Douglas Blyde heads to Cambridgeshire to visit The Old Bridge. There, he meets proprietor John Hoskins MW, the first Master of Wine in the restaurant industry, who tells him why he believes that sommeliers might not be “necessary”.
“Wine and design are the defining features at this Georgian inn on the edge of the town centre with views across a park to the Great Ouse,” appraised The Good Hotel Guide of the ivy-clad Georgian edifice overseen by John Hoskins, who became the first
Master of Wine in the restaurant industry in 1994. That same year Hoskins, who later became exam chairman for the Institute of Masters of Wine, acquired The Old Bridge. What he recalls as a “tired and very provincial” property was subsequently painstakingly renovated to the designs of his wife, Julia, which, along with an integral wine shop, being one of the first venues in the country to feature eye-catching Enomatics, and standout cellar, has made it a wine lovers’ destination.
In both restaurant and shop, wines, which must “charm” Hoskins with their “aroma first, then balance”, are categorised by character not region. This, he says, encourages people “to have a style of wine they like, rather than a region they have heard
of”. Mark-ups are kept to a genuine minimum. “The idea is to offer value and quality combined,” explains Hoskins. “So all restaurant wines are max £20 above retail price.”
Iconic producers present include Chave, Dauvissat, Gaja, Henschke, Jamet and Mugnier. “But they aren’t what we are about,” says Hoskins. “More interesting for us is great quality at under £50 in the shop, where, with limited shelf space, we are unremitting in re-evaluating each wine’s place.” Meanwhile, coming in under £70 in the restaurant, examples include Bilancia Syrah, Danbury Pinot, Ridge Zins, Isole Chianti, Pierre Peters Cuvée de Reserve and the whites of Galicia.
Best enjoyed in the uplifting, enclosed terrace, dishes by head chef Pramod Jadhav, whose nickname is “Rambo”, show accents of India, and may include fillet of sea trout with crushed pistachios, almonds, spinach, roast cauliflower, turmeric potatoes and cumin-pickled fennel as well as curries.
“A sublime combo recently was a not-too-spicy vegan curry with Höllenpfad Riesling Trocken from Dönnhoff,” recalls Hoskins.
Perhaps controversially, Hoskins, who suffers from a histamine intolerance meaning he has a “crashing hangover” if he drinks more than three glasses of wine, doesn’t automatically believe that sommeliers, are “necessary”. He says: “While often talented and brilliant people, I just don’t think an ‘official’ sommelier is what the customer wants.”
Score: 94.5 Value: 99 Size: 93 Range: 95 Originality: 93 Experience: 92.5
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