Tolley's Ryecroft Hall (April 2002)
This is an archived article from 2002.
View the up to date Sugarvine guide to all Restaurants in Blackpool
Gary Rhodes does it. Jamie Oliver is doing it. So why not Clive Tolley? When he bought Ryecroft Hall in 1996 and added his name to it, more than a few local eyebrows were raised. But the fact is that both the building and the business were in dire need of a shot in the arm. The rebranding was more than just another chef's ego trip - it was a statement of intent. Six years on and there can be no doubting the transformation.
First to get the Tolley treatment was the late 19th century hall. He spent £200,000 adding a classy bar area and a very distinctive frontage to the building. The refurb - particularly the bar - was money well spent. These days, few non-hotel restaurants provide a totally separate bar area where you can enjoy pre-dinner drinks and take your coffee at leisure. At Tolley's Ryecroft Hall the large bar lounge is very tastefully done out -- lots of wood panelling and a fireplace - and it's hard to tell that it's not a part of the original structure.
There have also been major changes on the food front -- no surprise when you consider the chef patron's track record. He left the RAF as Chief Instructor to the service's catering wing and added to his achievements in civvy street, running a Birmingham catering college where he had 500 chefs training under his direction. That kind of experience has translated into a quality and attention to detail at Ryecroft Hall that is exemplary.
The menus have recently been updated at Tolleys with the focus now very much on traditional British favourites. The midweek special menu (3 courses, £13.50; 2 courses, £11) includes Atlantic Prawn Cocktail and Ogen Melon with Strawberries in Cointreau as starters and dishes like Sauteed Pork Tenderloin in a Stilton and Cream Sauce and Roasted Sirloin of Beef in a Giant Yorkshire Pudding for mains. For a supplement of less than £5 you can sample something from the a la carte menu - duck, lemon sole, halibut, scampi or a choice of char-grilled steaks. It's difficult to think of where else you would get this quality of food and service at these kind of prices. At weekends there's a Saturday night table d'hote menu (3 courses, £16.95) and the Sunday lunch menu (3 courses, £11.50).
Of course the proof of the pudding is in the eating. So consider this: When Tolley's Ryecroft Hall opened they were serving 30 at Sunday lunch; now it averages out at between 200 and 300 each Sunday with (well in) advance booking an absolute must. Not bad for a restaurant in out-of-the-way Hambleton.
Tolley's Ryecroft Hall
Sandy Lane
Hambleton
Poulton-le-Fylde
Tel: 01253 700780
Read More Features: Pub Food In The Fylde (2009) | The Hastings (2009) | Locanda Bragagnini (2008) | Exploring The Food Chain (2008) | Septembers (2007) | In The Know Where To Go (2007) | Twelve (2007) | The Bistro Experience (2007) | What's New For Fylde Diners (2006) | Chicory (2006) | Dining With The Stars (2006) | Gurkha Buffet (2006) | Where To Have A Party (2006) | Fylde Rugby Club (2005) | Three New Italians For The Fylde (2005) | Where To Eat By The Sea (2005) | Dining Choices Along The M55 (2005) | Whelans (April 2005) | Breaking The Mould (April 2005) | Michaels (Febuary 2005) | A Michelin Tour Of Lancashire (Febuary 2005) | The Gastrotourist (December 2004) | Bar Culture Comes To Town (December 2004) | Joya (October 2004) | Where To Eat In Warton And Freckleton (October 2004) | Fish & Chips, The Nation's Favourite (August 2004) | The Villa (August 2004) | Frankie & Benny's (June 2004) | The New Arrivals (June 2004) | The Italian Orchard (May 2004) | Where To Eat In Kirkham (May 2004) | The Gastrotourist (April 2004) | Indian Food In The Fylde (March 2004) | La Mezzaluna (March 2004) | Twelve (February 2004) | Fylde's Romantic Rendevous (February 2004) | The Atrium (January 2004) | Clifton Arms Hotel (December 2003) | Winter Warmers (December 2003) | Samurai Nights (November 2003) | Morena (November 2003) | Dangerous Liaisons (October 2003) | The Derby Arms (October 2003) | County Country Carvery (September 2003) | The Business Lunch (September 2003) | The Choice Is Yours (August 2003) | The Gastrotourist (August 2003) | Casa Verde (July 2003) | Where To Eat In Fleetwood (July 2003) | Bistro Gerry (June 2003) | Eating Al Fresco (June 2003) | Portofino (May 2003) | Thai Food On The Fylde (May 2003) | Eating Out Over Wyre (April 2003) | Rigby's Farmhouse (April 2003) | Terry's Balti House (March 2003) | In Search Of The X Factor (March 2003) | Great Fortune House (February 2003) | A Grand Night Out (February 2003) | Censored (January 2003) | Banthai (December 2002) | Simply The Best? (December 2002) | Dining With A Difference (November 2002) | Italian Food In The Fylde (October 2002) | Where To Eat Out In St. Annes (September 2002) | The Park Brasserie (August 2002) | A Room With A View (August 2002) | Chinese Food In The Fylde (July 2002) | Jack's Bistro (July 2002) | Where To Eat Out in Thornton-Cleveleys (June 2002) | The Red Fort (June 2002) | Set For Summer: 10 Fylde Country Pubs (May 2002) | Kwizeen (May 2002) | Where To Eat Out In Lytham (April 2002) | Tolley's Ryecroft Hall (April 2002) - The Best Hotel Dining In The Fylde (March 2002) | The Plough At Eaves (January 2002) | Greens Bistro (February 2002) | Where To Eat Out In Poulton (February 2002)
