This old well house once operated as a lounge area for Lainston House’s cookery school, but a refurb has turned the space into a proper second restaurant for the old country house hotel. As you enter, a glass window in the floor lets you look way down into the murky depths of the old well. This might be a little disconcerting if you’re averse to heights, or you’ve been scarred by Hideo Nakata’s seminal horror The Ring. Don’t worry though - you can always just walk around it.
Lainston House is the sort of hotel we’d happily spend a few days exploring, so it makes sense to have two good restaurants on site. The Wellhouse’s USP is that everything is cooked between two fierce wood-fired ovens and a smoker - there’s no conventional oven or Chef Mike to be seen.
This sort of concept can often be better in theory than execution, but head chef Tom Younger and team clearly know their way around a wood fire. Something as simple as sourdough focaccia shows real attention to detail - the starter is made with fermented Lainston apples and faithfully baked each day, bronzed against the superheated walls of the mighty oven. Thin-crusted with a supple, oily crumb, it’s a nigh-on perfect bit of baking.
It’s not the only thing that impresses. An aged bavette is just the right side of medium-rare, with juices that run off into a slick of squash puree and caramelised shallots. A hefty old slab of pork chop is perhaps just a tad over, but that is fixed by a glossy sauce and a lovely bit of charring. Both of these are extremely generous portions, and along with a side you’d probably find you might not even need a starter. To skip the latter would be a mistake though - the pork burnt ends we tried are probably the best thing on the menu, slathered in barbecue sauce with pickled chillies bringing a touch of brightness.
The drinks menu is fairly limited, but you won’t struggle to find a good bottle of wine to wash everything down with, and service is very personable and friendly. All in all, we’re mighty impressed. There’s no doubt that Tom Hamblet’s The Avenue is still Lainston House’s main calling card, but we’d absolutely stay a second night to enjoy some flame-licked goodies at The Wellhouse.