Master Builders Hotel

Quirky Luxury

Why not visit one of our sister hotels:

Meet the Chef

Menus that follow seasons not fashion......

One of our main attractions is the quality of the food we serve - whether in the main restaurant or the bar. Our kitchen team, led by Neil Dowson produce consistently excellent food, with our main emphasis being on fresh and seasonal. Where possible we try and use local suppliers, but we don’t let that restrict what we can offer. The quality of our ingredients is paramount, whether it be venison from the New Forest, or scallops off the islands of Scotland.

Neil started his career at The Savoy, London where he worked for 6 years progressing to sous chef of the Savoy Grill . Using this sound base, Neil moved to Fleur de Sel, Haslemere, a one Michelin star restaurant, before joining the team at the then newly opened Vineyard at Stockcross as sous chef. He then worked as head chef at the renowned boutique hotel, The Victoria at Holkham on the North Norfolk Coast. Most recently, Neil has been the head chef at our sister hotel, The Elephant at Pangbourne.

 

Neil's favourite dish

My favourite dish on the menu at the Master Builder's is the grilled fish of the day. No, it’s not very complicated, but it encapsulates everything we believe in. It’s simple yet seasonal, from plaice and beautiful lemon sole in the summer months to grey mullet, mackerel and seabass from the Solent.

We serve it simply grilled with a green salad and a choice of sauces such as hollandaise, homemade tartare and romesco or plain grilled with lemon.

We have a very good relationship with our fish suppliers who keep us in touch with the local day boats. This means we get the freshest fish straight off the boats and into our kitchen for you to enjoy. It’s also fully sustainable, so we know we’re not harming local fish stocks.