Aspen House

It does seem a trifle odd to travel into the depths of very rural Herefordshire for a taste of Polish cooking, but that's the way it is when you visit Aspen House. They also have very powerful and well-argued views on what we should and should not be eating, views that would certainly not be music to the ears of the supermarket chains.

The result is that when you go to stay or just to eat, (they prefer the former, the latter is an exception rather than the rule) you will find yourself exploring new realms in eating with the emphasis not only on Polish food, but with strong dashes of other global influences applied in a convincing manner ranging from Mediterranean, through Middle Eastern to Indian.

A typical meal might start with cream of sorrel and potato soup, through slow roasted beef hussar, or perhaps lamb tagine with couscous. A roast loin of pork for instance is much the same in England as it is in Poland; it's just the quality of the pork that counts, together with the nuances of preparation, in much the same away as cuisines the world over.

The Aspen House Big Breakfast is a wonderful example of an authentic approach to a meal which, whilst much loved by many, has suffered from the effects of modern life. The eggs are collected fresh each morning and steam-fried in butter; the bacon is local dry-cured.

Aspen House is in many ways a centre for taking a fresh look at food and our relationship with it. I commend it to you very warmly.