Spotlight on : The Duchess's Choice Delivered to your Door
The Devonshire Arms is a favourite bolthole of contributor, Louisa Castle, who was delighted to be asked to review the hotel’s new food and recipe service at home
Fond, pre-lockdown memories of taking the family (four-legged included) to The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales flooded back when I heard of the delivered to your door service that the team had put together. Needless to say, we didn’t need much persuading to sample their weekend delivery box menu.
Providing fresh, local food which has been produced, grown or raised on their estates, is at the centre of the ethos of great dining according to the Duchess of Devonshire, under whose watchful, detailed eye the Devonshire Hotels are shepherded. Having dined in both The Burlington fine-dining offering and the more relaxed Brasserie I was curious to see how this philosophy would apply to the home delivery service.
Delivered on a Friday the food arrives insulated and chilled (in recyclable packaging) with clear labelling and easy-to-follow instructions. It is not like a takeaway, delivered ready to eat. You need to do a little work, all very feasible whilst sipping a tipple, so nothing to worry about. By that I mean opening some packaging and popping some pre-prepared duck fat roast potatoes onto a baking tray.
Our starter box contained house-cured salmon, heritage potato salad, pickled red onion and a zesty citrus dressing to sprinkle across. All we had to do here was finely slice the salmon and arrange on the plate – there is a picture to copy or you can freestyle it. However, you decide to present it, there is ample salmon for two people, delicate and fresh and delightful with the onions and citrus.
A roasted sirloin of beef awaited us in the main course box, complete with duck fat potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, cauliflower cheese, carrots and swede and a red wine jus. Taking just 20 minutes in the oven, it takes all the fretting out of a roast dinner, the only ever-agonising question regarding the rising of the pudding mix, of which there is enough for four puddings. My carving skills do require a little practice, however that did not detract from the flavour and tenderness of the sirloin. Again, there was no scrimping on food, enough for our two-and-a-half-year-old to have a good nosh alongside us.
And for dessert a dark chocolate fondant with toffee sauce and candied pecans. After just eight minutes, this rich sweet stickiness was ready and devoured.
The Duchess’s Choice is a great date night / stress-free lunch / night off but not night off night option, proving that good food can be delivered, and you can be the hostess with the mostess without the stress.
P.S. When ordering don’t forget to check out the optional extras which include artisan cheese, Martinis or Chatsworth gin. Vegan options also available.
Three-course gourmet recipe boxes for two people, £60 per box, complete with easy-to-follow recipes and available nationwide.
The Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, Bolton Abbey Estate, Skipton, Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire BD23 6AJ
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