Hospitality Today July-Aug 2016 | Page 21

hospitalitytoday.com | 21 Nowadays the listed courtyard mansion is a family-owned (by Geoffrey & Emma Ede) luxury hotel and restaurant, and has won awards for excellence from Visit Britain and Condé Nast Johansens. Over the past six years the owners have planted and grown around 2000 Madeleine Angevine vines on the south facing hill overlooking the hotel’s lake. The grapes, originally grown in the Loire Valley and suited to the cooler British Climate, are cared for by gardener Graham Titchmarsh (brother of Alan). They create “a crisp yet fruity wine with notes of flora on the nose”, which. Langdon Court recommends pairing with Fresh Dartmouth Crab or Beesand Scallop. The Langdon Court kitchen is run by Head Chef Jamie Rogers, who made it through to the quarterfinals of BBC MasterChef: ‘The Professionals’, aged just 23. Competing against chefs from the Ritz and Claridges, Jamie’s exacting standards and passion for fine dining made an impression on the judges. As Langdon Court’s Head Chef, Jamie is firmly committed to the use of top-quality ingredients sourced as locally as possible. Dishes are planned for seasonal menus: when HT visited, we enjoyed an impressive dinner including pigeon, crab and local Devon pan-fried sole with almonds, imaginatively presented and well cooked and seasoned. Diners can also choose simpler, comfort dishes like fish and chips and steak frites. Our room (no. 25) was very spacious with a long window-seat overlooking the lake and vines, and a large stone-tiled bathroom with pedestal bath. Langdon Court is ideal for country-house weekenders looking to explore South Devon and across the nearby Tamar into Cornwall, and its elegant gardens give it an edge as a venue for a small and upmarket weddings. www.langdoncourt.com