Back For Dinner At The Maynard Hotel, Grindleford
Published On Sunday 5 Mar 2023 by Sticky Beak
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It’s been a while since we last visited The Maynard at Grindleford (it was fab, btw, if you’re wondering), so we were thrilled when Charlotte (Sales and Marketing Manager for Longbow Bars and Restaurants) invited us back for dinner in the newly refurbished restaurant. For us, it’s a lovely drive through the Chatsworth Estate to get to Grindleford, and it always reminds me how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful county – I love Derbyshire!
There is plenty of parking onsite at The Maynard, both for residents in the hotel and for those who visit to dine, and we bagged a spot near to the entrance. One thing to note is that you need to enter your vehicles’ registration number, to avoid a fine/charge, and there are keypads for this purpose at the bar entrance and also at reception.
The delicious Marine/deep Teal shade that I’d so admired previously was still there in reception and, much to my delight, was also used to colour the central portion of the restaurants’ ceiling. The peripheral ceiling portions were painted a lovely mid-grey shade that complimented the deep blue. Unusually, it is the walls that are paler than the ceiling at The Maynard: they are an almost-putty shade that has a wonderfully calming effect on the senses. Faux foliage, wood, and animal prints and paintings bring a country feel to the space, whilst simple roller blinds allow an uncluttered view through the floor-to-ceiling doors and windows of the gardens and view over Hope Valley beyond. Not that we were indulging in the beautiful landscape – the dark February evening was well upon us, but I do recall the stunning scenery from our last visit.
Our lovely server got us sorted with chilled water, then brought over a glass of Shiraz for me and a pint of Madhri for His Nibs. We cast our beady eyes over the seasonally-changing menu to see what temptations would capture our attention, though it was actually more a case of what didn’t catch our imaginations! The menu was ‘scrummy central’ thanks to the efforts of Executive Chef Adrian Gagea and The Maynard’s’ Head Chef, Greg Robinson! After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, I settled on the Japanese Plate (£10.95) and The Man opted for the Pink- and Green- Pepper crust Ox Tongue, Blue Cheese Rarebit Velouté and Baby Leaf (£8.95).
My Japanese Plate is perfect for those who love this type of Cuisine, and there are lots of elements to savour. I started off with the beyond-crispy Spring Roll, smiling at the sound it made as I cut into the golden, super-fine pastry’s fried outer. There was no trace of grease or oil at all, so the perfectly balanced notes of the ample sweet Crabmeat and warming Ginger filling came through cleanly on my palate.
Now, no-one is pretending that they can rival dedicated Sushi venues and the Chefs there, but I tell you what, the Salmon Nigiri that came out of the kitchen was blooming good. Nice compact, vinegared sushi rice was topped with a succulent slice of Salmon, and a thin strip of seaweed (I presumed Nori, from its appearance) decorated it. I picked the Nigiri up with my fingers and dipped it into the small bowl of soy-based dipping sauce, and my taste buds revelled in the mingled notes of sweet and umami as they washed over them.
It was the Wasabi Mousse that had caught my attention on the Japanese Plate, if I’m being honest. I have a strange addiction to this extremely pungent root (also known as Japanese Horseradish), despite it giving me a ‘fizzy nose’ whenever I eat it. Many is the occasion when I’ve let out an almighty sneeze after partaking in the pastel green condiment at Sushi Bars, but I don’t seem to learn the lesson! I was hoping that, being in a mousse, the Wasabi’s intensity would be assuaged – ever the optimist, that’s me. As I took the first nibble of the mousse all seemed well; my hopes were realised, and this was definitely gentler than the undiluted version in the mouth. However, I spoke too soon and sneezed unexpectedly, narrowly avoiding blowing Miso from the bowl it was in. Ever the comedian, His Nibs piped up “you could’ve renamed it ‘Sneezo Miso’. I’m sure he was dropped on his bonce as a child, it would explain a lot!!
