It’s not every day you get to dine in a Tudor palace, and the team at Relais and Chateaux have gone to great lengths to preserve Thornbury Castle’s incredible history. Our dinner begins, for example, with drinks and canapes in its regal, wood-panelled drawing room, beneath the omniscient stare of former residents Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn – their portrait hanging proudly on high. Following a perfectly puffed choux bun filled with Tunworth cheddar, we’re led through to another resplendent room to experience its six-course tasting menu. Ritual and theatre are inherent to dining at Thornbury, and it goes a long way to making our experience extra special.
Ever since Carl Cleghorn was enlisted to lead the kitchen brigade back in 2020, the restaurant has gone from strength to strength. His menu focuses on honing the best seasonal British produce, much of which is grown in its kitchen garden, and toying with classic ideas. This comes to the fore with dessert, a chocolate fondant tart encased in paper-thin chocolate pastry which, when broken, oozes hot batter. It’s a finicky thing to make, he explains, but it hasn’t left the menu since he started.
This is the finale to an exceptional meal, which moves between a heavenly caramelised scallop immersed in a vinegary caper emulsion, to glazed pork belly with a velvety ponzu carrot puree. Only one dish missed the mark for us: foie gras, confit duck leg and rhubarb jelly which, although meticulously presented, didn't require the sweet addition of gingerbread.
Six courses tot up to £110 a head, and for an extra fifty odd quid, its resident sommelier will pair six global wines with each dish for you. Thornbury Castle is certainly on the extravagant end of special occasion dining, and its unique surroundings play as much a part in the experience as the food. Still, it’s not a meal you’ll forget any time soon.