Our Inspector's View

A well-known TV commercial of yesteryear featured an American entrepreneur who loved his electric razor so much he bought the company that made it. In similar vein, the 9th Duke of Bedford was so taken by the look of this ornate, black-and-white, Tudor-style cottage built for the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris, that he acquired, dismantled, and shipped it back to the UK, where he reassembled it on his Woburn Estate. It's actually through a grand gateway in the 22-acre deer park,  a location that puts it in somewhat exalted company in the restaurant pantheon. Phil and Claire Fanning, who own the place, run it with uncompromising passion and have developed it into one of the region’s most compelling dining establishments. But it's not just the building's exterior that fascinates the observer: the interior has bags of style, with modern chandeliers, sleek contemporary furniture, and artworks that include a wall of seasonally changing, food-related works that are for sale. This seasonality characterises executive chef Phil's innovative modern British menus, although a love of Japanese cooking shows in his newly introduced sentaku (carte) that sits alongside his six-, eight- and 10-course tasting menus, with wine flights. Taking the sentaku route could mean beginning with brandade, here herb-crusted sea bass, then roast loin of venison with black pudding, chicory and hazelnut, followed by poached rhubarb with ginger, orange and rum. From the tasting menus might come Moroccan-spiced skate with wheat berry and harissa; rabbit with ceps, chestnut and tarragon; cured breast of duck with confit gizzard, kohlrabi and - that Japanese influence again - umeboshi mayonnaise. Artisan cheeses with garnishes are there for the finish. Vegetarian and six- and eight-course menus are also offered at lunch. Professional service is very much part of the whole proposition.

Awards, Accolades & welcome Schemes

3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence