A Punters’ View of Ye Olde Bell, Nottinghamshire
There are very few people who end up doing the job that they wanted to do when they were at school. Many end up doing a job they’d never considered and becoming very successful at it. Few people embody this more than Terry Phillips.
Were it not for the need for some spending money, Terry would have been re-wiring houses for a living rather than being the Executive Chef at the AA Rosette Restaurant 1650 at Ye Olde Bell hotel & Spa in Nottinghamshire.
As it was a young Terry who was at college studying to become an electrician and took a job as kitchen porter at his local Forte Posthouse. That led to him being given the opportunity to work on the starter section and, hey presto, career change! Starters led on to other sections of the kitchen which led to a passion for working with food and learning different styles of cooking. He was particularly inspired by his sous chef at the Marriot.
Terry says: “Andy could see my passion for food and wanting to learn. It is because of the time he spent teaching me and passing on his knowledge that I am the chef I am today.”
That inspiration led to a career with several global hotel chains such as Marriott and De Vere – which then led him to become the personal chef to Team GB’s Canoe Slalom team when they took over his hotel during the 2012 Olympics.
Aside from being a privilege, it presented a challenge, and he had to meet their dietitian in advance to design menus that would meet the specific dietary needs for athletes in a major competition.
It was while working at the historic stately home, Chatsworth House, that another ‘sliding doors’ moment occurred when he was asked to help out at Ye Olde Bell. He was only supposed to be there for three weeks, but quickly settled into the ‘one big family’ life. “It is very food orientated and wants to serve great dishes with seasonal produce,” said Terry, who ended up staying.
He has ambitions for the hotel’s culinary future: “I want to build a great team of chefs to show our passion for food and cooking, produce amazing dishes and aim to get more Rosettes.”
Seasonality is key, particularly when his favourite food to cook is game but, much to Mrs Punter’s horror, his least favourite ingredient is truffle: “It can be very overpowering if it’s not used properly.”
On the topic of best and worst, we asked him if he could have any dish by any other chef on his menu, what would it be? He’s not the first chef to answer that question with Heston Blumenthal. “There’s a dish called meat fruit that is on the menu at one his restaurants in London. It is a chicken liver parfait in a mandarin gel made to look like real mandarin and it tastes amazing.”
Restaurant Bar 1650, named after the year of origin of Ye Olde Bell, features rich oak panelling and a stunning art deco style bar, which serves a range of hand-selected spirits and wines from their extensive cellar. Extensive wine lists can sometimes be overwhelming but Ye Olde Bell’s wine list has a very handy icon system showing which types of food work best with each of the wines and drinks available.
Terry uses fresh local ingredients from local butchers, vegetables from the farms surrounding the hotel and seafood from Whitby. On the first Friday of every month, he and the team get to push their culinary boundaries by offering a 5-course tasting menu, which changes according to the season.
The current offering includes crab with compressed watermelon and a cucumber ketchup and duck breast with celeriac, broccoli, a carrot crip and a rhubarb jus. At £75, or £115 with wine flight, it represents excellent value for money. There is a vegetarian option too which includes a wild garlic tart with a chicory and lemon salad and a sweet potato bubble and squeak, wild mushrooms, pimento cream and shaved truffle, used properly of course!
In addition to the 1650, Ye Olde Bell also has a restaurant in the spa and their St Leger Bistro has recently undergone some updating and is perfect for dining, with all-day and dinner menus along with daily specials.
For those that overindulge (or organised folk who know they will) the hotel has 59 rooms, including cosy classics to luxurious suites and spacious lodges, many of which are dog friendly. The combination of rooms, dining and the spa also makes it an ideal wedding venue with a choice of different function suites, the largest of which, The Bradgate Suite, can accommodate up to 250 people.
For more information or to book, visit Ye Olde Bell.
