Whether you’re looking for a long leisurely lunch with the girls, a family celebration or just a break in the middle of the week with your husband, Roosters ticks all the boxes…
Although the middle of May, it was a decidedly chilly evening when we arrived at Roosters. As soon as you turn into the long and immaculately manicured drive you get a sense of the standard of care that you can expect across all three restaurants at Morley Hayes. In the park land setting encompassing two golf courses, you get the feeling of being a million miles away from the bustle of everyday life.
When we walked into reception the warmth and friendliness of Roosters was evident and we were greeted immediately and shown to our table. Recently refurbished the atmosphere is light and airy with huge beams and the exposed brick and stone of the original dairy farm buildings evident. We were quickly served with drinks and settled to look through the menu. A lovely range of starters included my favourite; homemade salmon fish cakes with the smoothest potato and leeks, served with a fresh seasonal salad and mayonnaise. My husband’s garlic mushrooms were sizzling hot and topped with crispy breadcrumbs, it was served with toasted bruschetta just perfect to dip into the creamy garlic and white wine sauce.
For main course a lasagne made with a slow cooked, red wine ragu had a deep rich flavour, served traditionally with a fresh salad and garlic bread it was well prepared and satisfying. My choice from the specials menu was a fish dish, oven baked and served atop crush new potatoes and tender-stem broccoli. This was elevated by the sauce which was enriched with flakes of salmon and shrimps. The menu is varied and if you’re just looking for a burger or baked potato you will find that it is served with the same care and attention as the main meals.
Comfortably satisfied there was no hurry, and we had time to chat, mull over our day and enjoy the ambiance before ordering a dessert. Whilst checking the menu Morley Hayes owner Andrew Allsop arrived at our table to say hello and, whilst talking about the menu and ingredients, he recommended the cheesecake for dessert. Cheesecake is always my favourite way to finish a meal, especially as this one was served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream from Bluebells Dairy. And that is the stand-out point about dining at Morley Hayes, whichever restaurant you choose, The Dovecote, Roosters or the Spike bar there is a total consistency of quality ingredients and presentation. So, when you talk about the ethics of good English food you can’t get any better than sourcing food from your own farm and supporting local businesses not a stone’s throw away.
We like our history and were glad that the menu contains information about where we were sitting. Morley Hayes was historically the estate farm for the adjacent Morley Manor, which dates back to the year 1002. The 300-acre estate formerly a dairy farm, was successfully diversified in 1991 by brothers Andrew and Robert Allsop, transforming historic buildings into a premier leisure destination. Both are extremely talented in different ways and have worked together to get Morley Hayes to the strong position it is in today. The Farm is still thriving and provides produce for the restaurants.
We were seated right next to the outside wall of what was once one of the original outbuildings that were obviously built by craftsmen. The courses of bricks were immaculate and the joints very neat. Touching them gave a little feel of nostalgia taking you back to times when cows leaned against them or farmworkers paused to take a short break from the sweat and toil of a backbreaking day on the farm. You have to remember that only 35 years ago this was a farm and has still cleverly retained some of those original features to this day.
After the meal we were pleased to have the opportunity to talk to owner Andrew Allsop who, along with brother and business partner Robert, shares front of house duties on specific days between them. As we chatted it was obvious that, whilst Morley Hayes has grown considerably over the years on the food and golfing front along with the addition of a 32 room hotel, Andrew still gets great pleasure and buzz from the business.
I feel we are very fortunate to have somewhere like Morley Hayes right on our doorstep. The setting is delightful and on sunny days you can sit outside and enjoy al fresco dining in their beautiful gardens. There is so much on offer here it’s no wonder that it’s a firm favourite with so many people. As we left we were happy to see a herd of Deer just wandering across the landscape reminiscent of the land as it was all those years ago.
We would advise to avoid disappointment that you book in advance as on our visit the restaurant was fully booked.
Our thanks also goes to the waiters and waitresses who served us efficiently and with a lovely friendly smile.
For more information and to book click here
