Welcome to Winteringham

Barbara Young visits North Lincolnshire’s Michelin-starred fine dining venue Winteringham Fields, to sample its new immersive experience and tasting menu.

If you’re a fan of TV cooking programmes and enjoy watching professional chefs create innovative dishes with flair and passion, a visit to Winteringham Fields is a perfect treat.

With an unwavering commitment to uphold top standards and remain up to date while moving with current trends and demands, chef director Gareth Bartram has overseen a remarkable transformation to its well established concept of a fine dining restaurant (with rooms).

Having received a Michelin star for a fifth year in a row, Winteringham Fields has always attracted customers from all over the county and beyond. However diners can now enjoy a new perspective on its popular seasonal tasting menu, which continues in its quest to respect nature and the seasons.

Situated in the sleepy village of Winteringham, close to the Humber Estuary, this exclusive restaurant housed in a 16th-century former farmhouse has recently undergone a refurbishment and introduced a new concept which will both inspire and delight customers, old and new.

The “immersive dining experience”, which features a six-course tasting menu (with wine pairing option) available at lunchtime, and an eight-course menu in the evening, is a similar concept to a chef’s table, but brought to the whole dining room in a friendly and mellow manner.

Guests walk through the kitchens where they are warmly greeted by Gareth and his team of chefs before being seated in full view of the kitchen. Here you can watch each dish being lovingly prepared and created which further adds to one’s appreciation of the effort and passion for perfection in every member of the crew.

Tasting experience
For those who might be wary of change, fear not: the restaurant’s fresh ingredient-led concept still hinges heavily on nature; using seasonal ingredients sourced from local suppliers and growers, as well as plentiful produce from its on-site kitchen garden. 

To enhance the guest experience, the new concept sees each course brought to the table and introduced by the chef who prepared it.

It’s evident that each of the chefs shares a genuine enthusiasm for their creations, taking time to explain in detail the ingredients and intricacies of the beautifully presented dishes. From arrival to departure, the staff work together as part of a well-oiled team and go out of their way to make you feel cherished, all the while delivering a high standard of food and service within a bright but relaxed setting.

Having settled in and relaxed over drinks, we sampled pre-lunch “snacks” featuring wafer thin slices of home-cured charcuterie and Lincolnshire Poacher tartlet in the welcoming new bar area, where you can chill out on deep sofas.

With our table ready, we were led past the open larder section; temperature controlled ageing fridges and a mural depicting a map of the British Isles pinpointing the restaurant’s suppliers, to the hub of the action.

Open kitchen
It must take courage for any chef to open up his kitchen to customers during service, but no one seemed remotely fazed by being in full view and it was interesting to watch the team meticulously create platefuls of pleasure with effortless ease under Gareth’s professional and calm leadership.

Arriving at the pass, Gareth served us fresh, gloriously green garden lovage broth and shared in our delight as we identified some of the careful combination of flavours. Winteringham Fields has always been famous for its unusual pairings of ingredients, as well as artistic presentation which more than follows through in flavour. The new lunchtime tasting menu didn’t disappoint, with seasonal ingredients always the stars of the show.

The first dish to arrive at our table in the dining area at the side of the kitchen was beautifully presented BBQ Chicken Tacos, served with lime, sauerkraut and chicken fat panko, which we rolled up neatly before popping in our mouths, savouring the delicate flavours.

While awaiting the next course, we were served slices of crusty homemade roasted onion bread served with caramelised butter and an ale and treacle loaf with accompanying “mucky” fat, described as being similar to beef dripping – dangerously moreish!

Next came a palate cleanser of Isle of Wight heritage tomatoes served with delicate beads of watermelon, ponzu and nori, accompanied by a delicate crystal clear consommé. Our fish dish featured roast North Sea Monkfish, served with garden peas, home cured salami, and smoked bacon dashi, followed by a brief pause before tackling the two-part salt-aged rib of Hereford beef dish, enhanced by Japanese inspired flavourings

Refreshing finish
Far from feeling like we’d overindulged, the combination and balance of the individual dishes on the menu has been well thought through, leaving you looking forward to the next surprise to arrive.

A lemon refresher course came next; a delightfully light combination of olive oil, yoghurt, thyme and honeycomb – both sweet and soft and the perfect palate cleanser to prepare us for our last course.

Dessert was Winteringham Fields’ take on a Solero ice cream; a mango, passion fruit, coconut and basil combination – just the right balance of punchy flavours and a perfect taste of summer.

Although Gareth, who is a real enthusiast for sharing the joys of fresh food, has been working at Winteringham Fields since 2014, he retains an unwavering passion, drive and commitment to continue his quest to evolve the restaurant’s next chapter. By bringing guests closer to the heart of the restaurant than ever and delivering outstanding food, it’s evident that Gareth and his team are enjoying sharing the journey of this unique experience with guests.

Whether you’re in search of a memorable meal, planning a truly special occasion, or treating loved ones to a perfect getaway by booking an overnight stay in one of the spacious, individually designed luxury suites, Winteringham Fields aims to deliver a five-star experience.

Photographs: courtesy of Tim Green/Winteringham Fields/Bill North

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