Fischer’s at Baslow Hall

The style is 17th century and the interiors Jacobean, but Max and Susan Fischer’s manor house in ‘stunningly beautiful’ grounds on the edge of a Peak District village was built in 1907. House bedrooms (refurbished since last year) are individually styled. Haddon, overlooking an arboretum, has a new bathroom. Rutland has a sitting room with a ‘very comfortable sofa’, ‘a bathroom with a really deep bath’, ‘a comfortable bed with effective reading lights’, a view of the ‘impressive vegetable garden’. More contemporary-style annexe rooms have their own walled garden. All have a coffee machine and organic toiletries. Head chef, Nathan Wall, creates eight-course tasting menus for omnivores and vegetarians. The three-course menu might include dry aged duck breast with blueberry and broccoli or sirloin of locally-raised Baslow beef. ‘Dinner was everything others have written effusively about.’ The staff are ‘charming and helpful’. A new sound system is likely to divide opinion. Breakfast includes ‘freshly squeezed juice, wonderful granola, perfect kippers, and honey from hives to go with freshly-baked pastries’. (Andrew Warren, and others)