I am one of the lucky few to have tried both Angela Hartnett and Paul Ainsworth’s food. Angela’s renowned Italian eateries are unbeatable in London and Paul Ainsworth is one of Cornwall’s most promising chefs. I featured Paul Ainsworth’s Padstow restaurant, No. 6 in my recent guidebook to Cornwall and I love the way he gets the most from the rich and wonderful Cornish produce. So when I heard he was teaming up with Angela for a pop-up Cornwall inspired dinner at Limewood hotel, I jumped at the opportunity to attend.

Limewood is one of England’s most special countryside hotels. Set amongst the verdant New Forest landscape, it is the ideal escape from London, just an hour away from the city but wonderfully isolated and relaxed. The building dates back to the 13th century when it was a medieval hunting lodge, until the Duke of Clarence claimed the house in the 1740s.

Nowadays it is kept in pristine condition with regal bedrooms and beautiful common areas for guests to enjoy a drink and some down time. There is the blissful Herb House spa for lazy afternoons with an indoor spa, hydrotherapy pool and an outdoor hot pool, and plenty of beautiful grounds for rambling countryside walks.

The food operations are overseen by Angela Hartnett who curates Italian dishes with a nod to the seasons. There are a range of foodie events throughout the year and a popular cooking school that teaches lessons including pasta making and cake baking.

I checked into Limewood for a one-night stay in a heavenly Forest Hide Away Suite. The suite is designed over two floors with a cosy downstairs lounge and a small private terrace upstairs. The huge king-sized bed was decadent and very comfortable, and the lavish bathroom had a bath and shower, dual sinks and lovely Bamford toiletries.

After a brief walk in the grounds we went back to the suite to get ready for dinner. At 7pm hotel guests and visitors gathered at the main hotel restaurant for a glass of fizzy and Paul’s Cornish dinner. The menu featured:

• cicchetti
• cornish mackerel with kimchi style cabbage, gentleman’s relish
• lamb (tamar valley), sweetbread, salt baked celeriac, mutton ham
• a trifle ‘cornish’ (c. 1596) blood orange, rhubarb, saffron

We were placed on a table with a lovely group, and we were all deep in conversation when the first course arrived. Delicate pieces of Cornish mackerel were beautiful scorched and paired with sharp Asian kimchi style cabbage.

The main event was a luxurious cut of lamb, cooked rare with crispy breadcrumbed sweetbreads, sweet salt-baked celeriac and a rich and glossy sauce. The portion was generous but refined and each element earned it’s position on the plate, a contrast of textures and tastes.

For dessert, Paul presented an unconventional trifle with seasonal blood oranges, saffron cake and pretty-in-pink rhubarb. It was a marriage of springtime flavours.

We woke the next morning after a long and restful sleep. The sun was shining and we relished the opportunity to enjoy breakfast on our private terrace. A range of fresh fruit salad, farmhouse sausage baps and strong coffee was delivered to our room for us to feast on.

My time spent at Limewood was over in a flash, but I loved the experience of trying some of Cornwall’s finest food at such a magical hotel.

More information on the Limewood hotel and pop-ups here.