Richie's Menu

Head Chef Richie works very closely with many local suppliers to ensure that the food he produces is the best it can be. He has hand picked these companies to ensure that the ethos of his kitchen and the integrity of his dishes can be consistently maintained. This in turn transforms your experience of dining at Northcote Manor from a pleasurable one to a memorable one.

Having trained for five years at the Montagu Arms hotel in The New Forest under a Michelin starred chef named John Mann Richie then worked his way up through the ranks to become the youngest sous chef in the hotel's history, gaining NVQ levels 2&3 in kitchen & larder and NVQ Level 3 in kitchen management.

Richie moved to Llangoed Hall and became Head Chef, where he and his brigade gained 2 rosettes. It was at this time that he was introduced to Jan and Pierre Mifsud, who own our sister hotel The Lake Country House in Llangammarch Wells. They had recently purchased Northcote Manor and were keen to get Richie involved, where he has know been for the past five years as Head chef.

Having progressed ‘on the job’ Richie understands the need to nurture a sense of dedication in creative raw talent and works year on year with our local college to give apprenticeships to promising young chefs.

Richie has a team of four including Russell Stach, his sous chef and Will Taurines. Both Russell and Will have been at Northcote for over four years and are dedicated to helping Richie drive the restaurant forward.

If you have enjoyed your dining experience at Northcote Manor please tell the Good Food Guide about us at www.which.co.uk

Richie and his brigade wish you a stay of gastronomic excellence.

Poached Blueberry Tartlet

Sweet Pastry Recipe

225g flour
110g butter
2 x egg yolks
25g caster sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water

Poached Blueberries

250g of blueberries
100ml water
50g caster sugar
100g clotted cream
25g small mint leaves

Method:

Place the four, very cold butter and caster sugar into a mixing bowl and mix until the dough becomes crumbly then add the egg yolk slowly finishing off by adding the water with the salt mixed in to it.
Wrap the dough in cling film and allow to rest in the fridge
Place the sugar and water into a saucepan to make a syrup and heat until boiling. Be very watchful of the syrup and don’t get it on your skin as it will be very hot. Once boiled reduce the temperature to a gentle simmer and place the blueberries in the liquid to poach for around 30 minutes.
Place your tartlet mould in the freezer to get them really cold, this will help the pastry not to stick when you want to remove your tartlets later. Cut your pastry to size and place in the frozen moulds and blind bake using baking beans or dried rice to keep the pastry flat until golden brown.
Once the pastry has cooled completely add a spoonful of clotted cream into the bottom of each tartlet and cover with the poached berries. Add a sprig of mint for colour and serve.

Perfect!