Is it worth the money? A spotlight on Aldwark's new £3 million fine dining restaurant, Chartwell

The recent backstory

Sold in 2019 for an undisclosed sum, Aldwark Manor, located in a picturesque village in between York and Harrogate, has had some serious money spent on it, from its redeveloped £4.5 million golf course to a further £25 million being lavished on the estate, including a brand-new spa and further bedrooms expected to open in 2025.

This investment also includes the recently opened Chartwell, a 24-cover fine-dining restaurant on which £3 million of the budget has been spent. But we delve a little deeper into its story and ultimately ask, is it worth the money? 

The setting and interior

As soon as you arrive at Chartwell, which is inspired by Sir Winston Churchill’s iconic country home – the estate has strong links with World War II as it was requisitioned by the Home Office at the start of the war to provide accommodation for the Canadian Air Force – all is not as it seems.

Take the many picture frames that sit cheek-by-jowl on the ceiling, a hidden speakeasy behind a bookcase, or the somewhat voyeuristic yet a modern take on an open kitchen where a screen broadcasts live, Big Brother-style, a variety of angles of the chefs working in the kitchen. 

These are just some examples of how the new 1940s-inspired restaurant lives up to the estate’s slogan, ‘Never Ordinary, Always Aldwark’.

The food and drink

The menu has been envisaged and executed by executive chef Chris O’Callaghan, who has an impressive alumni head cheffing at Linthwaite House Hotel, Castle Dairy in Kendal, and more locally, Goldsborough Hall and The Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey, before joining the team at Aldwark Manor last year.

A glass of Pol Roger champagne is served; this is what Churchill said was his greatest weakness (or strength, as he liked to put it). Then it’s onto opening the wax-sealed menus that are a homage to the champagne; ‘Pol’ and ‘Roger’, along with his preferred cigars ‘Romeo’ and ‘Julieta’.

Dining from the ‘Romeo’ menu, first up is its ‘snacks’ that comprised North Sea crab with dill and radish, together with Lincolnshire Poacher with allium and burnt chive; the latter had a creamy texture and perfectly off-set with the crunch of the filo pastry case. 

Next up was the St Andrews Cheddar brioche bread course with roasted chicken butter that had a croissant-like texture, followed by a charred Yorkshire leek course.

The fourth course was a scallop cooked on an open fire in the kitchen and served with cauliflower and apple – which deserves a special mention – while the perfectly pink salt-aged duck served with celeriac, blackberry and peppercorn was moreish, and accompanied with a glass of red was the ‘main’ on the tasting menu. 

The dessert was a parkin with Victoria plum, meadowsweet and verbena, followed by peach melba, both the sweet conclusion to the two-and-a-half-hour meal.

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The verdict?

In terms of other comparable local fine dining restaurants, the two main tasting menus that spring to mind are Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall and Fifty Two at Rudding Park.

The first is super grand and swanky – and at £160 per person for the Taste of Home menu and £50 for non-alcoholic pairing, £95 for signature wine pairing or £165 for prestige wine pairing - it's certainly one to save up for and savour.

The latter has a more intimate feel, and as soon as you arrive, you're immersed in the Kitchen Garden with the chefs cooking in front of you - and priced at a £115 per person and £50 per person for wine pairing - it's punchy but definitely a must-visit dining experience.

Chartwell meanwhile is a new and modern take on fine-dining while the maximalist interior flourishes make it stand out from the crowd. The food is certainly tasty and a work of art – and it seems the Rosette team agrees as it has just been awarded 3 AA Rosettes, meaning it has achieved culinary standards that demand national recognition well beyond their local area.

Although a lot of money has been spent on the restaurant, the menu seems to be reasonably priced in terms of tasting menus at £95 per person, and £75 per person for the wine flight. And in my opinion, it distinguishes itself enough from the crowd to be a place to visit on its own merit. 

Finally on that note, post-meal (or pre-dinner if you so wish), don’t forget to head to Clem, the impressive wine tasing room named after Winston’s wife Clementine, where at a charge, you can help yourself to a glass of wine from an elegant vending machine.

It’s certainly not ordinary at Aldwark.