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29
Jan 2022
I can still remember watching Shaun Rankin make his famous treacle tart on The Great British Menu in 2009.
I used to be a regular viewer of the BBC 2 series back in the day — and like Greg Wallace, I never forget a good pud.
So I was genuinely looking forward to meeting the Michelin Star chef, who has returned to his North Yorkshire roots at the helm of his eponymous restaurant at Grantley Hall.
I managed to get lost on my way to the Grade II listed luxury hotel, despite being there twice before. And using a sat nav. So we had a good laugh about my terrible sense of direction, before we sat down for a coffee in the dining room.
It was certainly an opulent backdrop for an interview. The sprawling estate on the outskirts of Ripon was established at the end of the 17th century, its Palladian-style mansion boasting a rich history having been home to lords and ladies and hosted countless society dinner dances. So the restaurant, which was once a ballroom, is obviously a grand affair. Definitely Bridgeton territory.
Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall. Photograph: Jack Hardy.
At the age of 16, Shaun went to London to complete a three-year apprenticeship at the five-star May Fair, Ritz and Savoy hotels in London.
He said:
After completing his apprenticeship, he returned to North Yorkshire in 1992 to work at one of the most prestigious restaurants in the UK at the time, the Black Bull in Moulton, near Richmond.
He said:
Shaun uses R&J farmers and butchers, from Kirkby Malzeard, and Farmison butchers, based in Ripon, to source meat.
He said:
Shaun also uses ingredients from the kitchen garden at Grantley, which supplies 70 per cent of the restaurant's produce throughout the year.
He added:
The restaurant is set within Ripon's 17th century mansion, Grantley Hall. Photograph: Jack Hardy
In fact, if it's not from the UK, it won't make an appearance on the menu. This is something he takes a tough stance on.
He said:
Venison Loin, Blackcurrant and Celeriac from Shaun Rankin's Taste of Home menu at Grantley Hall.
Two years before Grantley Hall opened, he was introduced to Andrew McPherson, the general manager, and Richard Sykes, the managing director, and joined the team as a consultant, helping to put the concepts and designs together for all the restaurants, kitchens and food and beverage areas in the hotel.
Enjoying his time back in Yorkshire, he was then invited to take over the fine dining and was put in charge of designing the restaurant itself. This involved everything from the credenza units to the soft-closing, velvet-lined drawers, which prevent the clink of the silver-dipped Sheffield cutlery. It's these little details that help to enhance the dining experience, which, when you are paying £130 per head, is perhaps to be expected.
Shaun said:
In terms of what the future holds for Grantley, Shaun said he was looking forward to hopefully having a full year in service at the hotel, following two years of upheaval due to the pandemic.
And his favourite dish on the current menu?
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