There’s frozen yoghurt, and then there’s frozen yoghurt, Millbrook-style. Sure, the fro-yo tastes suitably lush and guilt-free, but it’s the accompanying coulis made from molten, over-ripe persimmon pulp – a seasonal, gardeners-only treat only available to those that grow their own food – that makes this dessert unmistakably Millbrook. While vineyards, forests and a man-made lake are the estate’s most visible assets, it’s the kitchen garden that exerts the strongest influence on the plate. A glut of late-autumn veg becomes a rich ratatouille sauce for flat iron steak. Grilled pumpkin sharpened with berbere spice holds its own against juicy roast pork. Cannonballs of braised oxtail are offset by a jumble of plump borlotti beans and a fleet-footed lentil and banana-pepper salad. Although Mother Nature calls most of the shots, it’s the obliging service, value-packed estate wines and other human touches that make lunch at this destination cellar door restaurant (still) so essential.