Speaking of the Miso Ramen, this was certainly umami in character! As is customary, I didn’t finish the liquor, but I did slurp up the plentiful, fine noodles, the cubes of Cucumber and other vegetables, the King Prawn, and the dinky half Quails’ egg – yummy. As far as starter dishes go, this is certainly one of the most different to be offered at a non-Sushi/ Japanese/Oriental restaurant - it was also one of the tastiest starters I’ve had, thanks to each element being perfectly executed.
His Nibs’ Ox Tongue was sliced very thinly, but don’t be fooled; this meaty morsel’s flavour certainly belied its delicate appearance, providing The Mans’ palate with a flavoursome treat. A subtle heat came from the crust of the Pink and Green Peppers, one that is certainly mellower (but fruitier and sweeter) in character than their Black cousin. The Blue Cheese Rarebit velouté was denser and less foamy than we both expected, but the flavour was delicious and paired with the peppery elements brilliantly.
Our progress, and satisfaction, with the starters was discreetly (but attentively) monitored by the serving team, and when we placed our cutlery down the plates were taken promptly away. Enquiries were made as to whether we needed more refreshment and then we were left to await our main courses, which weren’t long in arriving.
I had gone for the Pan-fried Cod (sourced from R.G. Morris in Buxton) served with Grilled Leeks, Courgette Ribbons and Asparagus, and Cod Cheeks cooked in Beurre Blanc (£21.95) and The Man had chosen The Maynard’s Homemade Three Pie Taster (Ham Hock, Shepherd’s, and Steak and Ale) served with Proper Gravy and Bubble ‘n’ Squeak Potato (£19.95). We also ordered sides of Mixed Salad and Kale and Asparagus, both £3.95.
As with our starters, the crockery used to display the dishes was exquisite; shapes and shades had cleverly been used to enhance the visual impact of the food – I’ve said before that presentation makes the world of difference! Anyhow, having taken a moment to appreciate the effort that Chef and his team had gone to whilst plating up, I tucked in to the pieces of Cod Cheek that basked in a pool of pastel toned Beurre Blanc. The Cod Cheeks were gorgeously sweet in flavour and melted on my tongue, complimented by the notes of white wine, shallot and butter of the sauce. Just as tasty (though distinctly denser and meatier in texture!) was the delicately fragrant flesh of the Cod Loin, whose flavour was carried along by the buoyancy of perfectly cooked Asparagus and Courgette. A solitary round of charred Leek stood proudly like a sentry on my plate and, when I cut into it, I was rewarded with a flood of sweetness on my tongue and a shy smoky hint at the edge.
A separate bowl housed the cool, crisp Mixed Salad whose components had been lightly dressed to give them an attractive gloss. Slices of Red Onion, Red and Yellow Peppers, sweet Cherry Tomatoes, peppery Radishes and crunchy Cucumber were nestled among the tasty mix of bitter and sweet salad leaves, which all made for a pleasingly colourful accompaniment.
Next to me, The Man was enthusiastically cutting into the suet case of his Ham Hock Pie. A smile slid across his face as the pastry fell away to reveal the pressed, almost Terrine-like, pieces of intensely tasty Ham Hock and their attractive pink hue. I was told that the flavour of this pie was ridiculously good; it must’ve been, because not a scrap came my way!
Imagine, if you will, a Shepherd’s Pie so rich and dense that it held its round shape and also supported the decadently creamy, ridged mash topping: yep, it really was this stonkingly good – both in looks and taste. Both of these minxes had been generous and satisfying but, I kid you not, Chef couldn’t have got anymore Steak into the Steak and Ale Pie if he’d tried to shoe-horn it in!
The Steak was melt-in-the-mouth tender and, partnered with the tang of the Ale in its cooking gravy, made for a wickedly moreish treat. A jug of proper, meat scrap and shallot containing gravy would, you would think, be the icing on the cake for this meal – but you’d be wrong; a dinky, individual sized bottle of Henderson’s Relish (we love Hendo’s in our house!) was also on the plate. With no preamble whatsoever, The Man Bird cracked open the cap and splashed it all over like he was Henry Cooper in a Brut advert…but on his food, not on himself (not that that would’ve surprised me!).
