Tuddenham Mill

Located in northwest Suffolk, in between Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds and not far from Cambridge, Tuddenham Mill, a converted 12th century flour mill has all the inbuilt charm and permanence that one might expect from its history and such a superb setting. Much of the machinery remains intact and on view and the mill pool provides a soothing view from the restaurant and a number of rooms.

The clever combination of new and old is one of the principal charms of this restaurant with rooms and nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the bedrooms where old oak beams run riot, the floorboards are white, and the massive doubled-ended stone baths in some of the rooms are an object of extreme envy to those who do not have one in theirs. Walk in showers, fluffy bath sheets and exclusive toiletries by Jo Malone, an innovative, contemporary brand that embodies British luxury and is loved equally by men and women the world over, provide further evidence of a dedication to excellence.

Choices between the three main Mill bedrooms, eight Mill Stream and Watermeadow rooms, and the Loft Rooms are by no means easy to make, but rest assured they all attain to the same high standard including Bose sound systems, Loewe flat screen TVs and Italian designed furniture, and those memorable 6ft beds with fully sprung mattresses.

You will find an enticing choice of dishes on the main Mill menu, with seven starters that includes the trio of salmon, each delightful in its own way, though my preference is for the crushed lemon grass, chilli, lime and coconut cured. Or you could try 'The whole of the duck', which involves a crispy duck leg spring roll, duck liver parfait and slow confit of duck breast served with coriander and tequila dipping sauce, absolutely ideal for two to share.

The Highlands of Scotland are brought to you on a plate when you order the haggis spring roll, shin of beef stovie, pan-fried beef medallion with fruit pudding, clap shot potato, rounded off with a minced beef and vegetable bridie. One of the best things about Britain is you are never too far from the sea and vastly improved facilities for keeping seafood fresh have changed our attitude to such shibboleths as never eating fish on Monday, so dishes such as seared king scallops, langoustine, fennel and citrus risotto, served with a chilled spiced tomato, basil and pine nut gazpacho are both popular and trusted.

In this haven of high eating it would be nothing short of a tragedy to miss out on the desserts, and banana and toffee crumble with vanilla waffle and maple syrup ice cream catches many an eye. An assiette of all things chocolate provides a very unfair contest, but some, mainly men, will stick out for the cheese, not least because of its supporters, grape and kumquat chutney, Suffolk rusks and beer, treacle and walnut bread.

A taster menu cleverly involves the leading lights amongst the chefs, with Head Chef Gordon McNeill, the inspiration behind the Tuddenham Mill menus, doing the cured fillets of sardines with grapefruit and Suffolk cyder.

Tuddenham Mill has set a new benchmark for excellence in the area. Click on their Website for further information about meetings and private functions.