A touch of class and a taste of history

Something very exciting happened last week. Something that had us both dancing in our seats. Not ONLY was Lockdown lifted but we finally managed to get booked in at Churches Mansion in Nantwich. We have been trying to get in for a long, long time. But between being fully booked and Lockdown 2.0 landing, it just wasn’t meant to be. I can now happily report, that it was TOTALLY worth the wait!

Dating back to 1577, the Mansion was built by the Churche family. A very important family in Nantwich. Overtime the Mansion has seen many inhabitants and various uses. It’s been a family home, a ladies boarding school, a tea room, an antique shop and now we’re blessed with a fine dining restaurant and bar.

Specialising in Seafood, Churches Mansion boasts a 48-hour window from boat to table. This may well be the freshest seafood our Cheshire plates will see. Not only do we get to enjoy a fresh catch, but Churches Mansion also source as much as they can locally. This extends from their meats and vegetables, all the way to their crockery and cutlery.

Introductions out of the way, we can now talk about our visit. Weirdly, I’m going to start from our walk from the car to the door.

You’ll park your car around the back of the building and walk towards the front to find the path across the front lawn. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be floored instantly. I genuinely cannot get enough of this building. No matter how many times I see it, my breath is taken away. It’s simply beautiful and STEEPED in history. 

Inside is no exception; Sophia and her family have created the most incredible space. They have captured the buildings original opulence and grandeur, all while bringing it into the 21st century. You’ll be treated to the original wooden panels, sublime stained glass windows and humongous fireplaces. The character from this building simply oozes at every turn.

If you think I’m gushing too much about the building, you should hear me talk about the food!

But before we get to the food… Let’s have a moment to talk about the newest addition to Churches Mansions’ vast repertoire of wines; Nyetimber. It’s a sparkling wine made right here in England. Well, the south of England to be a little more precise. If I hadn’t of told you this was a sparkling wine, you would be totally forgiven for thinking you were sipping on a glass of Champagne. In fact, Owner Sophia, tells us that the same chalks in the soil that grow the grapes found in Champagne also run across the English Channel and into the soil for the vineyards of Nyetimber. So, it’s basically Champagne, we’re just not allowed to call it Champagne because the grapes were not grown in the Champagne regions of France. Try saying that sentence after a glass of Champ. Sparkling Wine… It was beautiful and a great start to our meal.

Jamie had already scouted the menu days before our visit, so wasted no time in ordering his Crab crumpets. A luxurious dish with a dash of familiarity. Two homemade crumpets, with curried white crab, brown shrimp, mango chutney, shellfish emulsion and caviar. 

I, however, had to mull my decision over because everything sounded divine. I asked our gorgeous server Amy for her opinion and took her lead. The Wild Mushrooms please; With truffle, spinach, slow-cooked egg yolk, parmesan foam, feuille de brick. Deep, rich and earthy. Each joyous mouthful had me smiling. A mushroom dish really runs the risk of losing a layer of texture but the feuille de brick (almost like a large crisp) added a very well thought out crunch.

The main courses were just as difficult to choose from; Torn between the meat and the fish. Ultimately, our lovely Amy came to my rescue and explained that they really do specialise in Seafood so why not try something we wouldn’t normally eat. In the end, we both elected the Lobster – cooked in two different ways

Jamie had the lobster thermidor, tender stem broccoli with a portion of the most beautiful truffle and parmesan covered chips. Thermidor seemed particularly fitting for this extravagant meal. Each creamy, meaty mouthful will send your eyes rolling into the back of your head. If you make noises while you eat too, you’ll be ‘mmmm-ing’ and ‘Oh my god-ing’. I promise you that. 

I decided I would go for the Grilled Lobster (yes, I had the truffle & parmesan chips too) so we can take pictures of a different dish. But, full disclosure I actually started to eat my Lobster before I took any photos. I’m sorry. I got too excited after snapping the Lobster Thermidor and jumped face-first into my Lobster. Cooked in garlic butter, my lobster meat was soft and delicate but still packed a real punch of flavour.

I’m aware I’m gushing far too much about the food, but I want to quickly touch on one of our side dishes, that was a real stand out – The Roast beetroot with whipped goats cheese and puffed wild rice. The roast beetroot and goats cheese work wonderfully well together alone, BUT that all-important texture is missing. In walks the puffed wild rice to add a delicate pop and crunch. Superb. It really shows this chefs level of experience.

Just when we were fit to burst, out popped Amy to ask if we would like to look at desserts… “Oh, go on then…”

Again, we asked for recommendations, I feel not enough of us do this. Trust that your server is knowledgeable and will give you their honest opinion on the food – its served us very well.

The Citrus for Jamie – This is an orange meringue tart, pomegranate sorbet and cranberry coulis. I took the recommended Mansion’s souffle – Cox apple souffle, cinnamon & caramelised walnut ice cream with crème anglaise.

Both desserts were the perfect end to what was such an extravagant and special meal. They were surprisingly light, masterfully crafted and picked us up with a boost of energy for our drive home.

Churches Mansion has a lot of space for all types of events. From private dining experiences to weddings and birthdays they can host them all. (I did actually manage to sneak a peek of one of the weddings when shooting their takeaway menu and it was UNBELIEVABLE).

I think it’s clear to see that we enjoyed every moment of our visit to Churches Mansion. Every mouthful of food, every glance across the room and every interaction with staff had made us smile. This is a visit we will not forget.

You can find Churches Mansions, along with hundreds of other Cheshire based restaurants on our Food Discovery and Local Loyalty APP.

*Meal was not gifted and this is a true reflection of our opinions and experience.