This month we\u2019re enjoying the talent of James Nicklin and the team in the kitchens of Winteringham Fields as we revisit Lincolnshire\u2019s only Michelin starred restaurant, enjoying an exceptional tasting menu experience with a commitment to quality<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a tip. If you\u2019re going to start work in James Nicklin\u2019s kitchen, make sure you have a pen and paper to hand. \u201cYou\u2019ll be amazed how many chefs come into the kitchen without one,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of all the kitchen paraphernalia you might expect a chef to be acquainted with \u2013 decent knives, battle-scarred pans and such like \u2013 James reckons that a pen and paper is essential because, let\u2019s face it, nobody ever stops learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learning and professional development is something James is keen to foster in the kitchen as Head Chef of Winteringham Fields, Lincolnshire\u2019s only Michelin star restaurant. Its reputation is such that many seek to join the team, and positions within it are rare and coveted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The result is that only the most diligent, keen to learn and hard-working chefs get to work alongside James, and the resulting atmosphere is happy and collegiate, with everyone invested in doing their best to maintain the reputation of the place. James is calm, friendly and (one imagines) a brilliant boss, working alongside Xavier Brett who heads up front of house. It wasn\u2019t always so welcoming though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Winteringham Fields was established in 1988, and the first time I set foot in those hallowed kitchens its founder, the Swiss-born chef patron Germain Schwab, marched up to me and demanded of the manager \u2018who iz zis?!?\u2019 It was quite ferocious, and though he soon warmed up a bit, the impression was of an old-school restauranteur who ruled with an iron fist rather than a wooden spoon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, many things have changed. For a start, James\u2019s much more constructive management style is necessary to successfully lead a team, and with even village pubs really putting the effort into producing a good dining experience in an ever more challenging market, restaurants at Winteringham Fields\u2019 position in the market have really had to take their dining to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Changes since the Schwab dynasty include the purchase of Winteringham Fields by Colin and Bex McGurran in 2005 and the addition of more bedrooms rooms in 2016. Winteringham Fields was one of the original \u2018restaurants with rooms,\u2019 and reaffirming this its 16 bedrooms ensure diners can retire for the evening after a very satisfying dining experience, for the purpose of cogitating, meditating and rhapsodising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other changes include the departure of previous Head Chef Gareth Bartram two years ago, with James stepping up to the pass to lead the team into a new era. The restaurant remains under the ownership of Colin, but having established a brand new restaurant in Antigua, he\u2019s since swapped Scunthorpe for the Caribbean, leaving James in custodianship of Winteringham Fields. Happily, it\u2019s in very safe hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accolades like Winteringham Fields\u2019 Michelin Star (retained ever since Colin purchased the place), or its four AA rosettes (fewer than 5% of UK restaurants have four or five stars; fewer than 50 have four stars and fewer than 20 have five stars), sometimes make a kitchen beholden to accolades, not diners\u2019 satisfaction. That\u2019s not the case here. The satisfaction of customers and ensuring they have a brilliant experience are the only metrics of success with which James is concerned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The restaurant has a capacity of 30 covers but filling the place each night isn\u2019t the priority. What\u2019s more, with private dining rooms and three intimate lounges throughout the former farmhouse, small groups of diners or couples enjoy as much privacy as they wish\u2026 handy in the case of one high profile customer who was due to visit on the evening of our visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main dining room overlooks the restaurant\u2019s terrace and its neat, well-maintained kitchen garden. In recent years, a claustrophobic window between dining room and kitchen has been removed, so now Winteringham Fields offers a genuine open kitchen format enabling diners to see and hear what goes on beyond the pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lunchtime diners can choose from an \u00e0 la carte menu during weekday service (\u00a369\/head), or a lunchtime tasting menu (\u00a385\/Wed-Fri, \u00a399\/Sat). A tasting menu is the sole means of dining during evening service, at \u00a3150\/head with optional flight of wine. This is typically six or seven courses in duration with the inclusion of amuse bouche, palette cleansers or pre-desserts, depending on what takes the team\u2019s fancy. The menu doesn\u2019t change wholesale but rather it continues to evolve incrementally throughout the year, enabling James and the team to ensure micro-seasonality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything is made by the team in house from the restaurant\u2019s charcuterie to very good bread \u2013 roasted onion plus ale and treacle loaves during our visit. These were served with a whipped, caramelised, cultured butter and a pot of beef dripping \u2018mucky fat.\u2019 Evidently, where there\u2019s muck, there\u2019s gold. I could scoff a whole pot of the stuff and an entire loaf at home assuming the perpendicular on the sofa with a decent bottle of wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other highlights of the menu were a tomato dish with curds, nasturtium and consomm\u00e9, inspired by James\u2019s memories growing heritage tomatoes with his grandfather and enjoying them straight of the vine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our turbot was silky, served with a buttermilk foam and an umami N25 caviar, whilst our pork dish utilised a hard-working pulled cheek cut with picked and preserved foraged wild garlic buds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pre-dessert was a vibrant lemon pot on the enjoyable side of super-sharp and with homemade honeycomb and yoghurt sorbet. This was followed by a smart take on a traditional trifle with raspberry jelly and white chocolate ganache, caramelised white chocolate tuille and raspberry vinegar gel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dining at Winteringham Fields incurs a premium over, say, a quality pub restaurant, but the additional talent, innovation and expense incurred in labour and ingredients, all of which are invested directly in the meal, is more than evident. Relative to the standard of the food itself and the team\u2019s commitment to offering diners something really special, it\u2019s very fairly-priced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Producing the kind of interesting experience and labour-intensive but fundamentally delicious food for which James and the team are renowned is a labour of love that every diner will appreciate. Dining at Winteringham Fields at your earliest convenience is a superb, and highly-recommended experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Restaurant: <\/strong>\u201cLincolnshire\u2019s only Michelin starred restaurant, Winteringham Fields offers a unique dining experience that brings the kitchen to your table.\u201d
Opening Hours: <\/strong>Lunchtime Service Wednesday-Saturday 12noon to 2pm. Evening Service Wednesday to Saturday 6.30pm-8pm.
Winteringham Fields:<\/strong> North Lincolnshire, DN15 9ND. Call 01724 733096 or see www.winteringhamfields.co.uk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n