Lincolnshire Restaurants: The Dower House Hotel
This month we’re visiting one of Lincolnshire’s prettiest country house hotels, Woodhall Spa’s Dower House, which is offering an elevated dining experience for 2025 thanks to new Head Chef Ian Smith
As the saying goes, the best things come to those who wait. Carlo Petrucci has been keen to appoint his new Head Chef Ian Smith for a while. And finally, he’s in post at Woodhall Spa’s Dower House Hotel, already doing a great deal to elevate the hotel’s dining out offering both for residents and non-residents alike.
The hotel was originally a private residence for Colonel Stafford Vere Hotchkin, a local landowner, MP, High Sheriff of Rutland and most importantly, a keen golfer… he created his namesake Hotchkin Course at what is now the National Golf Centre in Woodhall, home to England Golf the sport’s governing body.
Hotchkin is regarded as one of the world’s best courses, and like the rest of Woodhall, and The Dower House Hotel, it’s surrounded by lots of woodland and greenery. For over 40 years now The Dower House Hotel has offered dining and accommodation, refurbished by its new owners with a separate lodge created in 2011 adding another 15 rooms to the six existing rooms in the main house.
Because of its pretty and mature grounds, its modern accommodation and its capacity to accommodate up to 120 guests in its function room, The Dower House is regarded as a wedding venue, but sometimes overlooked as a place for non-residents to enjoy quality dining.
That’s a condition not changed by the fact that it’s tucked away down a lovely leafy country lane, away from the main thoroughfare of Station Road and The Broadway which cut a swathe through Woodhall Spa.
It’s worth reminding yourself of what’s on offer at The Dower House Hotel, though, especially given the excitement surrounding Ian’s appointment, which is intended to elevate the already excellent dining at The Dower House Hotel.
And if anyone can achieve that… it’s Ian. Raised in Utterby near Grimsby, Ian’s father Ken Smith was a master butcher with decades of experience, and he insisted on passing his skills onto his son who remains to this day quite fussy about the quality of the meat he uses in his kitchen, along with the quality and provenance of the rest of his ingredients too.
Ian says he was keen to pursue a career as a chef from the age of 14, and enthusiastically wrote to all of the restaurants he could think of. His determination paid off with an appointment to the kitchens of London’s Savoy where he worked his way around each station in the kitchen, learning the fundamentals of cheffing.
After that he joined the RAF and spent nine years cooking for the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II, then Prince of Wales, Charles and Diana, Prince Andrew and Prime Ministers from Thatcher to Major, and Blair to Brown.
Ian worked alongside Gary Rhodes at Rhodes in the Square then took up the position of Executive Chef for the Chatsworth Estate including its two pubs – The Devonshire Arms and The Pilsey Arms – before a few years freelancing.
Having visited Woodhall Spa as a youngster, Ian was familiar with the place and upon seeing The Dower House Hotel, instantly fell in love with it. Appointed in May this year, he’s introduced an all-new 30-mile menu for The Dower House Hotel, aiming to utilise the best Lincolnshire produce where consistency and seasonality allows.
Grass-fed beef is aged for a minimum of 28 days and sourced from Mel Wards of Ruskington. Fish arrives straight from Grimsby Docks each day; the restaurants’ eggs, poultry, lamb and pork are reared locally; vegetables are from Woodhall Spa’s Nick Harper. Ian and the team bake their own bread create every element of each dish themselves in house.
Daytime diners can enjoy a set lunch with three options per course and a choice of one, two or three courses for £18, £23 or £26. Also available in the daytime is a Light Bites menu and dedicated menus for afternoon tea and Sunday lunch.
Evening dining is offered seven days from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, with six choices per course.
The philosophy of Ian’s dishes is to use a key ingredient and allow that to come to the fore with harmonious elements that enhance, rather than competing with, his key ingredient.
Ian’s dishes are undoubtedly presented beautifully, but they’re also designed to be simple dishes, executed well in terms of technical chefcraft, and underwritten by the best ingredients.
Diners can sit in the main restaurant, with its views over the garden and in particular the large weeping willow in the grounds, or in Harry’s Bar with its dark parquet flooring, a large fireplace and its Victorian-era charm. There’s also a lovely terrace sheltered from the wind for al fresco dining should the Great British climate allow.
Private dining rooms are available too, and during our visit some ladies who lunch were enjoying their informal dining club whilst another group of friends were chatting over afternoon tea. I did try to listen in for some gossip, but their conversation wasn’t particular lubricious, so I went back to considering Ian and the new dining out proposition he’s presenting to Lincolnshire diners this season.
And the conclusion? Exceptional. Ian has a commendable commitment to using the best ingredients, and all of his skills to produce great dishes which, when employed in a setting as lovely as The Dower House Hotel, deserves as strong a recommendation as we can give.
The Dower House Hotel, Manor Estate, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire LN10 6PY. Call 01526 352588 or see www.dowerhousehotel.co.uk.
Read our full feature in the June edition of Lincolnshire Pride at https://www.pridemagazines.co.uk/lincolnshire/view-magazines?magazine=June-2025