Beamish Hall Country House Hotel, Stanley

Feb 15 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal

THE weather at this time of year is so unpredictable. One day warm and calm, the next lashing it down. Sometimes it gets even more ridiculous. For example, I booked a table at Beamish Hall in County Durham a couple of weeks ago and set off from Newcastle in misty rain.

At Sunniside it had turned to squelchy sleet. Two miles further on and we’re in husky weather. The rain is now snow and, as we turn off the main road, the tyres are crunching through mini-drifts and the car is flashing temperature warnings that would send many people into heart failure.

I’m all for going back, but Nanouk of the North is at the wheel and her steely grip remains constant. The car lurches over a frozen wedge and now even she is beginning to doubt the wisdom of this trip. In the dark lane the car slips sideways and we both call a halt to this foolhardy venture.

We return to find Sunniside merely damp and Newcastle is completely dry. You just can’t trust the weather, but we didn’t let it put us off and the following week retraced our route and took our seats in the Eden Restaurant for our well-earned reward.

I chose vegetable broth with herby dumplings. Our jovial waiter said that, although he couldn’t promise the chef would produce dumplings, he was confident something would be floating in the soup! He underestimated the chef who had put every vegetable into this winter warmer, plus pearl barley and herby dumplings.

Nanouk had a cool smoked chicken salad with fanned slices of gently smoked breast meat layered around salad leaves, a honey/herb dressing and sweet, crunchy cashews. The crusty rolls went well with both dishes and, as we enjoyed the rest before main courses, I flicked through a pamphlet about Beamish Hall’s history and its ghost, the Grey Lady, who rustles restlessly in her silk wedding gown around the corridors. All good atmospheric nonsense – or is it?

I returned to the real world and my main course of roast loin of venison. Slices of soft, flavoursome meat came with carrots and potatoes and a disappointingly non-descript Jack Daniels Whisky sauce. Nanouk’s petit fillet of beef was beautifully cooked, with its seasoned crust holding soft layers of pink meat. Lightly fried bread discs and earthy paté presented all the ingredients of a Tournedos Rossini with a contemporary twist. A mix of sautéed mushrooms and a garnish of tomato made this a very pleasant experience.

There was a whole boatload of good al dente vegetables in the side dish, too many to list here, but we’ll gloss over the chef’s deep-fried shortcut to roast potatoes.

My dessert of intensely sweet sticky toffee pudding, in a treacly rich sauce, would satisfy any sugar-aholic, but was too much for me. Nanouk’s cheese board option was enough for two, with its Stilton, smoked applewood and Wensleydale, stack of biscuits, pile of grapes and excellent chutney.

After coffee we returned to the magnificent reception hall, with its splendid columns and log fire. As we passed through the door and out into the night, I thought I felt something brush against me, but when I turned, there was nothing there except a grey shadow disappearing into the gloom. Just goes to show, you can’t be sure of anything in this world.

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Address: Beamish Hall Country House Hotel, Beamish, Stanley, County Durham. Tel: (01207) 233 733.

Open: Monday-Saturday 12 noon-2.30pm; Sunday 12 noon-4.00pm; Monday-Friday 5pm-9.30pm; Saturday 7pm-9.30pm; Sunday 7pm-9pm (limited menu)

Where is it?: Take the A693 between Chester-le-Street and Stanley, turn off at Beamish following the signs for Beamish Hall. Then just past the entrance to Beamish Museum.

First impressions: A grand hall in lovely grounds with a dining room to match.

Welcome: If the log fires don’t warm you, the waiter’s avuncular smile and glowing personality will.

Style, design and furnishings: The colour scheme of cream on cream, with heavy-duty drapes and huge, gilt framed pictures makes this very large room look even larger. Lower lighting levels would help to create more intimacy for an evening meal.

Cuisine: A competent performance of modern British.

Wine: Alcota Crianza Rioja 2004. Confident bowlful of morello cherry red with under-ripe blackberries and warm tannins in the lingering finish. Very good value at £16.95.

Service: The waiter had a mature, easy style that added value to the evening.

Value: £61.15 proves this is good value.

Parking: Large adjacent car park.

Disabled facilities: Fully accessible.