Good Morning Lovelies, 

After an epic first few hours at The Gibbon Bridge Hotel & Restaurant, it was time for dinner! Having been gifted a two-course meal to try, it was really special to be invited down to the dining room to taste their homemade delights. 

The meal was the original reason I was invited to the hotel, so walking into the dining room, I could tell that it was important to them to get it right. However, I think whether you were going to review the hotel or not, the team would make it special for you. 

Being seated by our amazing waiter, Ross, who couldn’t do enough for us, we were given seats that overlooked the whole room. Not too busy, yet nicely filled for a Saturday night, we were surrounded by friendly faces, with guests, made up of couples, families and friends, welcoming each other in. Ross who kept the room light with his funny and helpful ways, made our meal get off to a great start. 

Handing us menus, we were so in awe of what we saw on offer that we asked if we could make the meal three courses instead, covering the additional items. The team were happy for us to do this, stating they would add it to our room to pay upon checking out. 

Having served us our drinks, with free water on our table too, we decided to pick our starters for Ross to take. With an uncertainty in the air about what we would be getting, we decided to just go all out and enjoy ourselves. As soup of the day was an option, we went with a bowl of this to start with, alongside the crispy pork belly with black pudding on a celeriac remoulade, served with an apple purée. 

On Saturday, the soup was potato and leek, with all the ingredients coming from the vegetable patches at the hotel. Potato and leek soup is one dish I feel comfortable eating and the staff portioned it brilliantly. Coming with homemade fresh bread from the on-site bakery, it smelt delicious, making our mouths drool before we had even tucked in. 

When we did, it just got even better. The soup was thick but creamy, which was perfect, whilst the bread was crispy, soft and just right for dipping in. When it came to the pork belly, it was succulent and tasty, with the purée and celeriac adding a refreshing feel to the dish. Both left us feeling not too full but satisfied before the main course. 

With plenty of options, the main courses on the menu had been made with the grounds, woodlands and surrounding land in mind. Dishes made with a true feeling of nature within them. Meals with a heart. Upon choosing the dishes we wanted, we picked the sirloin steak dish first, which came with grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and homemade chips, as well as the addition of either peppercorn or mushroom and brandy sauce for an added cost of £2.50. 

The steak was cooked perfectly, having been asked how we would have liked it beforehand. The additional vegetables, alongside the mushroom and brandy sauce, were gorgeous, with both being tender and soft at the same time. Every part of the meal was perfection, which we expressed to Ross when he came to check that everything was cooked correctly. It was honestly one of the best courses we had ever had. 

However, the second main was even better! Choosing the slow-cooked shin of beef, which had been braised in Guinness, before being served alongside tender vegetables and the most gorgeous grain mustard and herb mash, was the right choice in every way. 

The mash was a game changer and now I will be taking the idea of it home with me. However, I don’t think I will ever be able to recreate it well enough to do it justice. Another reason to come back to Gibbon Bridge. The meat was pure perfection, falling apart when the fork touched it. The Guinness gave it a thickness that was intense in all the right ways. 

Both mains were truly brilliant and we were wondering how the desserts were going to top it. In some ways, we didn’t want desserts as we didn’t want the tastes of the mains to disappear from our mouths. However, we powered through, because let’s face it, desserts are the best bit. 

All homemade, the pudding options were probably the hardest ones to choose from. From winter warmers to traditional tastes, there was something for everyone. We opted for the apple and blackcurrant pie first, with warm creamy custard on top. You could tell the fruit was fresh and homegrown. Sweet but not too sweet, it was the best pudding to top the mains. You could feel the pastry melting, with the beautiful buttery textures making mouths come alive. 

The second dessert we chose was the sticky toffee pudding, served with toffee sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, made in their ice cream parlour, on top. As the ice cream melted into the sauce, it made each scoop of the cake even more delicious. It was a taste explosion of the best kind. 

After a perfect meal, we headed up to our room to relax and embrace our food babies. Snuggled up on the sofa, it was great to be able to truly unwind and go downstairs to bed. It felt like living in an upside-down home. Something I shouldn’t say as I did want to move in by this point. 

Feeling refreshed and revived, after a dreamy night's sleep, which even led to me lying in, I was woken up to one of the most wonderful sights from our castle-like windows. Green hills and crisp blue skies that went on for miles. Pure bliss! 

With check-out being at 10:30am, we were invited down to enjoy breakfast in the dining room before we left. The meal was in the style of a buffet, meaning we could happily go up and help ourselves to as much as we wanted. Consisting of fresh fruit, yogurts, cereal and hot items featuring, bacon, sausages, baked beans, black pudding, eggs done just how you would like them and fresh juice, tea or coffee, there was plenty to go around and to keep us full until we got home. Coming away from the hotel, I am in awe of it all. This was my first ever hotel review and the bar has been set high. I couldn’t recommend it enough and hope that my family, who live nearby visit it often. 

The Gibbon Bridge is a gorgeous place to have a wedding. The most perfect place to rest your head. A dream to dine in! Once you have been, you will keep going back! Honestly, I’m already looking at when I can return and take even more people I know to it! 

Currently, the hotel has a special January and February offer, which I mentioned in the previous post lovelies, so if you can take it up! You will love it! I am so incredibly thankful to everyone who was involved in organising and looking after us during the stay. Janet, Chris and the whole team should be so proud of what they have created! Gibbon Bridge, you are simply divine! 

Joey X