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Travel

Staycation: Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire

by Christine Faughlin
Staycation: Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons

Christine Faughlin spends a night at Raymond Blanc’s legendary property where the grounds and gardens delight but the food is the star of the show.

Where is it?

Just half-an-hour drive from Oxford, in the picturesque village of Great Milton, Oxfordshire

What’s the accommodation like?

We’re staying in the ‘Hydrangea suite’, a magnificent studio with a decidedly French chateau feel located at the top of the 15th-century manor house. Ornate lead-lined windows overlook fragrant pathways, the sprawling kitchen gardens and fields beyond. On arrival, there’s vintage Champagne, a full-size lemon cake, truffles and a platter of fruits to tuck into while settling back on the lavish antique settees or taking a soak in the vast twin jacuzzi bath.
From left: chef pâtissier Benoît Blin; Raymond Blanc; executive chef Luke Selby
From left: chef pâtissier Benoît Blin; Raymond Blanc; executive chef Luke Selby

What did you eat and drink?

Dining at Raymond Blanc’s famous restaurant is an experience all its own. Presided over by Raymond and led by executive chef Luke Selby and chef pâtissier Benoît Blin, it is wholly deserving of its two Michelin stars. Each dish on the eight-course tasting menu makes the homegrown produce sing with cleverly orchestrated flavour and texture, presented flawlessly. It’s impossible to choose a favourite dish, but memories of ‘Le Crabe’, a stunning salad of Cornish crab with tropical hits of coconut and passion fruit, and a grating of zingy frozen grapefruit, linger long after we’ve checked out. Breakfast is as memorable with perfect patisserie, a carefully curated seasonal buffet and made-to-order cooked plates – there’s even a bloody Mary station.

Two Michel-star plates
Two Michel-star plates

What is there to do?

Take a cookery class at The Raymond Blanc Cookery School, attached to the main kitchen. We signed up for half-day ‘Dinner Party’ class with talented tutor Becca Boasts who walks and talks our group of six through a four-course meal, offering loads of insider tips and a fair amount of fun chat, too. The dishes are rustic but smart enough to serve to guests – velvety butternut squash soup, a Comté cheese soufflé, chicken and leeks served with morels and a sherry wine sauce, and a seasonal fruit crumble. There’s a frisson of hushed excitement when Raymond himself stops by for a chat.

What do I need to pack?

Wellies! Joining a garden tour or meandering through the beautiful surrounds is a must – so don’t let foul weather stop you from seeing the orchards, Japanese ornamental gardens and vast kitchen gardens that are part of what makes this hotel so special.

Lasting memory

The pastries at breakfast were so good we didn’t object when Raymond sent for boxes so we could take a few home with us. The croissants were faultless and the kouign-amann a sticky, buttery triumph.

Pastries at breakfast
Pastries at breakfast

Sainsbury’s magazine insider tip

Take a pouch of wildflower seeds to plant out at home, so you can take a little of Le Manoir home with you. Included in the mix of 18 species of native wildflowers are seeds for cowslips, cornflowers and poppies.

How to Book

‘Cook and Stay’ packages (dinner, an overnight stay and breakfast for two, plus one place at the Cookery School) start from £1,770. Non-residential courses start from £210 per person. To book, visit Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

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