Choosing from the Devonshire Arms menu isn’t going to be easy, there’s an array of starters that get me incredibly excited and that’s before I’ve even looked at the sharing starters
I’m incredibly fortunate to have visited some amazing destinations as a child, my parents have always been lovers of the sun and therefore in true 80’s style every year my father would call the police to let then know we were going on holiday, turn the water off at the stop tap, trip the electricity and put a cushion in front of the VHS recorder so they bright LCD clock wouldn’t been seen, I kid you not, then we head to Manchester Airport and take our annual pilgrimage to either Greece or Spain, fun times.
I have to be honest though and say my fondest memories as a child were spent in the Wharfdale village of Burnsall, summer afternoons with the car parked up in the large field adjacent to the river were an absolute delight, skimming stones, the rope swing, the smell of BBQ’s and mothers egg and cress sandwiches all strike a chord of delight.
There’s place we passed every time we ventured to Burnsall a place that intrigued me, The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa on the Bolton Abbey Estate, it’s a place that right on cue every time we passed mother would say, we must try there, two and a half decades later and my parents still haven’t been and up until recently neither had I, but that’s now changed and let me tell you the wait was worth it.
In stark contrast the brasserie is a far more vibrant part of the hotel, rich in colour with walls decorated with incredible contemporary art, sunken seating, folk chatting at the bar, views across the valley we’ve found the more informal part of this incredibly iconic building.
It’d be more than acceptable to have a pint with dinner in this social setting however we opt for the waiters choice of red, an Argentinian Petit Verdot by Ruca Malen a full bodied wine which I suspect will match my menu choices perfectly.
Choosing from this menu isn’t going to be easy, there’s an array of starters that get me incredibly excited and that’s before I’ve even looked at the sharing starters, in the end I opt for the trio of Wharfedale Pig.
My wife also as high praise for her starter of Textures of Beetroot served with goats cheese, truffle dressing, and roasted hazelnuts but it’s the main that we both have our eyes on.
At first sight we’re not exactly sure how we’re going to devour this stunning looking platter of food, but finish we did and ooh boy what a treat, as you would expect the beef is absolute stunning, it’s cooked to absolute perfection and is up there with the best steaks I’ve had of late.
Real praise however must be given to the red wine jus, it’s rare that you get a sauce of this quality, in fact only once before have I had the privilege of a sauce at this level.
Wow what a meal, my favourite meal of the year so far, a meal that had just everything, a meal that would quite easily fit the bill if you (for some reason) were planning your last supper.
Add to that the perfect Yorkshire setting that the Devonshire Arms finds itself in and to be perfectly honest you’ll be hard pushed to find a better experience than the one we had, I salute you Devonshire, absolutely perfect!
The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa | Bolton Abbey | Skipton | BD23 6AJ
Tel. 01756 710441