Local produce and lush surroundings are at the heart of this restaurant with rooms, where pared-back luxury is twinned with Michelin-starred quality
Location
Grace & Savour is discreetly concealed in the Hampton Manor estate, which comprises a 19th-century manor, a restaurant, a bakery and rolling grounds. The estate is the jewel in the crown of the West Midlands village of Hampton in Arden which, although small and rural, boasts its own railway station with enviable transport links. It runs regular services to and from Birmingham New Street and London Euston, and is just a 10-minute stroll from Grace & Savour.
The downside to being so close to Birmingham is that the area sits directly beneath the flight-path to the city’s airport, making the roar of planes impossible to ignore, however picturesque the setting. As for Hampton in Arden itself, there isn’t much to do other than enjoy a brisk country walk, but the English Heritage site of Kenilworth Castle is just a 20-minute drive away and is well worth an afternoon trip.
The vibe
Grace & Savour is made up of five walled garden suites, dotted around a wildflower-scattered courtyard. Each features its own small lounge area with direct views into the restaurant’s open kitchen.
In keeping with the sleepy tranquility of the walled garden, the vibe over in the cooking station is far from the Hell’s Kitchen frenzy you might expect from one bearing the heavy mantle of a Michelin star. Here, all is calm, smooth and precise.
The chefs work in a neatly contained space right in the middle of the bright, oak-panelled dining room, which opens out into Grace & Savour’s reception and seating area. Here, guests can enjoy a drink while gazing lazily out onto the courtyard or spying on those chefs who never seem to break a sweat.
Service
Grace & Savour is the passion project of hospitality power couple David and Annette Taylor. David proved his star quality, literally, while working at Oslo’s iconic Maaemo restaurant – helping to pull it up from two Michelin stars to three. Thankfully, this doesn’t seem to have gone to his head, and David eagerly mixes with guests at every opportunity. He personally took us and our fellow guests on a detailed tour of the kitchen garden, and regularly chatted to us during our stay. Similarly, Annette was there to greet us upon our arrival and was constantly on hand to answer any questions.
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The rest of the team shows the same warmth and unbridled enthusiasm for Grace & Savour. From enthusiastically describing every ingredient in each dish (arguably to excess), to discussing their plans for the garden, everything is delivered with pride.
Bed and bath
Grace & Savour’s five walled garden suites mark a deliberate departure from the rest of the Hampton Manor estate. A far cry from the decadent, botanical chintz of the manor’s William Morris-inspired interiors, this quintet is a showcase of neutral, woodland tones and a soft Scandinavian aesthetic – a homage to Annette’s native Norway, where she and David met. Each wood panelled room is bathed in natural light thanks to walls of black-framed glass, and each has a hand-cast concrete bath as its centrepiece. The emerald-tiled bathroom has a wet room-style shower, and the courtyard-facing “lounge” – a term generously used to describe little more than a sofa and desk – features a tea and coffee-making station and Bluetooth speakers. There is no TV in any of the suites, underlining the emphasis on nature, and three of the five have doors opening out onto a small, tree-lined terrace.
The suites, which sit in a renovated timber yard, were designed by Hampton Manor’s co-owner Fjona Hill and were each named after tradespeople of lost crafts, i.e. the Ébéniste and the Coppicer. The idea is to immerse guests not only in the serenity of the surrounding woodland but to give them a taste of the area’s historical context.
Food and drink
Food is the reason why people come to Grace & Savour and no sooner do you arrive than staff begin hyping you up for dinner. This is orchestrated via a series of optional, and complimentary, activities – a kitchen garden tour preceded by snacks and drinks beside a roaring log fire and, later, a wine tasting session. The result of all this is that by the time the meal comes around, expectations are set almost impossibly high. But that’s exactly what David and his team are aiming for.
The 14-course tasting menu reads like a foodie’s fever dream, with dish after dish set out in breathless detail: “Biodynamic cucumber from Toby with aubergine and our bread miso finished with sunflower and cucumber petals from our garden,” to name but one humble snack.
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It is worth noting that whilst seasonal fruit, vegetables and plants are at the heart of each course, and the restaurant offers an alternative, vegetarian tasting menu, it does not cater for vegan or dairy-free diets.
Surprisingly, breakfast is not served in the Grace & Savour restaurant. For this, guests are invited to eat over in Hampton Manor or order a hamper to their room. During our stay, the manor had been booked out for a wedding, so its dining room was off limits, meaning we had no choice but to accept the hamper.
The neatly presented basket contained freshly baked bread and cinnamon buns, local butter and Cornish cheeses, organic yoghurt with seasonal compote and granola, and fresh apples from the walled garden. While it was all nicely done, it wasn’t the scrambled eggs and buffet table many of us yearn for following a night away.
Facilities
Grace & Savour is a restaurant with rooms meaning that it doesn’t have the trappings of a big hotel.
Still, being part of the Hampton estate has its benefits, and the manor’s dining room, bar, lounge and games room are open to Grace & Savour guests in the morning until 12:30pm (and in the afternoon and evening subject to availability).
Guests are also invited to join a daily, complimentary, “meet the maker” tour, which takes you around all areas of the estate, introducing you to the people who run it and giving an overview of its history.
The hotel also runs paid-for classes in its cookery school, which can be booked both by guests and non-guests. The two to three-hour-long courses include cinnamon bun-making, an introduction to fermentation and a spring scent workshop.
Whilst the house doesn’t have its own spa, there is a small hut on the grounds – run independently of the hotel – which offers various treatments, including massages, facials and manicures.
Accessibility
The restaurant and all five walled garden suites are located on the ground floor, and one of the suites has been adapted for guests with disabilities.
Pet policy
Pets are not allowed in any of the Grace & Savour suites or the restaurant. They can be walked around the grounds and are allowed in certain parts of Hampton Manor, including the outdoor terrace of its restaurant Smoke.
Check in/check out
Check-in is from 3pm; check-out is by 11am.
Family-friendly?
No. Grace & Savour is a restaurant with rooms designed to cater to adult palettes. However, children who are over 12 years old and curious about food are welcome, though they’ll need to be booked into their own bedroom.
At a glance
Best thing: The food. That’s the reason everyone’s here, after all. The intimacy of the whole experience comes a close second – it feels like an extravagant supper club more than a traditional hotel stay.
Perfect for: Foodie couples who want a good meal, fresh air and some rest.
Not right for: Groups, families and anyone who finds detailed descriptions of every course in a tasting menu tedious.
Instagram from: The restaurant - capture the ambience and the chefs at work but resist the temptation to take a snap of every dish. Instead, enjoy the moment.
Address: Hampton Manor, Shadowbrook Ln, Hampton in Arden, Solihull B92 0EN
Phone: 01675446080
Website: hamptonmanor.com
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