Like a fine French wine from its cellar, Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons – Raymond Blanc’s legendary Oxfordshire hotel – seems to just keep on getting better. Four decades after its founding, it shows no signs of losing its crown. It was named ‘best UK hotel’ by The Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards only recently, and it is a regular entry on other, equally prestigious shortlists. It also has a place on most discerning bucket lists, with travellers keen to experience the legendary hotel for themselves at least once in their lifetime.
Other accolades to decorate the manor since it opened include a Michelin Green Star, which it has held for the past four years, in recognition of its sustainability efforts, a key concern for the industry. It has also been a breeding ground for talent over the decades, with many young chefs who went on to greatness in their own right having trained here. No fewer than 28 Michelin-starred chefs worked under Blanc in these kitchens earlier in their careers, from Ollie Dabbous (now at the helm of Hide on London's Piccadilly) to Michael Caines of Devon's dreamy Lympstone Manor and Marco Pierre White, who probably needs no introduction.
Le Manoir is a Francophile’s reverie, imported from the motherland to the gorgeous Oxfordshire countryside. From the moment you enter the estate and travel up the kilometre lavender-lined pathway (the Chemin de Lavande), and settle into your room inside the honey-coloured classic country-house hotel, it’s a little slice of Provence in rural Britain. Through the lead-lined windows, the bucolic beauty outside is mesmerising. The interiors are the epitome of rustic Gallic charm, with four-poster beds, chaises longues and toile de Jouy wallpaper. Some have their own terrace and, at Christmas, each is decorated with its own tree to make it even more magical. It's the Entente Cordiale in interiors form, a perfect marriage of France and Britain.
Back in the Eighties, Raymond Blanc was running a successful restaurant in the Oxford suburb of Summertown when he wanted to expand his budding culinary empire and so went in search of a rural venue. He soon found the perfect estate and hasn’t looked back – it was awarded two Michelin stars soon after opening in 1984 and has held on to them ever since (no mean feat in the cut-throat world of fine-dining). In 2014, the 15th-century manor was taken over by luxury hotel brand Belmond, and the group is now owned by the luxury conglomerate LVMH.
The estate – which spans almost 30 acres – includes a Japanese garden, a mushroom valley, landscaped lawns with tables to sit on for when the weather’s fine and, of course, plenty of arable areas. There are orchards growing all sorts of rare and heritage varieties that Blanc has been cultivating for years. The two-acre kitchen garden supplies the chefs with much of its organic produce, and there are 11 gardens and orchards in total (we did say it was pastoral perfection).
The house has a long history, with a residence having existed on this site in the Oxfordshire village and civil parish of Great Milton since 1225. It has a fortunate location, hidden amid the low hills and the meadows of the Thames Valley. It was expanded and rebuilt in the 17th century, with the family who owned it at the time maintaining orchards, fishponds and a dovecote – tending to the estate as lovingly as Monsieur Blanc has during his tenure. The final owner before Blanc took over the deeds was Lady Cromwell, who helped him create his vision for a retreat here once he had acquired it in the Eighties.
The star of the show is of course the food and Le Manoir's menu is as spectacular as you’d hope. It’s an elaborate tasting menu of seven courses, so be sure to arrive hungry. On the day of our visit, the sublime seven courses consisted of ‘La Tomate’: a simple but sublime dish of heritage tomato with burrata, basil and olive. We also enjoyed a plate of divine Devonshire crab with coconut, chilli and lime, a garden vegetable risotto, Cornish turbot with cucumber, wasabi and Oscietra caviar, and loin of Rhug Estate lamb with courgette flower and pea. Even the bread basket is as delicious as you’d expect from a French restaurant and, of course, every guest must save room for the selection of artisanal French and British cheeses on the trolley. It may come as a surprise for some, but the wine list at Le Manoir isn’t exclusively French – when we dined here, our pairing selection included labels from Germany and Portugal, too.
The Le Manoir cookery school is almost as famous as the hotel. They can’t promise you’ll leave with skills matching the level of chef patron Monsieur Blanc, but you can at least try. Themes for the classes might be how to conquer the perfect Christmas dinner, how to cook seafood or how to make quick, easy and healthy suppers. Budding bakers can also sign up for lessons with the pâtisserie team, and there are masterclasses in bread-making, vegan food and even a course called ‘Maman Blanc’, where you’ll learn how to cook some of Raymond’s cherished childhood dishes. You'll also be able to learn the basics, such as stocks and sauces, to easily elevate future home-cooking, and the restaurant's skilled chefs will also be on hand to help you master the art of dinner-party hosting. Courses last from half a day to full residential programmes, depending on how serious you want to get.
Good Housekeeping Holidays currently has a fantastic offer for readers to experience the legendary Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and its destination restaurant. It includes an overnight stay with a seven-course menu at the twice-Michelin-starred restaurant included. You’ll also enjoy a glass of champagne when you arrive and a tour of the estate’s organic gardens with the senior gardener, along with an overnight stay in one of the charming bedrooms and breakfast in L'Orangerie come morning. There's also a limited-edition 40th-anniversary goodie bag currently up for grabs, featuring seasonal treats from Le Manoir.
Raymond Blanc has created something truly special in his Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. His passion for food was cultivated by his parents – he told me that his maman was full of love, generosity and a celebration of people and life. His deep knowledge of plants and seasonality stems from him helping his father from the age of six. His passion for his golden manor extends well past the kitchens – everything has his touch, from the art on display to the handpainted wallpaper making the lounge even cosier. If Le Manoir is not already on your bucket list, it should be. A stay here is an indulgence, but it’s something you won’t be forgetting in a hurry.
