The Cartwright Arms, Aynho (From The Oxford Times)

The Cartwright Arms, Aynho

2:53pm Wednesday 22nd July 2009

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I shall state straightaway that one visit for dinner has left me very impressed with the Cartwright Hotel in Aynho. I liked the ‘feel’ of the place and the good taste shown in its decor; I admired the variety, presentation and good value of the food, in its ‘market menu’ offerings especially; I appreciated the warmth and courtesy shown by members of the waiting staff, one of the politest of whom turned out to come from Hungary — a first for me in these days of true internationalism in our nation’s catering establishments.

This was the first time in many years that I had been to the hotel, once an important staging post on the road from Birmingham to London. Its name comes from the Cartwright family whose members lived for more than 400 years in a stately mansion, refashioned by Sir John Soane in 1800, just along the road. Their long occupation of nearby Aynhoe Park (correctly spelt thus) ended tragically with the deaths — in a car crash near Bicester in 1954 — of Squire Richard Cartwright and his 17-year-old son and heir Edward.

Since early last year, the Cartwright has been owned by Nigel and Susan Oddy’s Oxfordshire Hotels, whose five properties also include The Holcombe and the Deddington Arms, both in Deddington, and the White Hart in Dorchester-on-Thames. The company name was presumably considered to be a settled and unalterable thing before the acquisition of Villiers in Buckingham and the Cartwright, which is actually in Northamptonshire. Perhaps they should have followed the example of the Oxford Co-op (as it once was), and gone in for a steadily expanding name that might eventually come to encompass the whole country. This would be no bad thing, if future additions to the chain were to prove as well-run as the Cartwright.

En route to our Friday night dinner, we passed the Deddington Arms and noted a merry crew enjoying beer in the sunshine on its forecourt. I was pleased, too, to see at the Cartwright that the ‘wet’ side of the business is not forgotten, with its bar packed with people supping pints of Adnam’s and Black Sheep bitter from Masham.

But we were bound for the restaurant, whither we were escorted immediately on arrival and equipped with wine list (the good-value £10 French sauvignon blanc wine of the month was quickly spotted and ordered) and menu. I should actually say menus, for there are two — an extensive à la carte, and the aforementioned good-value ‘market’ selection. This included such starters as black pudding and apple salad and garlic field mushrooms en croûte, mains like frogs’ legs and chicken fricassée and tempting puddings such as raspberry crème brûlée and mixed ice creams in a brandy snap basket.

Rosemarie plumped for this menu at once.

She was very glad that she did, beginning with a deliciously creamy cauliflower soup with cheese croutons, and continuing with pan-fried fillet of lemon sole with vegetable panache, new potatoes and beurre noisette. To finish she had a slice of gooey chocolate tart with brandy cream.

Eating from the carte, I began with a chunk of admirable home-made hot-smoked salmon with lemon and dill creme fraiche. This was followed by a whole Bibury Trout (as praised by Helen Peacocke in last week’s The Oxford Times), with a julienne of mange tout (and, I think, runner beans, though these were not mentioned on the menu), buttered new potatoes and citrus beurre blanc. Other main course choices included grilled red mullet, fillet steak and vegetarian stuffed savoury pancakes.

I finished with a generous selection of cheeses, served with grapes, chutney, celery and water biscuits. The ‘stars’ were the Mull of Kintyre Scottish cheddar, and unpasteurised Brie de Meaux. A fine dinner!

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