Fine dining doesn’t have to mean formality. Melissa Blease meets Martin Blake, the chef behind Montagu’s Mews at the Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, where modern British menus combine classical technique, seasonal inspiration and plenty of creative flair. So, what’s cooking? (Photography by TBM)
It’s a crisp autumn afternoon and the Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa’s manicured gardens represent, as ever, the ultimate secluded urban oasis tucked away behind Bath’s most iconic example of architectural Georgiana.
The scent of lavender hangs in the air, a murmuration of starlings flutter overhead and squirrels skitter around the bushes. In one corner, wedding guests raise champagne flutes to a new Mr and Mrs, while a group of decorous revellers gather on the heated, covered terrace.
Although the overall vibe gently encourages mellow merriment, the brigade hard at work in the kitchen are preparing for another busy shift at the hob. Head Chef Martin Blake, however, appears to be as cool as a well-chilled heritage cucumber as he sits down with me for a chat in the bar.
Martin joined the Royal Crescent Hotel team in 2021, bringing over 12 years of experience at some of the South West’s best hotels and restaurants with him. Today, the RCH’s stylishly seductive Montagu’s Mews restaurant and bar, which was refurbished to super-tasteful contemporary standards in the spring of 2023, offers the perfect backdrop against which to explore Martin’s elegant, flawlessly-executed modern British dishes.
I’m passionate about fine dining… people seem to think the phrase is simply shorthand for expensive – which very much isn’t the case anymore.
“Our menus have changed quite a lot since the refurbishment; we’ve developed and redefined our offering to make it more in keeping with how people want to dine now,” Martin tells me. “The biggest change is that, instead of Tasting Menus, we include my recommended Chef’s Choice selections on an à la carte menu. It’s still fine dining to exactly the same standards as our Tasting Menus were, but it’s more creative too; our guests don’t have to commit to a set menu, and neither do we, in the kitchen.” So: less formality, more flair? “Exactly that!” Martin concurs.
As a result of the changes, the very best of the new season’s crop (earthy greens; buoyant berries; succulent stone fruits) may be served on an inspirational whim to accompany seasonal superstars such as, right now, native oysters or Somerset duck. “Autumn is all about warming food, earthy flavours, dishes that hug you,” says Martin… while readily admitting that it’s harder to make hearty dishes as pretty as a midsummer salad. This is a chef, however, who’s as proficient in the art of presentation as he is a maestro of technique – and clearly puts his heart and soul into both.
“Every time I see the Pâté en Croûte on the current menu leave the kitchen, I’m chuffed because I know how much work we put into getting it right,” he says. “That dish is the result of a labour of love, but we got there in the end!” Indeed; it’s a phenomenal representation of a classic French creation that elevates what’s ostensibly a slice of pork and pistachio terrine wrapped in a hot water pastry crust to stellar heights.
“I’m passionate about fine dining,” says Martin. “Nowadays, people seem to be apologetic about saying that, or think the phrase is simply shorthand for expensive – which very much isn’t the case anymore. Eating out is changing so much and there are so many places doing different things; in London there are Greek restaurants with Michelin stars, and that sort of thing really interests me. My favourite restaurant ever is Paul Ainsworth’s No 6 in Padstow, and I love Japanese-influenced food too. But obviously, my own style is classic British.”
At Martin’s bidding, we try his Porthilly Oysters “Hot and Cold” (one crispy; one bracingly fresh and briny), and silky-rich Cornish Bluefin Tuna served with a sprightly ponzu. Somerset Lamb comes in multiple magnificent formats perfectly complemented by a deeply umami tapenade and a bright, vibrant basil emulsion, while a buttery fillet of pan-roasted halibut accompanied by sweet, fat mussels and bracingly briny sea vegetables prove to be equally sensational. At the finishing line, a fluffy, featherlight Strawberry Soufflé and a second dessert combining the extraordinarily complex Valrhona Opalys (the only white chocolate that turns my head) with Earl Grey, apricot and camomile: intriguing and charming in equal measure.
Balance and harmony; skill and thrills – why Martin doesn’t have a Michelin star to complement the bouquet of 3 AA rosettes that he’s maintained since 2022 is totally beyond me.
“I just try to cook food that I like and I know our guests are going to like, and hope that one day, Michelin will like it too,” he shrugs. “Stars are a dream and a goal for sure, but it’s all completely out of my hands.”
But for a chef of Martin’s calibre, dreams can come true, and goals can be reached; I don’t doubt for one moment that stardust will one day sprinkle all over his hob.
Head Chef Martin Blake.
Montagu’s Mews Restaurant, The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, 16 Royal Crescent, Bath BA1 2LS. royalcrescent.co.uk