Opening up throughout the day, the appointment of new Head Chef, Alex Gibson, an easy-going menu that plays to the mood of the particular time of day and a sprucing up of its interiors all bring added energy to The Shelburne. 
Previously having only been open for Sunday lunch, The Shelburne is now open all day seven days a week, all year round. Indeed, restaurant goers can visit from morning through to the evening: from breakfast (from 7am) to brunch to lunch and from afternoon tea to cocktails and on to dinner (with last orders at 9.30pm). As The Shelburne Restaurant flows into its cocktail bar area - with additional smaller table seating - and on into The Library, as well as offering further spots in which to eat or drink, the various sections have their own particular character and mood. The fire will be lit in The Library when it’s chilly while in the warmer weather French windows open out to a wide terrace for outdoor eating and drinking along the whole expanse of The Shelburne Restaurant, Bar and Library. Having recently arrived at Bowood, Alex Gibson has put together menus that pull quick bites, classic dishes, sharing platters and finer dining choices comfortably alongside each other. In the evening, the new menu’s ‘Main Meals’ section brings particular flair with dishes such as Butternut & Sage Risotto with Apple & Toasted Hazelnuts (£12.50); Pappardelle served either with Beef & Red Wine Ragu, Parmesan & Truffle or with Mushroom, Courgette & Tarragon Cream (both at £13); Turbot with Bacon & Clams, Parsley Pomme Purée (£23.50) and Catch of the Day (according to the Market Price). Onglet of Beef with Smoked Bone Marrow Butter (£14.50) and Surf & Turf featuring 4oz Fillet Steak with King Prawns and Garlic Butter (£23) appear among the ‘From The Grill’ choices. 
Alongside the Light Bites and Light Meals, three choices of Sharing Platters (from £16-£18) are also featured at lunchtime and in the evening as are ‘Bowood Classics’. Home-Made 8oz Beef Burger with Fries and Caramelised Onion Mayonnaise (£13.50) and Chicken Caesar Salad (£14) make their appearances here while Grilled Corn-fed Chicken with Moroccan Spiced Bulgar Wheat, Lime & Coriander (£12) and Slow-cooked Duck Wrap with Asian Slaw £10) will be found among lunchtime’s extended ‘Bowood Classics’. Puddings (all at £6.50) are certainly not overlooked as Chocolate & Pistachio Tart; Blackberry Eton Mess and White Chocolate & Raspberry Bread and Butter Pudding will testify. British cheeses - particularly those close to home, such as Simon Weaver Cotswold Organic Brie; Godminster Vintage and Smarts Double Gloucester - will be championed. Accompanied by artisan crackers and home-made Bowood chutney, each is priced at £2.50. While the day may have started with Brunch items such as Smoked Salmon & Bagel with Cream Cheese (£8) or Poached Egg & Avocado on Wholemeal Toast (£6), its progress will also take in the elegant timelessness of Bowood’s Cream Tea (£9.50) and English Afternoon Tea (£18) with the artistry of Pastry Chef Bethany Barnes, showcased between 2.30pm and 5pm. A glass of Prosecco or Champagne can be easily added. 
Inspired by Robert Adam’s eighteenth century Orangery that fronts Bowood House - just a mile from the 43-bedroom Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort - the curved sweep and French windows of The Shelburne captures a similar ‘indoors-outdoors‘ sense. Named after the 1st Earl of Shelburne (who purchased Bowood in 1754), the restaurant and its outdoor terrace look out towards a ha-ha and beyond to its captivating landscape of tree-lined, rolling green slopes within the western corner of Bowood’s Capability Brown Grade 1 listed parkland, spanning 2,000 acres. Having designed The Shelburne’s interiors and used fresh greens and smudgy blues to mirror this picturesque scene, Lady Lansdowne’s subtle updates will reflect the more relaxed mood of the new menu while also tuning in the 75-seater restaurant’s pulse to that of the cocktail bar and The Library. With The Shelburne Bar (distinguished by its splashes of clarety reds, zincs and stately blues plus a bank of framed political cartoons drawing on the lives and times of Lansdowne ancestors lining its walls) linking the restaurant and The Library, this open-plan layout adds to the informal nature of a Shelburne Restaurant visit. The Shelburne Restaurant now looks forward to welcoming those living locally and guests from further afield with two very special weekday offers running until mid-December and then from early January through to the end of February (with certain black-out dates applying). A lunch/daytime (until 7pm) menu will extend a 25% saving on food while a two-course dinner (food only) for two will be priced at £39. Subject to availability, table reservations must be made in advance, quoting SHELB25 and SHELB39 respectively. For further details and to download samples menus visit www.bowood.org/dining/ To book a table in the Shelburne Restaurant – please call Bowood Hotel on 01249 822 228.
