insideKENT Magazine Issue 28 - July 2014 | Page 117

Dinner took place in The Great
British Kitchen in the Courtyard – a
stunning venue with oak beams
rising into the vaulted ceiling and
attentive, friendly staff ready to greet
you on entry.

and toasted hazelnuts struck me
first, or sherry trifle? Wait…unclassic lemon meringue, fresh berry
and cream pavlova, my goodness!
I’ll go with my instincts. Chocolate
pudding and coffee, bliss!

The menu was varied and catered
for all, from grilled longhorn steak,
to braised old spot pork belly, to
summer vegetable chowder; or my
American wife’s favourite: ‘Chicken
in a Basket’.

After relaxing my belt slightly, it was
time to head back to our sanctuary
and with the Castle glowing before
us in the silence of our decadent
surroundings, a time to contemplate
the history and power of this most
beautiful of places.

I chose the hand-raised and Kentish
pork pie served with Jersey royal
potato and spring onion salad for
a starter, which was excellent. Other
choices included pressed Leeds
Castle wild rabbit and ham hock;
salt beef; and twice-baked British
goats cheese soufflé.
My main, the Longhorn steak, was
cooked to perfection and came
adorned with a field mushroom,
roasted tomatoes and some
especially nice chunky chips. Suffice
to say not a morsel remained and
I found myself in good stead for the
dessert menu.
A difficult decision indeed! Warm
chocolate pudding, salt caramel

117

The peacock continued to impress
the lady before him, emblazoned in
his own prowess, and as darkness
began to fall, so too did his
impressive display as his mate
walked towards him and the
romance of the loveliest Castle in
the world cast its spell on all of us.

The Maiden’s Tower at Leeds
Castle
Maidstone
ME17 1PL
www.leeds-castle.com