Indian Fine Dining in Cheltenham: Prithvi

Prithvi is one of those places that's on every local food lovers bucket list. It's the swish Indian restaurant that won't fill your letterbox with takeaway leaflets, won't give you shoddily made curry, and certainly won't let you order chips as a side for your main (not that I'm a chip-o-phobe or anything).

Despite being so unassuming, it's the place that everyone in town talks about. The place at the top of most Cotswold based 'best restaurant' lists. The place in all the national food guides. The place that is notoriously hard to get a table at on a weekend... Essentially, it's the place.

Although I've been on a handful of occasions (see my post from '14), every time I walk past I find myself peering in at the lucky diners sitting in the window, desperately trying to see what they're eating. It's no good. I never get there at the right time. I only ever see empty plates - sigh - or people casually quaffing their wines - jealous - and the blinds are always drawn to the perfect height so I can't see any further in - humph. Still, it makes the green-eyed monster in me hungry for another visit and at the end of last year my luck came in.

You've probably seen all the posts from various local bloggers about 'Lunch with Prithvi' already - I hope you're not bored of reading about it - but because I couldn't attend the event, I did get an invite to return for dinner at a later date. Side note: Tuesdays and Wednesdays often have availability if you want to avoid the wait.

Prithvi has had a spruce up since our last visit - new furnishings, jazzy carpets, classy wallpaper - and it feels much better for it. Greeted by the owner Jay as you walk in, it all just makes sense. He's young, softly spoken but sharply dressed. There's not a thing out of place - both on him and the restaurant - with all the staff moving like clockwork. Seamless and suave, not stuffy.

The Chap and I hastily ordered a glass of the Brut Rosé fizz from Luxembourg (£8) recommended by the guys over the road at The Grape Escape (best place for pre dinner drinkies FYI), and then decided that we'd splurge on the wine flight to accompany the tasting menu. The only way to do it, right?

Appetisers arrive. A Quaver-like rice cracker with crispy kale and a cinnamon, mango and chilli gel, followed by panipuri; hollow chickpea puffs filled with spiced chickpeas and a fresh chutney. A tart tamarind sauce was poured in then down in one (as instructed). A whole host of textures and tastes, I'd order more if I could.

First course was pan-fried sea bass, white truffle oil, smoked tomato and mulli salad paired with Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Chardonnay, California 2014. The truffle hits you first with the spice creeping in after - an interesting combo which gets revisited later - but we couldn't help but feel that the fish was overcooked. Crispy skin, yaaaasss, but as the piece of fish was so flat, it was just a little dry. The wine match was the redeeming feature, no surprise considering my love of Cali Chards; the smoked tomato hit it off with the oakiness and the flavours lingered long after the last mouthful.

Next was tandoor Welsh lamb, cous cous and legumes with another USA wine, Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California 2013. Blushing lamb, so tender, with a green coriander sauce to add extra oomph. The dark berried wine was another good pairing, soft with subtle cedary notes bringing out the nuttiness of the cous cous.

Upping the game, Newent chicken, wild mushroom, whole coriander, anise sauce with sultana and almond rice. So succulent, and with the jewelled rice and glossy sauce it actually felt richer than the lamb. Never underestimate the chicken dish.

As for the wine, Jay tested us out with a few. Firstly, Domaine Roger-Joseph Belland Les Champs-Gains, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, France. An absolute beaut Burgundy, big with complexity, and with the buttery chicken alone would have ticked all the boxes. However, as soon as the fragrant anise made itself known, then it all got rather lost. It had spice, just without heat, yet we still agreed that it craved a wine with some sweetness. Jay then brought us over the Charles Sparr Gewurztraminer “Tradition”, Alsace, and the Werner ‘Annaberg’ Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, to try side by side with the dish. Styles you'd probably find us drinking on a weekend anyway, and like choosing children it was a tough choice. Both awesome, but the sweet spice and floral notes of the Gewurz did it for me. Save the Riesling for something hotter.

