GETAWAYS
I could write about the food we ate at Gravetye Manor for weeks, let alone pages – about the way my terrine of young heritage beetroots with slow-cooked octopus presented itself like the fusion of brilliant colour only seen in a Leonid Afremov-painted sky; about how my fillet of Newhaven-landed turbot with saffron pasta and spiced cockle foam smelled like fresh sea air; and about the most delicious sprouting broccoli I’ ve ever tasted, that somehow, in the hands of Coward and Blogg’ s joint mastery, managed to stand up and sing for itself when paired with a luscious confit belly of Old Spot pork. Every dish tasted even better than it looked, smelled or sang however, so please take heed – you must go.
And so to bed. As expected from any Relais & Chateaux property, a stay at Gravetye Manor is about exceptional cuisine, flawless service and originality of style, but, wonderfully, its large rooms are on par. Full, relaxed and happy, we admired our quaint, cushioned window seat beneath mullioned windows, flicked through the array of gardening books propped up on our antique chest of drawers, and brushed our teeth comforted by the warmth of underfloor heating before flopping, unashamedly, between the plump mattress and feather-soft duvet adorning our four-poster bed. Less may be more at Gravetye Manor, but it needs nothing else.
Gravetye Manor Vowels Lane West Hoathly Sussex RH19 4LJ
01342 810 567 www. gravetyemanor. co. uk
GravetyeManor gravetyemanor gravetyemanor
QUALITY KITCHEN FACELIFTS why replace when you can reface?
Don’ t replace it reface it
Est. 1999
• Door swaps to full kitchens- tailored to your needs
• UK manufactured products
• Made to measure custom-built doors and units
www. dreamdoors. co. uk
Call Neil For a Free Estimate
01243 885 286
barnham @ dreamdoors. co. uk Unit 13, The Square Barnham, PO22 0HB
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