Once a country manor house, surrounded by open fields, The Hopping Hare retains its charm and appeal, especially during the Christmas season when it is ready with a warm welcome and comfortable surroundings where everyone can relax and enjoy themselves.
Special menus have been announced for festive get-togethers throughout December, as well as for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and for those wanting to make a night of it, there are 20 stylish boutique bedrooms.
The Hopping Hare, a two AA Rosette restaurant, took home a Gold award in the Restaurant of the Year category at last year’s Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards and the Christmas menus reflect the kitchen team’s commitment to fresh, local produce and creating innovative dishes.
On the Festive Menu, which is priced at £45 per person, there’s something to suit all tastes, from confit chicken and leek terrine or chestnut mushroom and Northampton Blue cheese tart among the starters, to main courses that include roast Gressingham turkey with chestnut and cranberry stuffing with all the trimmings; slow-cooked shoulder of lamb, pan-fried fillet of sea trout, and garlic and thyme baked butternut squash.
The dessert selection includes Christmas spiced sticky toffee pudding and mulled wine pear Bakewell tart.
The Festive Menu will be served from Monday, November 24 until Christmas Eve and from Saturday, December 27 until Tuesday, December 30. A £10 per person non-refundable deposit is required on parties of eight or more.
Christmas Day Lunch is always a popular event for Th e Hopping Hare and this year promises to be no exception.
After an amuse bouche of cauliflower and truffle velouté, guests will enjoy their choice from the starters, which include Hopping Hare assiette of seafood, roulade of Althorp Estate game, or roast butternut squash and goats cheese tart.
The mains, naturally, include roast Gressingham turkey with chestnut and cranberry stuffing with all the trimmings; or guests can choose pan-fried fillet of beef with Dauphinoise potatoes, pan-roasted monkfish tail, or roast Portobello mushroom, spinach and goats cheese Wellington.
Christmas pudding leads the way on the dessert selection, which also includes Hopping Hare yule log, clementine and ginger delice and a selection of British cheeses, followed by tea, coffee and mince pies.
The Christmas Day menu is £98 per adult and £50 per child and there will be two sittings, at midday and at 2.30pm. A £20 per person deposit required by Thursday, December 11.
On Boxing Day, for £48 per adult or £25 per child, guests can enjoy starters that include celeriac and apple soup and rillette of salmon and crispy panko prawns. Mains include roast Gressingham turkey with all the trimmings and roast belly pork, while the dessert menu features white chocolate, passion fruit and pineapple cheesecake and Christmas spice sticky toffee pudding.
For Boxing Day, a £10 non-refundable deposit per person, along with food choices, is required by Friday, December 12.
The excellent quality food and ambience, as well as the comfortable bedrooms, provide an excellent base for those visiting the area to enjoy attractions such as Th e Royal and Derngate, Northampton Saints matches, Althorp and Silverstone. as well as an option for local visitors or their guests who want to enjoy an overnight stay, lead to a constant fl ow of reviews on TripAdvisor.
Among the most recent were:
Wonderful Birthday Lunch… My partner and I had a most amazing lunch at the Hopping Hare yesterday to celebrate my birthday. I had the pork loin, and he had the chicken. We also had desserts. Everything was perfect. From the service, lovely table and the crowning glory the food. Perfect
Deserves Six Stars … when we got to the room it was an extremely pleasant surprise. It was spotless, modern and had all amenities. We made it back to the bar for a drink and were delighted to find that the ale was well looked after (unusual these days) and the staff were very, very friendly and attentive. The meal in the evening was superb and that and the service just couldn’t be faulted. I noted from previous review that this place was described as a gem and I do think that is a perfect description.
For more information, call 01604 580090, email info@hoppinghare.com or visit The Hoping Hare website.