The star attraction was venison, butternut squash, ginger and cinnamon reduction served with a truffle oil naan bread. Indian and truffle aren't a likely coupling, but having it twice in one night has made me think otherwise, and truffle naan breads should definitely be a thing. Definitely. Chunks of rare venison and squash scream Autumn/Winter, and with a generous pour of the punchy ginger sauce, they'd well and truly been given the Prithvi magic touch. My one qualm would be the fact that our meat portions weren't quite even. I got the better deal with two thick pieces, but The Chap had one thick and one thin. Ah well. Quickly forgotten about whilst sipping the Pacifico Sur Carmenere Reserva, Curico Valley, Chile 2015, full of blackcurrants and black pepper.

The Tour of Prithvi ended with Passion fruit cream, mango gel, coriander and honey crumble. I think we're all more accustomed to an After Eight being brought out with the bill, but here we had an assortment of sweet treats. Fresh and fruity, with cream to soothe those taste buds and coriander to add a herbal citrus note; we're still in an Indian restaurant after all. Lenz Moser Prestige Beerenauslese, Burgenland, Austria, was our final wine of the night. Equally sweet with velvety honey notes to tie in with dessert. Happy endings.

Whilst we're not short of fine dining options in The Cotswolds, nor places to scoff a Ruby Murray on a Friday night for that matter, the unique line that Prithvi draws between the two certainly is something rather special. The food and service sure have gone up a notch or two since our last visit, so it's no surprise that tables are still so sought after and the dishes remain memorable.

Jay's pride beams throughout, making it an utter joy to experience everything that is Prithvi. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for more truffle naans when we return.

Prithvi is open for dinner Tuesday - Saturday and lunch on Thursday and Saturday. The tasting menu is £53pp, and they reopen from their annual holiday on January 19th. Get booking!

A Taste of Worcester: The Crown Inn, Hallow

It's a rare occasion that I'll venture out of Gloucestershire for dinner (unless it's a jaunt to London or Bristol of course). You'd think I suffered with homesickness counting the number of times I've crossed the borders, but trust me that's not the case. A) I can barely keep up with all the latest openings in the town I bloody live in, and B) I really like wine. Sadly, as much as wine and food go together hand in hand, wine and driving do not. Sigh.

Last month I was invited along to The Crown Inn in Hallow, Worcestershire, to try some of the new dishes from the new menu, created by new Head Chef Chris Monk. All the 'new's. I'd met Chris back when I worked behind the scenes at Le Champignon Sauvage - still one of the best things I've ever done - and having left the Michelin Star kitchen behind him, he's taken on quite a different role here in Hallow.

Admittedly, I'd never heard about The Crown Inn before my invitation; I guess why would I? But now that Chris has taken the reigns in the food department, it's time to take note. The gorgeous pub had a renovation earlier in the year, with new branding to match, and the focus is firmly on putting the highest quality seasonal fare on your plate. Pub grub traditionalists needn't worry too much about the change though, although there'll be plenty of fancy flairs, you'll still be able to grab a decent burger, fish and chips or a Sunday roast.

There was a special 5 course tasting menu on the night of our visit, crazily priced at £29.95 with an optional wine pairing at an extra £20 per person. Bingo. I drew the designated driver short straw, so just had a few sips of each wine, leaving The Chap double parked all evening.

We started with a glass of fizz alongside freshly baked focaccia (£3.50 on current menu - I'll include prices where applicable). Rosemary and sea salt would usually suffice, but when the bread's warm and there's creamy whipped butter at hand, slathering it on is the only option.

An amuse bouche of caramelised onion mousse with crispy chicken skin arrived at the table. The salty-savoury flavours were balanced by a sweet Sauternes jelly, and although caramelised onion isn't usually my thing, this was lovely. The Chap reckons he could happily have a bag of chicken skin 'crisps'... I don't doubt him. Actually, I'd probably join him.

There were two options for each course, so we did the usual thing of ordering one of each so we could try everything. My starter was truffled guinea fowl terrine with pickled mushrooms and roasted garlic. The light gamey flavour was pimped up with garlic, though it was the pickled mushrooms that totally made it. Some extra texture would've been welcomed, not just a scattering of pine nuts, but perhaps that's just me. This was paired with a Louis Latour White Burgundy Chardonnay, 2015. Just yes.

The Chap had scorched mackerel, beetroot and goats curd (£6.95); pretty large for a starter with a good amount of everything on the plate. Although the fish was beautifully cooked, it was sat on two big dollops of a beetroot-chutney-sort-of-thing, which felt rather overpowering. Less is more on this occasion. A 2016 Picpoul de Pinet was the match here; a classic fish friendly wine and happily guzzled down.

