WEST MIDLANDS, ENGLAND
Late 19thcentury Hampton Manor; asparagus and chicken at Peel’s; the Lord Mowbray room; the hotel has a focus on organic wines
PHOTOGRAPHS: FJONA HILL, FJONA WEI-LING
The village of Meriden has long claimed to lie at the very centre of England, but this patch of the West Midlands has a new feather in its cap. Three miles to the east is the recently refurbished Hampton Manor, and its restaurant Peel’s, awarded a star in the 2017 Michelin guide. June is an opportune moment to book in. The hotel – all Neo-Gothic towers, turrets and gargoyles – sits in 45 acres of grounds, encompassing woodland, lawns and a newly planted kitchen garden, all in full bloom (wellies are on offer should the weather prove uncooperative). Dinner, taken in a wood-panelled restaurant with stainedglass windows and decorative plaster ceiling, makes use of abundant local and seasonal produce in showstopping tasting menus, which might include dishes such as wagyu beef with nasturtiums and mackerel with apple. The homegrown ethos extends to the less formal parlour and bar, with beers, gins, coffee and cheese all sourced in the surrounding area. Hampton Manor’s 15 rooms, accessed via the grandest of oak staircases, are all individually styled, though all have high ceilings, views of the grounds, and bold, colourful decoration.