When James Close announced the closure of The Raby Hunt at the beginning of 2024, it marked the end of an era for international destination dining in a not-so-destination location. As a beacon of culinary excellence, it sat incongruously on a long, flat B-road to a sparsely populated corner of the North East. The cooking from Close and his wife Maria was astonishingly good, earning a deliciousness rating of World Class in The Good Food Guide.
The building was a former pub owned by Close’s parents and, over the years in which The Raby Hunt rose to prominence, the space was increasingly restrictive. Guest rooms and a chef’s table helped mark the occasion, but the main dining room felt comparatively uninspiring. So it was of great interest that the Closes’ next move was to luxury golf hotel Rockliffe Hall.
Though only 20 minutes from The Raby Hunt, Rockliffe Hall sits on the more populous east side of the A1 with the East Coast Mainline glimpsed zipping through the trees in the grounds. Darlington train station is just a few miles north with speedy connections to Edinburgh and London. Plus, there’s plenty happening here. Rockcliffe Hall is owned by Middlesborough entrepreneur Steve Gibson, also the owner of Middlesborough FC, so as well as the hotel’s championship golf course, it’s where the Middlesborough team train (and where the England squad convened ahead of their campaign in the Euros 2024).
Beyond golf, football and a sizeable spa, efforts to offer serious destination dining at the hotel brought James Close into the fold as culinary director. The vision is to open a standalone restaurant within the grounds, although with planning permission in the pre-application stage, the project won’t come to fruition until late 2025. In the meantime, the chef is back at the stoves with a temporary restaurant, Terra by James Close.
Initially planned as a summer pop-up, popularity since launching in June means it will extend beyond September. The restaurant runs from Wednesday-Saturday evenings in the hotel’s spa cafe space, which enjoys a pleasant aspect over the expansive lawn and golf course beyond. New artwork on the walls and a waiter’s station laden with premium glassware add to the atmosphere of the restaurant, and a new dedicated bar area has been fashioned for pre-dinner cocktails. Better still, some familiar faces from The Raby Hunt, including manager Jack Adams, ensuring the front of house team is firing on all cylinders.
Terra’s menu steps away from the tasting menu format, though the clear structure allows for a blowout feast as much as sampling a few dishes. Some of The Raby Hunt’s globally-influenced signature dishes crop up through the menu, notably the hamachi ceviche on burnt lime and a bluefin tuna sushi bite — both reminiscent of the flavour fireworks at the old restaurant. Another snack, Flavours of Florence (a mini croissant stuffed with delicate folds of mortadella) is a joyful reminder of Maria’s magnificent pastry talent.
Further into the menu, carabineros prawns swimming in garlic and chilli butter prove a messy but appealing small plate, while an elegant tomato dish, and asparagus with brown shrimp and vin jaune offer varying levels of decadence. Larger plates, like bouillabaisse with seabass, scallop and lobster are fit for sharing, while the Maria's chocolate tart with prunes and Armagnac ice cream make for an unmissable finale.
Despite its unusual spa cafe setting, Terra strikes an appealing balance of comfort and familiarity with premium ingredients and slick execution. Unsuprisingly, it doesn’t come cheap. A lighter meal might nudge the food bill towards the £100 mark, while a celebratory approach could double that. Cocktails sit around £24 and a Coravin list offers the opportunity to induge in fine wines. While the wait for James Close's headline restaurant is set to be a long one, this makeshift restaurant proves an attractive interlude.
WHEN From 13th June 2024
WHERE Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Hurworth on Tees, Darlington, County Durham, DL2 2DU
FOLLOW terrarockliffehall
BOOK rockliffehall.com
The Good Food Guide allows three to six months before anonymously inspecting a new restaurant. Keep an eye out for further coverage of the developments at Rockliffe Hall.