Confit escalope of sea reared trout, samphire, peas and fine herbs was my main course. It was a nice surprise to find giant bows of pasta in the dish, and they went so well with the silky confit trout. Greens kept each mouthful feeling fresh, and the citrusy sauce gave everything a bit of oomph. Oh so delicious, and possibly my favourite of the night. I had another Chardonnay to accompany this course (they clearly heard that I LOVE Chardonnays), but this time from Australia (Grant Burge 2016). More tropical fruit and less acidity than the French; I'm more of a Burgundy gal.

The Chap's dish felt comforting and gloriously autumnal. Ale braised beef cheek, smoked potatoes and charred onions. Again, quite a large plate in comparison to mine, but wowzas. So rich, dark and tender. The smoked potatoes were more like cylindrical croquettes, fluffy on the inside with a crisp chip-like casing. The perfect swooshing vessel to soak up every last drop of the ale sauce. A Beaujolais Villages (Louis Jadot 2016) came with this - maybe little too light - beef cheeks can definitely stand up to a fuller bodied wine.

A lemon curd and lime granita palate cleanser was next. It so reminded us of those Calippo Ice Shots we used to have when we were kids. Probably not the intention, but still...

There were absolutely no arguments over who would have which dessert. I'm not a soufflé lover, and The Chap hates coffee (I know - weird), so the dark chocolate tart with coffeé cream and mandarin was firmly on my side of the table. Great, because I didn't want to share anyway. The chocolate to pastry ratio was a chocaholics dream; so seductively shiny and not sickly sweet. I wasn't too sure how I felt about coffee and orange together, but it just worked, especially with the glass of orange blossom-y Floralis Moscatel I had.

The Bramley apple soufflé with salted caramel ice cream (£6.95) was a beast! Despite my differences, I did try a little, if only to help The Chap try and reach the bottom. I could just get that sweet baked apple flavour, but as showy as they may be, hot mousse-y eggs are not my bag. Hey ho. The salted caramel ice cream was just as tasty as it sounds, as was the Sauternes wine pairing; he was happy.

The evening finished with tea, coffee and glossy brown canelés; a little taste of Bordeaux before heading home. Though not before meeting Pershore Patty - you can read her review of the evening here.

All in all, I thought it was a great night showcasing Head Chef Chris Monk's skills in the kitchen to customers old and new. With the large portion sizes, I'd say it felt more like a three course meal with added extras rather than a tasting menu. That's fine, tasting menus aren't what they do; starter, main, dessert, and job done.

The glimmers of fine dining were there in the cooking techniques, the presentation, the fact that we had an amuse bouche, and so on. I just hope that they stay and flourish rather than changing to suit "Dave from down the road, who comes in every Wednesday for pie and mash". That said, I'm pretty sure Chris can make a really mean pie. I shouldn't worry, The Crown Inn is an awesome place and I'll be sure to visit again soon.

Bordeaux Wine Dinner at Hotel Du Vin Cheltenham

Hotel du Vin. The name says it all really; a hotel with a focus on wine. Sweet deal. So why is it that I never think of going there for a drink? It is because it's a hotel chain (usually a soulless affair)? Is it because it's slightly (hardly) off the beaten track? Is it because I have already found myself a really good local wine bar? Who knows, but after two years of frequenting other bars and restaurants, I returned to Cheltenham's Hotel du Vin with a booking for their Bordeaux Wine Dinner.

Everyone's heard of Bordeaux, right? You can definitely spend big bucks on a flashy bottle, whether it's worth it or not is another question, and you can easily get suckered into buying a bottle of plonk just because of the label saying where it's from. Wine can be a mine field, particularly this French region, but with a representative from Bibendum and HDV's sommelier, we were guided through some delicious wines paired to a three course dinner cooked by Head Chef Paul Motram.

Underneath the twinkling wine glass chandelier, we began our evening with a refreshing Lillet Blanc, honey and lemon cocktail alongside a selection of canapés. Our host dug out her wine-cyclopaedia, giving us a brief bio of Bordeaux; I think we were all dreaming of traveling around the southwest of France as we nibbled our paté toasts.

