ARGENTINIAN ADVENTURE
The Orangery at the Spa Hotel Ribby Hall was the stylish venue for our first visit to one of their gourmet evenings, writes Tedd Walmsley
The two AA Rosette restaurant that is the Orangery at Ribby Hall, is headed up by chef Michael Noonan and hotel manager Andrew Scott – and it has many accolades and incredible reviews. Liz and I were just back from holiday and keen to experience the restaurant first hand, and while we were attending this themed evening the restaurant is fast becoming a destination of choice for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner in its own right and is open to non-residents.
The gourmet theme was Argentina and we were hosted by the delightful Manny Doidge representing Doña Paula Vineyards who had provided the wine selection for the occasion. Having been to many wine and food evenings over the years they can sometimes be a little technical and drawn out – but not tonight. Manny spoke with great enthusiasm and knowledge and pitched it just right in terms of content and duration. Her choices allowed us to try wines across a broad spectrum of grapes and styles and not just Malbec, which of course would be the robust red of choice for many of us who enjoy steaks as if we were gauchos on the prairie!
With the scene set by Andrew and Manny – a wonderful evening of wine and gastronomy followed. Clearly there were many returning guests who had attended previous sell-out evenings judging by the rapport and atmosphere.
The service was exemplary, the food truly delicious and the wine pairings absolutely spot on. Our five-courses were all stunning and a credit to the team, the highlight for me was the sopa maiz, or to you and me spiced corn soup with morcilla and perfectly cooked scallop – the Estate Riesling was a perfect match.
Liz suggested they had saved the best until last! Sweet rich and decadent described perfectly the chocolate and coffee churros served with a vanilla parfait. The red selection of Bodega was for me an unusual choice as it wasn’t sweet, but came into its own when combined with the sticky sweetness of the pudding.
We declared the evening to be ‘un excelente maridaje de comida y vino’ which to you and me is an excellent pairing of food and wine. We were blessed with the foresight of booking a room and with our jet-lag kicking in we said our farewells and retired to bed.
There are a series of these gourmet nights scheduled for the remainder of the year and a new programme for 2019. Competitively priced at £75pp it’s a fantastic evening of great food and wine and one not to be missed! If you can, stay over to complete the experience. Please check the website for further details of these and many other great events taking place at Ribby Hall.
The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall
Ribby Hall Village, Ribby Road, Preston PR4 2PR
01772 671755
www.ribbyhall.co.uk
