REVIEW: The Bluebell, Henley in Arden, Warwickshire

I’ve been on a diet for five weeks now and I can tell you something, it’s hard. I’ve lost an impressive twelve pounds in said time and I don’t plan to stop yet – although I expect at the rate I’m going I’ll be all ribcage by mid-march – hopefully. Still, I haven’t given up eating, but instead curved the bottle of wine (or two) a night on the sofa and (attempting) saving that luxury solely for restaurant dining and the good old British binge drinking at the weekends. After a Champagne fuelled getaway in the Wirral (yes that’s not a spelling mistake) we’d decided to stop for lunch on the way back. I’d sent a quick plea for help on Twitter and a little restaurant called The Bluebell, bravely alerted me to the fact they were worth the detour.

Located in a village which I’d never heard of before called, Henley in Arden. This little village is apparently home to just over 2000 people and is incredibly idyllic to walk around in. I’ve already envisaged myself coming back here in the summer with a glass of Provence rose in hand – The Bluebell has a lovely little seating area out back which I plan on abusing. For this visit however it was freezing outside, so instead a warming glass of fruity red and a roaring fire were the setting. The chef kindly brought us out a little pre-starter too to whet our appetite – a fish terrine with avocado purée. One forkful of this beauty and I was quickly craving summer time again.

The food here is undoubtedly very British indeed and The Bluebell’s no thrills yet brilliantly executed approach to cooking is refreshing. The classic prawn cocktail was immensely enjoyable. Fresh juicy prawns, lettuce, bread & butter soldiers for dipping and an excellent marie rose sauce. So often this dish is put to shame, but here its simply perfect. Sadly Indian restaurants have made this dish a staple and in my humble opinion so far – none have done it any justice.

A winter warming curried parsnip soup with spiced apple and vanilla oil was a small, but lovely cup-a-soup. Rich and boldly flavoured, with sweet spices lurking at the bottom and a the faint curry aroma wafting across the table – paired with my wine this was exactly the sort of dish I only hoped I’d be eating. I’m not entirely sure I was crazy about the soup being served in a tea-cup but that didn’t really matter as all this dish kept on giving, was flavour.

One thing we had decided on about our lunch – was choosing the set menu (save a few pounds). Once I sat down and toiled over the menu however, the lamb chops off the a la carte sounded simply to good to resist. Lighthorne lamb, crispy belly, sweetbreads and parsnip purée. The best part of this dish was the belly, it was crispy, juicy, full of flavour and addictive. The lamb chops were very well cooked but not quite as tender as I’d hoped and there was a hefty amount of brain on this dish. I like brain, but If given the choice I’d prefer some of it covered in crumb and deep-fried, just to take a little edge off its soft and creamy texture. The jus on this plate of food was easily one of the finest I’ve encountered this year and a side of cauliflower cheese was good, but lacked a thickness to the sauce.

Desserts were dangerously addictive. A rich and indulgent apple crumble laced with sweet chunky figs and the favourite – poached pear with caramel parfait, chocolate and nougatine. The pears were soft and full of flavour and were sat on a bed of what I can only describe as a soft gooey chocolate cake mixture (I still have no idea what it was). The nougatine was rather amazing, revealing a hint of saltiness I wasn’t expecting, but thoroughly enjoyed. Writing about this dish only makes me realise how much I need it back in my life – delivery to London, Bluebell?

I’ve been writing about food now for nearly four years, but only in the last twelve months have I really started to venture outside of London in the UK. With each visit so far beyond the M25, I’m only being reminded one thing when I encounter places like The Bluebell – I’ve been wasting 36 months of my life. There are so many hidden little gems just outside of London and The Bluebell is certainly one of those.

7/10