Rather than picking the wine to match the food, here the wine comes first, and we started with Château Carbonnieux White. A blend of 60:40 Sauvignon:Semillon, it's aged in used oak barrels for just under a year. The Semillon grapes tame down the zippiness of the Sauvignon by giving them roundness and volume on the palate, whilst the subtle oak adds richness. There's a grapefruit acidity in the first sip, which develops into ripe peaches and finishes with a creamy mouthfeel. An excellent partner to our starter; pan seared sea bass, cod brandade gratin, fennel purée and preserved lemon sauce. Admittedly not the prettiest of dishes - a sea of beige and brown should only be seen at your local bakery - but looks can be deceiving. Send more of that silky brandade my way, the super saltiness was well balanced with the wine, and all that was missing was the French sunshine.

To accompany our mains we had a Bordeaux battle; two reds from the same year, one left bank and one right bank. Château Langoa Barton 2005, Saint-Julien vs. Château de Fonbel 2005, Saint-Emilion. Recognisable appellations, sure, and most winos will have their preference, but before this I couldn't have told you which side I was on. Whist all Bordeauxs are blends, Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape in the left bank, whilst Merlot takes the majority on the right. The Saint-Julien was jammy, with ripe blackberries and a touch of tobacco, whilst the Saint-Emilion was lighter in body and had a more concentrated berry flavour. Both beaut, but I've discovered I'm a Saint-Julien girl. 

Our main course was not your usual hotel restaurant fayre; beef fillet and braised short rib, almond croquette, tenderstem broccoli and confit tomato jus. Just a nudge with a knife and the short rib collapsed in its thick, glossy sauce, and that fillet… Rich, meaty, delicious. 'Nuff said. Could've done with a few more greens, but I don't go out to eat for health. Both wines were great with it, though the Julien still edged it for me.  

After seeing ile flotantes (floating islands) on various cooking shows throughout the years, HDV were the ones to pop my cherry. A large poached meringue marooned on a vanilla crème anglasie with caramel and toasted flaked almonds on top. It's both light and heavy at the same time - a little boggling - and I don't think anyone could finish their bowl - it really was massive - but it was so good with our final wine of the night; a chilled golden glass of Sauternes! Made from grapes affected by Noble Rot, it has a sweet nectar/honey flavour, but a lingering acidity that keeps it fresh and stops your mouth from being sugared out. Yu-um. Pass the bottle.

We left Hotel du Vin feeling full and a little sozzled, and on our walk home made an "executive decision" that the £70 per person it cost was actually a really good deal. Not only did we have a snazzy cocktail and lots of canapés to start, but three courses with four wines, all of which were generously poured and equally as generously topped up! It does sound like a lot to fork out all at once - I'd certainly wince - but for what you actually get (including the explanations from Bibendum and the sommelier) it's good value.

If you're into wine, or want to get into wine, this is a great starting place. Not only will you gain some knowledge, but you'll taste some new things and get fed with plenty of delicious foods. From now on I shall never underestimate Hotel du Vin; it's worth a visit.

The next Wine Dinner is Friday 20th October at 7pm focussing on the Rhone (£80), or Friday 24th November with Portuguese wines (£65). Treat yourselves and book now!

Markham Farm British Asparagus at The Lucky Onion

As the weather starts to warm up and the evenings begin to get lighter, we mark the sign of an exciting new season. Gone are those hearty winter stews with comforting carbs aplenty, now's the time to put a spring in your step and embrace all things green and fresh. And other than the sight of little lambs leaping around the nearby fields, I can't think of anything more synonymous with this change than the first bite of British asparagus.

It can be such a struggle to eat the seasons when supermarkets are saturated with fruit and veg from across the globe, but seeing the healthy glow of the fat British spears in comparison to the limp or woody kinds you get throughout the rest of the year, it's pretty obvious why we should.

And so we come to The Lucky Onion, who are no strangers in promoting seasonality to their Cotswold customers. Last summer we were treated to an offer for lobster, chips and fizz, in autumn there was partridge and port, at the start of 2017 saw six Wright Bros oysters and a glass of Nyetimber, and now we have a celebration of all things asparagus.

