Thornton Hall & The Lawns Restaurant

The journey to the Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa didn’t start out with any form of glamour.

Dashing from work, Cheryl and I met in the centre of Manchester after I’d realised that my old swimsuit wasn’t going to fit and after mentioning this to Cheryl, she had the same feeling.

Rookie error number one, Primark on a Friday after work.

We’d both run around the store, queued for what felt like a small ice age and then realised we were going to have to almost sprint to the train station in order to make the first leg of our journey. 

Rookie error number two, Piccadilly train station on a Friday after work.

Distinctly sweaty (sorry, er ‘glowing’) we made our train with minutes to spare and finally could head out of the city. We were off to Liverpool to catch a bus to Thornton Hough for a night of hotel laziness, dinner and a visit to the spa the next day. 

Rookie error number three, no train gin for the train.

With the help of a lovely chap on the bus, a patient bus driver who couldn’t understand us (I’m presuming the lack of accent didn’t help) we made it, and despite our overwhelming urges to collapse on the bed in a heap, headed down to dinner.

I mean look at it. It downright beckons you doesn’t it?

Thornton Hall is situated in the Wirral – almost equidistant between Chester and Liverpool. As well as a newly renovated (and downright gorgeous) hotel, it also has The Lawns restaurant, and spa on site, as well as rooms for hire for events and weddings. 

We were booked on one of their amazing value spa breaks, which included dinner, our accommodation and a treatment at the spa, which we’d indulge in the following day. For this evening, gin awaited and suitably refreshed and tidied up, we headed down to the bar.

After our earlier train gin error, we indulged in a little pre-dinner G&T and we were immediately pleasantly surprised by the gin menu. Not only a good number of gins, but each with a recommended serve and tonic, including the ‘Scouser’ serve for Liverpool Gin. 

Appetites suitably whetted and thirsts quenched, dinner beckoned and both we and our drinks were guided to The Lawns. 

The wood panelling, decorative ceiling and fire place, speak of another time, whilst the padded carpet underfoot, modern tableware and delightful chandeliers speak in a more modern tone. 

And that tone matches the food. We were indulging in the tasting menu with matched wines, and it was easy to see as we moved from the delightfully balanced amuse bouche of rich eel, creamy cauliflower and pickled Granny Smith apple, through the heavenly baked breads and truffled butter. 

Through the modern dining and techniques, there’s an element of the traditional. The crab tortellini of our second course was a creamy blend of both white and crab meat, the wild garlic young enough to offer flavour without overly intense pungency, the kohlrabi offering texture and a lightness that contrasted with the deep colour and flavour of the lobster broth. 

Our next course offered new sensations for Cheryl. Along with morels, which she had previously never sampled,  our matched wine, an oaked Chardonnay (CJ Pask Declaration 2012) that offered elements of citrus and salinity, with vanilla, and an almost spiced note. Both of us were in love. 

The new textures and flavours continued, as our next course, ham hock terrine with sweetbreads, offered both sweet crisp pea shoots and soft tender sweetbreads – the latter a new experience for Cheryl as we’ve both previously enjoyed the deep fried, creamy variety. 

But the buttery, starchy yet sweet flavours from the peas contrasted well with the smoky ham and light tender sweetbreads.

Our fish course was heavenly and again it was the wine pairing that offered an extra touch – the combination of the Prado Rey with it’s sherry ageing, the gnocchi and the olive in the mouth created a floral note that became slightly addictive. Completely unexpected, but so, so good. 

Our final savoury course was some of the most tender, almost buttery, beef I’ve sampled – and allowed us to revisit parts of previous courses – crisp local asparagus, earthy morels, gently pungent wild garlic. We almost didn’t want it to end. 

But it had to.

Our pre-dessert offered some contrasts. I have an allergy to chamomile, so while Cheryl indulged in the gently floral flavours of her chamomile pannacotta, with a marmaladey orange jelly, I had the more traditional lavender pannacotta with vanilla jelly. Once again modernity with tradition.

Our first dessert was just lovely – raspberries can be underrated, but I? much prefer their sharp, but floral fruit flavours to strawberries and the creamy cheesecake, buttery crumb and tuille allowed them to shine through.

Our final dessert also offered an additional treat. James, the Restaurant Manager had put together a cocktail, featuring Warner Edwards Rhubarb Gin, strawberry puree and vanilla bitters. 

 

And in flavour terms it matched our dessert perfectly – it was the essence of the champagne poached strawberries, the vanilla, the sorbet in a glass. It was hard to know where the cocktail ended and the dessert began. Incredible.

Though it was very late, and we were struggling (and we were sure the staff had had enough of us), I had been promised a cheeseboard that would knock my socks off.

And it did. Though chef doesn’t agree with smoked cheeses (I will happily disagree with him), the lovely Jen served us a selection from the heavily scented Epoisse, to a sharp cheddar filled with crisp salt crystals and an oozy brie – all served with home made bread and flatbread, and condiments.

 

Overly full, and the last diners in the restaurant, we thanked our hosts and headed to bed – for tomorrow was another day.

 

This visit was at the invitation of the The Thornton Hotel & Spa and we’re very grateful for their invitation. I feel I must, however, add in a couple of apologies. We were late to dinner due to an issue with our check in, and the staff serving us in the bar and restaurant were very patient with us while we dallied.

Additionally, at the end of our stay, we realised we’d made an error. I normally leave a tip for all serving staff, and in the hotel room for the cleaning staff. However, due to the rushed nature of our evening and, as it turns out the beginning of gastric flu, I forgot. For that I absolutely and wholeheartedly apologise. This is not my normal behaviour and I’ve been incredibly disappointed in myself and ashamed by it. 

I have been in touch with those who issued the invitation to discover how best to rectify this error, and again, can only apologise to the staff.