretty as a picture on a triangular plate, my husband stares at it expectantly, obviously hoping to get a taste. But after the first mouthful I know I don’t want to share. This risotto, with its creamy, delicate flavours so beautifully complimented by the bitterness of the rocket, is definitely going to be on my list of favourite dishes. Well, my husband seems to be savouring the cod, so I don’t feel too guilty at my own selfishness.

FEELING FRUITY. I don’t usually eat much for lunch, but despite already having had two courses, there is definitely room for more and the desserts at Humphry’s are not to be missed. I am terribly tempted by the Dark Chocolate Delice with salted caramel popcorn and caramel form, but decide to opt for Poached Peaches with textures of raspberry. My better half is feeling in the mood for something fruity too, so chooses to have the Basil Panna Cotta with black pepper compressed strawberries and lemon shortbread. And when the plates are put in front of us by our very attentive waiter, we both dig in as though we were two starving people. The desserts are scrumptious and we finish off feeling pleasantly full, with just enough room for a coffee and some petits fours.With his passion for sourcing the finest local ingredients, Chris Wheeler has managed to create a menu that combines modern British cuisine with European influences. I won’t be surprised if a Michelin star is on the horizon. In my opinion, it would be well deserved.