Director of food Ronnie Bonnetti, ex River Café and Soho House, has created a selection of dishes with locally grown Markham Farm asparagus as the focus. Until July you can go to any of The Lucky Onion establishments and pick one, alongside a glass of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, for just £15 (though The Tavern's not included). Perfect lunch material.

Just before the offer launched in April, a whole bunch of fellow food lovers were invited to No. 38 The Park to test out the menu, and with the Cloudy Bay wine supplier on hand, we were definitely well watered too. Sauvignon Blanc is a classic pairing with asparagus - they often share similar grassy flavours - and New Zealand's Marlborough region is probably the most popular choice. We're all familiar with it, right? 

Grapes packed with punchy, crisp acidity can be an assault on the senses after a while, so I was so chuffed to find that we were being treated to other Cloudy Bay vinos too. Never-ending coupes of Pelorus non-vintage fizz were served before supper; 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, it had a quenching citrusy spritz more akin to an English Sparkling Wine over a toasty Champagne or sweet Prosecco. One I'll keep an eye out for. There was also a lovely Pinot later on in the evening; vibrant, youthful and perfect for drinking in the sunshine.

But back to the food... The first to come out was asparagus with Cacklebean poached egg and hollandaise. Those eggs (along with the chickens) are like local celebrities round here, and the rich orange glow from the runny yolk in contrast to the pastel coloured hollandaise is a thing of beauty. It tastes pretty beautiful too, just make sure you save some bread to mop every last morsel up off the plate; it's messy business.

Next was asparagus with brown shrimp butter. Pretty self explanatory. For something so small, brown shrimp sure make themselves known, and whilst I loved the flavour, there was something that didn't sit quite right with me. A few spears of asparagus don't get the chance to stay hot for too long, meaning the butter never really has the opportunity to melt. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually the first to be having bread with my butter, but I couldn't help but think a more liquidy shrimp butter would be better.

Saving the best until last, out came the asparagus with air dried beef, pea shoots and parmesan. The bresaola, from London charcutiers Cannon & Cannon, is nothing like the stiff cardboard kind you get pre-packed in the supermarket. It has such a clean flavour that it almost tastes sweet against the salty tang of the parmesan, and together with the greens it sings of spring. A total delight.

Now whilst you could just choose one dish to have with your glass of wine, it can be very tricky to make such a decision, so let me pose this idea to you... Chances are that you won't be dining alone, but if you were thinking of it be sure to grab a friend. Order all three dishes and get the three measures of Sauvignon Blanc put into a carafe, get a side of fries and have an asparagus sharesies feast fit for a king (or queen). It's a good idea, trust me. 

So be sure to visit No.131, The Chequers, The Wheatsheaf Inn and The Wild Duck soon to take advantage of The Lucky Onion's Markham Farm offer, but in the meantime here are some pointless asparagus facts...

• Asparagus can help cure hangovers and protect the liver against toxins… Though I can confirm that it did not prevent an almighty hangover the day after ALL THE CLOUDY BAY WINE. Ouch.
  
• Dubbed the Usain Bolt of the veg world, British asparagus can grow up to 10cm in one day!
  
• And apparently it can improve your libido. Let's just end it there.

Oyster Master Class at Bentley's London

When you get an invitation to an Oyster Master Class, it's pretty rude to decline the offer isn't it? And when it's at the prestigious Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill - 'The Grand Dame of Swallow Street' in London's Piccadilly - it really is impossible to say no.

Having been there since 1916, it's currently under the watchful eye of the Michelin starred Chef Richard Corrigan, and is still famously serving up the best seafood fayre from the British and Irish Isles. Oysters and fizz (obvs), lobsters, langoustines and the freshest fish around. You can go all-out-fancy, sure, but you can also just get some honestly cooked fish and chips. No messin'. I've had a tip off that the Fish Pie is an absolute dream too... I've added it to the list.

Shucking nearly 1000 oysters a day, Bentley’s is somewhat a flagship institution for the best oysters prepared by London’s most knowledgeable teams. So to celebrate this, they run an Oyster Master Class on the third Saturday of every month costing £65 per person. You get to experience different varieties of oyster, learn how to open and prepare them at home (without injury), and ultimately have some fun with a constantly filled glass of Champagne. Perfect if you fancy gaining a niche skill, but it also has excellent date potential *wink*.

