Guests join us for lunch at a West Yorkshire restaurant where 3+1+5 equals quality modern cuisine in a stylish setting.
Most satisfied diners just leave a tip, but entrepreneur Terry Dryden did one better – he went into business with the chef.
‘I just really liked his food and wanted more people to get the chance to eat it,’ said Terry of his business partner Jason Neilson.
Together they have created 315 Bar & Restaurant in Lepton, West Yorkshire, which has just been awarded five gold stars for accommodation to go with its two AA rosettes for food.
‘We are very much food-led,’ said Terry. ‘But people expect top-end facilities if you offer top-end food.’
And that is exactly what they get at 315. Interior designer Joan Webb has created a beautiful sanctuary that reflects the muted tones and inspiring landscape of the surrounding Yorkshire countryside.
Nowhere more so than in the state-of-the-art Spa & Wellbeing Centre, which opened in January.
‘I wanted people to feel calm and cared for from the moment they walked in,’ she explained. ‘Nothing has been left to chance – everything has been thought through very carefully, from the wall-coverings and art to the shelving and lighting in each of the treatment rooms.’
Guests can now enjoy a host of indulgent pampering treatments and ultra-relaxing wellness experiences, including a dip in the calming waters of the HydroPool, a halotherapy session (using the rejuvenating properties of salt) and, when the weather allows, a woodland terrace escape, where they can relax among the trees with a glass of champagne between treatments.
The all-enveloping elegance of the spa is echoed in the 18 stylish double bedrooms, each decorated with precision and skill in a range of contemporary colours and boasting luxury en-suite bathrooms with double walk-in showers, and in the all-important dining areas.
The main dining room at 315 is elegant, with crisp linen settings and fresh, smart décor. For a more informal experience, there’s a stepping stone casual lounge between the bar and fine dining room, with a wood-burning stove and soft leather chairs, that gives diners full access to all menus in a more chilled out atmosphere. And, last but certainly not least, there’s the lovely triple-aspect conservatory, which is airy, light and offers spectacular countryside views whatever the season.
But a restaurant isn’t built on contemporary furnishings and fine views alone – it needs topnotch food created by a chef with flair and a passion for innovation.
While head chef Jason Neilson is not a naturally starry man, this quietly-spoken, naturally modest Yorkshireman has certainly enjoyed a starry career. He started at Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin-starred restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, moved to the three Michelin-starred Auberge de L’ill in the Alsace region of France and was offered jobs by Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay. Instead, he decided to take on the role of head chef at Newark Park before opening Thorpe Grange Manor in Almondbury, Huddersfield, which won a coveted place in the Good Food Guide, and taking over the Spencer Arms in Cawthorne.
At home, he likes nothing more than to fire up his wood-burning pizza oven to treat his family – wife Ruth, who leads the front-of-house team at 315, and children Zachary and Jessica – to a tarte flambée with sour cream, red onion and smoked bacon. At work, however, he sets his sights a little higher.
‘My aim is to always provide the very best food, service and hospitality for everyone,’ he said. ‘I don’t like fussy food. I like everything to earn its place on the plate and for everything to work together.’
If the menu he produced for our guests is anything to go by, he’s achieving his aims – and more.
A starter of creamy pressed goats’ cheese in a piquant terrine of tomatoes and courgettes was beautifully balanced, with the soft musk of the cheese holding its own alongside the subtly sweet and sour vegetables.
Next came a perfectly cooked salmon fillet – moist and buttery to the last bite – topped with a featherlight wild bass soufflé that floated above the fish like a fluffy, deeply savoury cloud.
And, for pudding, our guests were treated to a velvety vanilla panna cotta, which undulated voluptuously like an island of sweetness amid a spice-infused pool of caramelised apples and seeds.
It was, as the chef promised, an unpretentious, unfussy yet inspired menu. The next time someone asks one of our guests for the number of a great restaurant, they’ll probably just say ‘315’.
For more information about 315 Bar & Restaurant, Lepton, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 0LX, call 01484 602 613 or visit 315barandrestaurant.co.uk
Menu
Pressed goats’ cheese and tomato terrine with chargrilled courgettes
Salmon fillet topped with wild bass soufflé on saffron potatoes
Vanilla panna cotta scented with tarragon on caramelised apples and seeds
Coffee and homemade truffles
Wine notes
Gardet Brut Reserve, France
Perfect as a simple aperitif or with canapes that have a depth of flavour and spice, this champagne has warm notes of ripe yellow fruits and a fresh, persistent finish that adds to its delicate complexity.
Fiano 2016 Carlomagno, Puglia, Italy
This very well-balanced white is intensely fruity with hints of melon, banana and grapefruit. It’s a superb accompaniment to fish, seafood, white meat and cheese.
Basa Rueda 2016, Telmo Rodriguez, Spain
With an abundance of citrus and stoned fruits, this highly refreshing yet elegant wine finishes with zesty kick of lemon and green apple. Try it with seafood paella for a true taste of Spain.
Muscat Beaumes de Venise Chapoutier
As dessert wines go, this is not excessively sweet. Instead, it has a well-balanced aromatic persistency and offers richly elegant candied fruits and flowers.
: Wines by House of Townend. For details, visit houseoftownend.com.
