Thornbury Castle receives Three AA Rosette status
The menus at Thornbury change with the seasons, and when the produce is at its best, Cleghorn plans the year's production with his head gardener, Matt Bufton
Thornbury Castle Hotel and Restaurant, part of the Relais and Chateaux collection, has been awarded a Three AA Rosette.
It is the only Tudor castle in England to house a hotel. The rosettes celebrate successful cooking and Three Rosette status is given to “outstanding restaurants” that achieve standards that demand recognition well beyond their local area.
Furthermore, the cooking is underpinned by the selection of the highest quality ingredients and being consistently excellent, together with the restaurant team offering intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list.
Executive chef Carl Cleghorn has worked at Thornbury Castle since 2020. Cleghorn revealed the menus at Thornbury are designed to change with the seasons, and when the produce is at its best, he plans the year’s production with his head gardener, Matt Bufton, before planting and harvesting the garden’s bounty.
The menus at Thornbury Castle offer either a three or six course meal with the option for a wine pairing for both. Some of the seasonal dishes on the a la carte includes Bath Ale braised onion with old Winchester cheese, as well as a main of Westend Farm pork with cauliflower and mustard.
The six-course signature tasting menu includes Creedy carver duck with rhubarb, hibiscus and ginger, Cornish cod with fennel and bouillabaisse and a Manuka honey parfait with lemon and meringue.
The castle also offers Rhubarb, a dessert made of milk mousse and sour dough.
Cleghorn works alongside food and beverage manager Frederic Bellard and he and his sommeliers have expertly chosen a selection of 200 wines from England, Europe and the New World.
Cleghorn said: “Words cannot describe how thrilled I am being awarded three AA Rosette. I’m extremely proud of the hard work and dedication my whole team back and front of house have put in over the past 12 months and to achieve this accolade is a great privilege.
“We are lucky to work with the best local suppliers and incorporate some of our homegrown produce from our kitchen garden to create exceptional dishes that highlight the seasons.”