Talbot
Hotel: Malton.
Visiting a hotel for the first time is rather like
going to see a three act play at the theatre. You arrive full of excitement and
anticipation, and settle down for the show. The first act often bowls you over
with spectacle and sensory overload, the second act often fails to follow this
up, and the third act leaves you feeling like you’ve seen it all before.
Modern hotels are all front. They wow you with an
enormous foyer, often with a grand staircase and maybe even a chandelier, then
when you get to your room, you are disappointed, as it’s all rather bland, and
you get that sense of déjà vu, where you feel sure that you’ve stayed in this
same hotel room many times before.
The Talbot Hotel in Malton, North Yorkshire is very
different to just about any hotel that I’ve ever stayed in. From the outside
the hotel looks rather unprepossessing, with its regular Georgian exterior, and
they don’t bother with any fancy reception area, it’s tucked away in an alcove
under the stairs.
But when you arrive at your room, that is when you
see difference. I stayed in the Lambton, one of the hotel’s feature rooms. As
soon as you enter you are aware that this hotel simply oozes style. The
furniture and soft furnishings look so inviting that you can’t wait to get
stretched out on the comfortable sofa. There are four feature rooms at the
hotel and each
room has been individually designed and is upholstered to its own theme with
unique wall paper and colour schemes. All of the feature rooms are appointed
with 6ft beds (Rockingham has a four poster bed), garden views, feature
artwork, luxury marble bathrooms with shower and bath. Original room features
including chandeliers and fireplaces
There are no tea making facilities in the rooms, the
Talbot believe that if you want tea or coffee, you want it freshly made, so you
simply ring reception and within ten minutes, they will deliver to your room,
either a pot of hot tea, with plenty of fresh milk too, and a sugar bowl
complete with tongs, or coffee which arrives freshly percolated in a cafetiere.
Surprisingly there is no extra cost for this service. If you prefer, you can
take your tea in the sumptuous drawing room. This room is an absolute delight
with current magazines, and daily papers available to read while you enjoy your
drinks. There is also a selection of games here too.
If the foyer is act one, and the rooms act two, then
wait for the final act to unfold, which is the incredible James Martin menu.
Unlike chain hotels which leave you feeling underwhelmed, the Talbot’s food
will have you on your feet applauding wildly, and shouting for more.
I ate in the restaurant on my first night, and yes,
James Martin really is the executive chef. Everything on the menu has been
prepared by the great man himself. I went for the Gressingham duck for
starters, which looked amazing and tasted superb. For main course I tried the
halibut with wilted spinach. The fish was cooked superbly, and the taste was
incredible. Other meals on the menu included pan fried wreck fish, and
Riggwelter beer braised beef cheek. The buttermilk panna cotta with Yorkshire
rhubarb was the perfect end to my meal, which, by the way, only costs £39 for
three courses, and is available to non-residents too.
There is a small, but well stocked bar in the hotel,
which serves Black Sheep ale. I can particularly recommend the 2010 Riesling
naked grape, which is a very delightful German wine.
Breakfast at the Talbot is another feather in the
cap. Not just fresh fruit but specialties such as earl grey prunes, and sweet
spice apricots grace the menu. Everything is locally sourced, Whitby kippers,
Kirkbymoorside salmon, and even the honey was from a local beekeeper. A full
Talbot was exactly that, and the Talbot bacon buttie contained loads of bacon
with homemade spicy chutney in a huge toasted bap. Toast was exactly as it
should be, warm, and served with butter at room temperature. A small thing
maybe, but one which most hotels get very wrong.
On my second night I ate in the conservatory. This
is the more informal option, with a limited menu at everyday prices. The
conservatory area is a wonderful space, which is flooded with natural light
from the glass roof. It’s cool, airy and spacious, and feels like sitting
outside on a pleasant summer’s evening. I went for the fish and chips, served
Talbot style on a wooden bread board with minted crushed peas, and rapeseed oil
tartare. Wonderful! This was followed by the white chocolate and whisky
croissant butter pudding with vanilla ice cream. A culinary delight, and with
change from £20.
If you don’t want to stay at the hotel during the
day time, the Coastliner bus stops right outside and will take you directly to
the cosmopolitan city of Leeds, or to historic York. If the seaside is more your
thing, then different buses will take you to either Whitby, Scarborough or
Bridlington. If you have your own transport then try Castle Howard, one of the
world’s top ten magnificent houses, which is only five miles down the road.
The staff at the Talbot were all excellent, and
genuinely seem to care about their customers. If any member of staff sees you
carrying luggage, they offer to help, if they see you in the drawing room, they
will offer you tea, and if they see you in the bar they will chat with you.
The Talbot deservedly has an excellent reputation,
and I can see why, it is a luxury hotel in every sense of the word, and a hotel
I can recommend wholeheartedly.