Feeling smug as I left work early to go on a jolly to London, the smile soon disappeared when my train ditched its destination, abandoning all passengers in Swindon. Ugh. And then when I finally made it to Paddington an hour and a half later than planned, the bloody Bakerloo Line was closed. Double Ugh.

 

Fourty minutes late, having missed the start of the class, I was quickly introduced to Master Shucker Helio Garzon and thrust a much needed glass of Champagne and a variety of oysters. Instantly all was fine and my nightmare journey forgotten about. The class takes place at the long bar, so it's pretty relaxed anyway.

Catching up, I soon got up to speed on the difference between Native and Rock, knocking back a fair few of each. Natives are the flatter round shelled ones that are wild, and only harvested in certain months of the year (where the saying comes from that you should only eat shellfish during the months with an R in). Rock oysters are the tear drop shaped ones, which are quicker to grow, and farmed all over the UK.

Simply a squeeze of lemon and a crack of black pepper is how to best compliment the saline creatures. There's Tabasco and shallot vinegar if you really must, but I'm defos in the nearly naked camp; I want to taste the sea!

We then learnt how to shuck our own, with some success and some failure. Helio made it look so easy, but it certainly takes some guns to slide the knife into those shells. I'm pretty sure I was battling with mine for a good five minutes, though I'm assured I'll get quicker with practice. Anyway, with all digits still in tact, and countless oysters down, we then moved onto the different ways you can cook them.

Out came a selection of breads, of which the treacly Irish soda bread was the standout - no surprise with Richard Corrigan being the owner - and the seaweed butter really was the best I've had. We had wine to match too; a refeshing Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc. A classic fishy accompaniment, and with the richness of some of the cooked oysters, the acidity was spot on.

We were instructed to start with the Vietnamese; "cooked" like ceviche in its own spicy lime dressing with crispy shallots and teeny shoots of coriander. Probably a good choice for anyone who hasn't eaten oysters before and wants to try them; the texture's basically the same, but there's a bit hit of flavour to ease you in. Next I went for the one which was deep fried and served with a sizzling slice of chorizo and a squeeze of lime. Salty, smoky and tasty, but frying them is not quite my thing.

All the health benefits of an oyster had well and truly been eliminated with the one baked in garlic butter and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. YUM. And finally the Florentine, accompanied with wilted spinach and a citrusy, buttery hollandaise, was a hit with us all.

Feeling rather boozy and verging on having an oyster overdose, I left Bentley's with a swanky goody bag, which contained a stripy chefs apron, a shucking knife, Richard's recipe for an Oyster Croque Monsieur, and an Oyster Passport so you can make notes and keep tabs on what oysters you prefer. I'm hoping I'll be an expert in no time.

If you like the sound of Bentley's Master Class, then check on their website for dates and availability. It really was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in London, and I've even used my new shucking skills since... Helio would be proud.

‘A slice of old London, lovingly revived by people who really care about such things’ 

Tim Hayward, Financial Times

Beaujolais Nouveau: The Ox Meets The Grape Escape Cheltenham

Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!

Beaujolais Nouveau Day is something I look forward to every year (as if I don't celebrate wine enough on a weekly basis). It always falls on the third Thursday of November, where traditionally Beaujolais winemakers would race to Paris carrying the first bottles of the new vintage, releasing it at 12:01am just weeks after the grapes have been harvested and crushed. The sprightly cherry red Gamay, that's often served chilled, is still celebrated in this way with nouveau parties going on until the wee hours of the morning - hooray for wine!

This year, albeit a few days late, we marked the 2016 vintage with a very special evening of fine food and wine with two of the best independents in town; The Ox restaurant and The Grape Escape wine bar.

Ant and Zoe from The Grape had picked a selection of the best Beaujolais' - one nouveau, one white, one rose, and three other reds - whilst Head Chef Piotr pieced together a five course menu to accompany the wines. Not the usual way you'd do food pairings but hey, this is wine day!

As the thirsty folk of Cheltenham arrived at The Ox on Cambray Place, arrival drinks sure were flowing; Domaine de Grandmont Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2016. Apparently earlier in the year, things weren't looking so rosy for the growers in Beaujolais. A damp, grey May was followed by an unseasonably colder June, and finished with a devastating hailstorm that laid waste to numerous vineyards in Fleurie, Chiroubles and Morgon. However, the late flowering and a warm and sunny July and August, turned everything around and resulted in excellent ripeness.

