Whether you’re feasting in the main dining room, savouring snacks in the function suites, or going alfresco in the courtyard, you can expect the very best of it all at Barnsdale Lodge. It was converted from farmhouse to hotel in 1989, and we were treated to a tour around the interesting building and its grounds on our visit.

Once seated in the dining conservatory – which overlooks the Lodge’s well-tended courtyard and gardens – we ordered the refreshingly light Barnsdale summer salad; toasted goat’s cheese, roulade of chicken and leek with tarragon mayonnaise, young asparagus and broad beans all in a light French dressing. My companion devoured the homemade white onion soup with cider and fresh chopped chives (hailing from the Barnsdale herb garden) in no time. Moving onto the main event meant seared sea bass risotto with fennel, bacon and spinach. A delicious marriage of flavours, the fresh fish was delightfully set in a ring of tangy lobster sauce. My partner tried the chef’s special surf and turf – one hearty portion of red snapper, a fried minute fillet steak and lobster in a Béarnaise sauce. An explosion of flavours came in the form of sweet sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch and vanilla ice cream to finish. The month’s recommended white wine, a 2008 Seven Terraces sauvignon blanc, perfectly complemented our delectable dining, and we left with full smiles and tummies.

The chefs at Barnsdale go to great lengths in seeking out the finest and freshest of local produce. Many of the vegetables and fresh herbs are pulled from the hotel’s garden just hours before, so flavours are rich and fresh. The 44 individually furnished en-suite bedrooms offer a place to rest your head after dinner, and with views of either the surrounding countryside or the picturesque courtyard from each room, you’ll find it hard to leave this charming find.