The View at Hencote

With new head chef Ryan McCartney at the helm, the restaurant at the award-winning vineyard o ers food to match its quality wines, stunning surroundings and first-class hospitality

In 2009, on the slopes above Shrewsbury, 160 vines were staked and carefully tended as a hobbyist vineyard. Hencote was soon producing good quality grapes, and by 2015 the Stevens family was ready to invest, planting 23,000 vines of differential varietals, and building the winery, restaurant and wine bar.

With careful management by the family team – Andy’s children Mark (managing director), Charles (finance director) and Vivienne (wedding coordinator) – the Hencote brand has been built up and its wines have been receiving plaudits from the experts. Oz Clarke described the Mark I as a “great glass of wine”, while the Evolution 2018 sparkling wine left him “absolutely delighted”. Presenter Jancis Robinson said it was “quite exciting to see this sort of thing emerging from English vineyards”.

Striving for the best quality wines it can produce, you would expect Hencote to aim high with its food offering too. In April, The View restaurant was relaunched with a new à la carte menu created by new head chef, Ryan McCartney, together with a new cocktail menu.

The eponymous view just engulfs you as you walk in, the southfacing glass wall giving an elevated perspective of Shrewsbury, laid out before you in profile. We visited on a clear day and the panorama stretched from Stiperstones to the Long Mynd and Church Stretton, and round to the Wrekin. It’s entertaining trying to pick out the landmarks in the the centre of Shrewsbury – from the castle to St Chads, and Shrewsbury School on the river.

DID YOU KNOW?

The name Hencote means ‘high on the hill’

Hencote, Crosshill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

SY4 3AB

Tel: 01743 298 444 www.hencote.com

The service here is impeccable. Our waiter took the time to explain each dish and poured the jus or gravy at the table. The crab starter was excellent – light, fresh, dotted with creamy miso, a stock jelly, and with a sweet tang of orchard fruit. The crab meat was shredded and perfectly complemented by this beautiful combination of flavours and textures. The tomato salad, featuring unusual heritage varieties, was interesting (how did Ryan make those black olive and balsamic ‘pearls’?), and the lamb was deliciously thick chunks of soft rump with the tastiest light gravy you can imagine.

Favourite was the hake. Served on just-tender asparagus, the skin was seared crisp, and beneath lay soft, moist, delicately flavoured white fish, cooked not a second longer than necessary. A superb dish, nothing extraneous on the plate, accompanied by a chilled glass of Hencote Vivienne. (Many of the wines are named after Andy’s children.)

Ryan is a chef secure in his craft, able to conjure fireworks when required but also confident not to try to overdo a plate. All the flavours were carefully thought out, never competing but rather supporting each other to give a balanced whole. We hope this new menu and his tenure at Hencote are a success. The business has done well to secure his services. His is the kind of formally trained talent the vineyard deserves, sensitive to his surroundings and the North Shropshire ‘terroir’.

We urge you to go and enjoy The View, with a glass of their lovely wine, and let Ryan’s cooking satisfy your senses.

Head chef Ryan McCartney has an impressive background, having worked at Michelin 3-star Restaurant

Gordon Ramsay, Michelin 1-star Social Eating House and L’atelier des Chefs. He says: “I am old school! I love to sit down and read cookbooks for inspiration. I start with a protein and then build up ingredients around it, matching the season and what is available in terms of local produce.”

Menu

Dressed Devonshire crab, bisque jelly, miso crème fraîche, nashi pear & nori £16

BBQ Isle of Wight heritage tomato salad, gariguette strawberries, sheep’s milk curd, black olive & balsamic pearls, £13

Pan-seared Cornish hake, dashi glazed Jersey Royals, Wye Valley asparagus, pickled radish & dashi, £26

Roasted salt marsh lamp rump, braised lamb leg kromeskies, mushroom and celery emulsion & olive oil mash £27

Chocolate nemesis, Jersey milk ice cream, coffee foam, biscotti & Jersey milk crisp £11

Cheese board, crackers, house chutney & grapes £14

COME AND SEE US at our unique setting at the historic Henllys Hall, just outside beautiful Beaumaris on the Island of Anglesey, where you will find a great choice of traditional and contemporary food and service with a warm Harry’s welcome.

You’ll find our restaurant a unique and unhurried place to enjoy our bistro style food, our award winning desserts and our specially selected wines. If you are visiting Anglesey on a Sunday our lunches are very popular with visitors and Island residents.

HARRY ’ S BISTRO IN BEAUMARIS IS ALL ABOUT GOOD FOOD