This years wine is fresh, clean and precise, with adolescent flavours of bubblegum and blueberries lurking behind the initial black fruitiness. A good year after all, and it's bonkers to think that the grapes for this wine were only picked on September 20th!

We sat on long communal tables - in true celebration style - and out came our first course of the night; Game & pistachio terrine, chutney and pickles paired with the beautiful Jean-Paul Thévenet Morgon 'Tradition Le Clachet' 2015.

Made from 75 year old vines that are cultivated organically, this wine has been fermented au naturel with naturally occurring yeasts and without the addition of sulphur. It's aged in used oak barrels (which are from the more famous Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) for 6 - 8 months, giving it a wonderful flavour. It has crunchy ripe red berry fruit, cherries, herbs and spice. Definitely my favourite wine of the night, and the terrine - made with venison, chicken livers, partridge and pigeon - was a cracking match too. The red fruits lifted the gaminess, whilst the charred sourdough and the earthy beetroot and tomato chutney played with the spice.

Next we ventured to a more unusual Beaujolais - a white! Only 1% of the wines made in the region are white, and this one was a winner; Chateau Thivin Beaujolais Villages Blanc 'Cuvée Marguerite' 2015 matched to The Ox smoked salmon, cucumber and wasabi yoghurt.

This Beaujo Blanc is 100% Chardonnay, grown on clay-chalk soil, and hand harvested with minimal intervention. It's casked directly after pressing, and left to ferment entirely before the wine is aged on the lees for nine months. This has given it a full, complex mouthfeel, reminiscent of a 1er Cru Chablis - ooh err! Lovely elderflower and white peach notes complimented the subtly smoked salmon, with the citrus edge heightening the tang of the yoghurt and the saltiness of the rock samphire. The wasabi was quite a punch at times, but being a mustard-fiend I didn't care.

The best pairing of the night had to be the roasted partridge, pearl barley, parsley root puree, crispy curly kale together with Paul-Henri Thillardon Chenas 'Les Boccards' 2013.

Made by a talented young winemaker, using parcels of vines in Chenas and Chiroubles, this is everything you'd expect from a decent Beaujolais. Strawberries, redcurrants and violet on the nose, with a burst of juicy red berries as you take your first sip. Its soft tannins and long length made it the ideal wine to have with our tender partridge, which came two ways. The breasts of the bird had been wrapped in parma ham to make a ballotine, whilst the confit leg meat was rolled together with herbs, coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried. The barley, puree and crisp kale added to the all the interesting textures, and it felt truly Autumnal.

The cheese course with house pickles, biscuits and chutney came with Chateau du Pavé Brouilly 2014. Made by English winemaker Chris Piper from a 3 hectare vineyard situated at the foot of Cote de Brouilly, this is another minimal intervention wine. The vines are cultivated using eco-friendly methods and the yields are kept low, creating delicious concentration. There's depth and structure with black cherries and raspberries, finishing with a touch of spice... Great for the brie and the cheddar, not so much for the stilton; gimme something sweet with that!

Last but not least, we had Lemon meringue, creme fraiche ice cream, candied lemon and yuzu cracker.  Domaine de Grandmont Rosé 2015. It's a pretty rare occurrence to come across a pink Beaujolais, but here we have one! We're told that the Gamay grapes are harvested in the dew of the morning to capture them at their ultimate freshness - how romantic - and this has locked in the zesty citrus and strawberry flavours. There's a natural sweetness about it with an off-dry finish; terribly easy to drink, but unfortunately not such a good match for dessert.

The tartness of the lemon and lime curds were exactly what we all craved after quite a rich dinner, but unfortunately it just clashed with the wine. Individually; delightful (I love the twist on a classic lemon meringue pie). Together; not so much. You can't win them all.

This exclusive event, with five courses paired to five wines (plus the nouveau), was a miniscule price of £45. Ridiculous value, right?! The Ox know what they're doing in the kitchen - the food was spot on from start to finish - and as ever The Grape Escape picked out some wonderful wines. Let's hope we don't have to wait until next November for another Cheltenham indie collaboration *HINT*... Now, go forth and drink brilliant Beaujolais!