Chef had fashioned the Bubble ‘n’ Squeak Potato into a triangle and this iconic Potato-and-Vegetable mix was pleasingly firm, with a golden tint where it had been fried and verdant flecks of (I presumed) Cabbage clearly visible. His Nibs said that there was a wonderful buttery hint coming through in his mouth and that it reminded him of the ‘Monday’s leftover’, comfort food item that he used to enjoy in his younger days.
In a complete 180, The Man had ordered Kale and Asparagus to go with his pies; a decision that left me gob-smacked, frankly! The Kale was tender and bursting with flavour, and the Asparagus was perfectly firm to the bite, as mine had been. As I watched The Man take mouthful after mouthful of greens, my jaw got lower and lower to the floor; I don’t know what your secret is, Chef, but can you come and cook vegetables for us back at the nest, please? I’ve always battled to get His Nibs to eat more veggies, and yet here he was, scoffing them like they were going out of fashion; go figure!
Whilst we’d been eating our mains, Rob Hattersley (The Managing Director of The Maynard) had come over to say hello and, although we haven’t seen him for ages, he hasn’t changed a bit. Our plates were taken away as we chatted and dessert menus discreetly popped near us. Having caught up, Rob left us to it and we placed our dessert orders: Rhubarb and Candied Ginger Crumble and vegan Vanilla Ice Cream for me (£8.50) and the brilliantly titled Grindleford Gourmand with Café/Espresso (£11.95) for The Man Bird. The Grindleford Gourmand can also be enjoyed with a glass of fizz for £14.95, or with a glass of dessert wine for £15.95.
If you’re curious as to what is on the Grindleford Gourmand platter, let me enlighten you: a mini version of the Rhubarb and Candied Ginger Cheesecake, Flourless Brownie, Vanilla Cheesecake, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Vanilla and Strawberry Ice Creams! Needless to say, if you can’t make up your mind from the dessert menu or you fancy being romantic and sharing a pud, then this is perfect.
As you know, His Nibs does like a Sticky Toffee Pud, so this was the first treat to pass his lips. The pudding was quite dense in texture compared to some he’s had and he said that it seemed more like a cake than a pudding because it was served cold. Saying that, he was totally enamoured with the intensity of the toffee taste in this dessert. There’s something mesmerising about Vanilla Cheesecake when it’s done well, and the one here was superb; a soft, buttery base housed a deep layer of creamy, indulgent cheesecake whose texture lingered in the mouth.
You’d never have guessed that the Chocolate Brownie was flourless, given how moist and gooey it was in the centre – and it went amazingly well with both the Strawberry and Vanilla Ice Creams! The Rhubarb and Candied Ginger Crumble went down equally well with His Nibs as it did with me, and here’s why…
Rhubarb has a curiously dual nature: sharp-yet-sweet, this fruit brings a great balance to puddings where sweeter notes are included, such as the sugar, fat and flour combo that is your crumble topping. Pieces of the crumble mixture had formed small balls and these melted on my tongue, their buttery smoothness lingering nicely. Underneath this pale gold blanket peeped a mixture of gorgeous rose-pink Rhubarb and strips of Candied Ginger, which was a bit of a curve-ball; I’d assumed the Ginger would be in little pieces, but we all know what assumption is, don’t we?! Whilst the Candied Ginger had that same attention-grabbing heat that its ’au naturel’ cousin has, it was a lot more refined, my palate is happy to report. Combined with the Rhubarb, this was an utter joy to eat – and even better thanks to me swapping out the vegan Vanilla Ice Cream for regular dairy yumminess. No offence to vegans or the makers of non-dairy Ice Cream, but my taste buds just prefer the ‘full fat’, dairy version.
We concluded our truly awesome meal with the customary black coffees, and even this is wonderful at The Maynard; not too dark, not too bitter, just superbly drinkable! Suffice to say, this was one of those ‘DeLorean’ evenings and Hot Wings are certainly awarded.
To book your table, ring 01433 424110 or visit the website www.the-maynard.com for more details.
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