In days of old a Shippon was a building where cows sought sanctuary from the elements or to be milked. The building now inhabited by Mark Ellis, Chef Du-Patron of Allium, is a former shippon and it might well become a sanctuary for all those Cheshire and North wales foodies who want a rural escape and a place to enjoy quality home cooked food in a fabulous setting. That was his vision and that was what was being unveiled.
We attended the official opening of The Shippon last week and were delighted with what we discovered. Set in the middle of the bustling Plassey, that features a golf course, “up-market” holiday camp, blacksmith, sausage maker, ceramics creator and more, this former farm has now become a real tourist destination. Four miles from Wrexham and just off the A483, it takes just 20 minutes from Chester and you are surrounded by green fields, trees and a feeling of tranquillity. Everything at the Plassey has been done with care, love and attention to detail and so the transformation of The Shippon from rural “shed” to quality restaurant/bar has been handled with the same affection and what a great job they have done. Designer, Vinny Smith has kept many of The Shippon features and turned them in to important parts of the finish, whilst giving the place a real contemporary feel. It is a wonderful finish that oozes class without ever being pretentious and that is exactly what Mark has done with his menu.
It is a menu that caters for all. Its not fine dining, its not pub grub but it sits in that area where you could go for a great celebration, dress up and feel special or put on your jeans and t-shirt and enjoy a steak and chips because you just feel like going out and being spoilt, which we were. Mark very kindly plied us all (there was about 120 of the great and good attending) with numerous canapes and drinks and we were entertained by a most marvellous magician and a band that really kicked off a great evening.
We enjoyed our evening at The Shippon. This is a great haven of escape that will appeal to everyone and Mark is just the right person to deliver the product that we all want in today’s dining out world. Well done Mark – a great start.
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