Review: Douneside House, Aberdeenshire

THERE’S A VERY interesting story surrounding Douneside House in Royal Deeside. Purchased as a holiday home for the MacRobert family in 1888, Sir Alexander and Lady MacRobert lost two of their sons serving in the RAF, while their third son died in an aviation accident. The MacRobert Trust was formed in their honour. Originally a private estate for ex-servicemen, the property opened to the public three years ago, with all profits ploughed back into the hotel or into the charity.  Managed by the trust, head chef David Butters has overseen dining operations from the offset, earning a prestigious three AA Rosettes.  They recently launched a Dining Club, which sounded right up my alley.

Held quarterly in the intimate library room, the Dining Club sees up to 14 guests sample a bespoke six-course tasting menu with each course introduced by one of the chefs. This evening was hosted by Rodney Doig of WoodWinters Wine and Whiskies, the hotel’s wine supplier, who paired vintage bottles to each of David’s dishes. The evening, priced at £220 per person, also includes an overnight stay with breakfast and use of the hotel’s superb health club.

Butters and his team benefit from an on-site kitchen garden – one of four in Aberdeenshire partnered with the Royal Horticultural Society – where he and his team create dishes with the freshest seasonal produce. Meat comes from an organic farm just up the road, and fish from Blue Flag Seafood in nearby Aberdeen; it really doesn’t get more local for produce than this. The four-star hotel in Tarland has recently had a £200,000 refurb which saw the kitchen extended, a piano lounge added, and a pantry area installed to showcase their array of wines. Certainly sounds like an exciting project to be involved in.

We arrived in the bar where we were met by Rodney who introduced guests to one another and handed out cocktails.  We enjoyed a range of canapes and briefly exchanged stories – an informal way of breaking the ice and relaxing given you were having dinner with a group of strangers. One guest who lived locally has been coming here since the place opened and spoke very fondly of the food and staff.

First up was an astonishingly fresh west coast oyster served with a refreshing blood orange sorbet, blood orange pearls that brought a burst of acidity, and a fresh little oyster leaf that, funnily enough, tasted like oysters and ramped up the flavour of one of my favourite foods.

The next dish was simply titled 'Garden Salad' and was a true display of the chef’s confidence in quality of produce and honest cooking. The trippy presentation revealed an exquisite beetroot ice cream that brought a savoury earthiness to the dish. It worked so harmoniously with the subtle goats’ cheese mousse and both brought the dish together. The sharp tomato and perfectly cooked asparagus offered a light, fresh course that was a real favourite across the table.

                                                                         

The fish course of Loch Etive salmon was exquisite. The fish, which had been smoked in hay, melted on the tongue with a light barn yardy hint of hay coming through.  A smooth pea velouté was perfectly seasoned and brought a sweet, healthy taste. A pea pod filled with caviar was a surprise luxury element and added saltiness. Pickled salsify just broke through the richness, adding crunch to what was a divine plate of food.

Course three featured wild rabbit. I love it when chefs add offal as a surprise. In this case exceptionally tender kidneys; even the doubters around the table enjoyed them. The ballotine was moist and delicate with seasoning provided by the salty Parma ham and woody hazelnut foam. A delicious croquette made from slow-cooked leg meat completed a fine display of nose to tail eating.

The second meat offering was one of the best lamb dishes I’ve tasted.  The cutlet demonstrated the true quality of the ingredients used here. Like cutting into soft butter, it was rich and brimming with lamby flavour while boasting perfectly crisp fat.  I love belly and this effort had a crunchy exterior and wonderfully soft interior. Wild garlic puree with mint went harmoniously with the meat and the spears of asparagus just brought a little bitter note to reign in the sweetness.  Wine expert Rodney told a story about David Butters learning his craft on a sauce section of a restaurant they both previously worked in and the depth of that lamb jus really demonstrated that.

First of two desserts featured Alpine strawberries. We cracked into the green dome to reveal a stunning strawberry creméaux with a surprise lime curd centre on a balsamic meringue, which was a real hit. The strawberry soup was delicious and not overly sweet, with the pepper tuille bringing a delicate hint of spice. A nugget of playful white chocolate just added to this fun pudding – a light, refreshing effort that cleansed the palette. 

When I see bitter chocolate ganache on a menu, I get a tad excited. This effort was stunning. Perfectly smooth with an acidic clementine puree, meringue on my dish for texture; this due to my nut allergy, with other diners enjoying a hazelnut praline. The honey ice cream could have been a bit bolder, but the temperature controlled the richness of the ganache. 

This was a flawless example of modern British cookery that is worthy of a Michelin star. Everything at Douneside House seemed to have a story behind it and the work that has gone into this project has created a truly magical go-to destination. This dining club is a cracking way to get people talking by using food as a common bond; that’s exactly what happened on this fabulous evening.

Web: dounesidehouse.co.uk

Twitter: @Dounside

Instagram: Dounesidehouse

Phone: (013398) 81230
Sample menu

Address:  Dounside House & Health Club, Tarland, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, AB34 4UL.