Strawberry season has well & truly arrived across The AHC and our chefs and bar teams are most definitely making the most of these luscious fruits.  The English strawberry season has arrived a little later this year but growers say that as a consequence the fruits will be bigger and sweeter as a result.  The cooler spring weather resulted in a slower ripening period but the longer growing time has produced larger berries than last year, whilst the sunny warm June weather has boosted their sugar content, making them sweeter and juicier.  Definitely worth the wait we say!

Read on to see how these Summer fruits are being used across the Collection…

First up some rather pretty (and fabulously tasting) desserts…

Alex Payne, Head Chef at the one Michelin starred Tudor Pass at Great Fosters has created a stunning strawberry dessert for his diners.  His beautiful dish includes a Lees Cheesecake dipped in Strawberry Glaze with Strawberry Sorbet, Strawberry Delice, Lees Gel, Strawberry & Fitzrovia Gel & a Milk Crumb.  He uses strawberries grown on Oakchurch Farm in Hereford.  They’ve been growing fruit for over 50 years and have an outstanding reputation for producing strawberries of excellent quality and flavour. The fruit is picked slightly riper than other farms pick theirs, to give a super sweet berry – the perfect centre piece for Alex’s dessert!

Meanwhile across at Rowhill Grange Head Chef Andres Garcia has combined rhubarb (grown in the hotel’s own garden) with strawberries to create the most delicious vegan cheesecake.  And for all you non vegans out there, trust us when we say that this is so delicious you’d never realise it is vegan!

At Barnett Hill Head Chef Robert Newell has incorporated a rather scrumptious strawberry & custard tart into the summer afternoon tea menu – it’s delicious served with a Pimm’s or glass of local Albury pink sparkling wine.

Adam Gasper, our new Head Chef at Langshott Manor has created a dessert that’s pretty as a picture – strawberries are served alongside a delicate tonka bean panna cotta, with strawberry sorbet & purée, strawberry ‘glass’, Thai basil and Chantilly cream.

Our Bar teams across the Collection have excelled themselves this season and created some truly scrumptious cocktails to make the most of our English strawberries.  Szilard, our Bar Manager at Alexander House has devised two strawberry cocktails for Summer 2023.  A deliciously zingy Strawberry & Lime Daquiri garnished with, of course, a fresh strawberry.  Have you tried this yet – it’s strongly recommended!

Plus an impressive Strawberry 75 cocktail – gin, strawberry & acacia honey shrub & lemon juice are topped with Champagne & sprinkled with strawberry powder with a bubble that pops to create the effect below – an Insta worthy cocktail for sure!  If you’d like to try making your own at home Szilard has kindly shared his recipe.  Firstly make your shrub by combining equal parts of strawberry purée, acacia honey and white balsamic vinegar and leave to develop for up to 48 hours.  Then strain and place in a bottle.  To make your cocktail combine gin, some of your homemade shrub and lemon juice and top with Champagne.

Cladwell, Head Barman at Great Fosters has created a strawberry mocktail – perfect for sipping poolside, which includes homemade strawberry purée, lemon juice and a little sugar syrup, topped with rose lemonade.  Super refreshing on a warm summer’s day.

His Strawberry Margarita hits the spot at the end of the day and also pairs rather beautifully with the Wimbledon afternoon tea available at Great Fosters from 3rd – 16th July.

At Rowhill Grange the bar team is celebrating strawberries with a Dockyard Gin cocktail using local Copper Rivet Distillery’s gin made in nearby Chatham.  Dockyard strawberry gin is blended with lemon and topped up with prosecco.  Best enjoyed as part of our Dockyard Gin afternoon tea experience on the terrace on a sunny day.

At Langshott Manor the team has created a refreshing Rum Cocktail that sings of sunshine.  Strawberry Malibu and strawberry liqueur are topped up with strawberry lemonade…form an orderly queue!

Chin chin – we hope you have an opportunity over the summer to sample some of these strawberry creations

Curated by Amanda Dougans