FINE dining is not everyone’s cup of bone china tea, but if you like food and wine (and let’s face it, many of us do), it can be a memorable experience.

I was lucky enough to take a seat at one of more than 20 tables for Budock Vean Hotel’s spring gourmet at the weekend.

Guests were treated to two beautifully crafted five-course meals on Friday and Saturday night, accompanied by some carefully considered wines supplied by North Coast Wine Co, based in Bude.

It was the first gourmet weekend hosted in the hotel’s newly refurbished restaurant – an elegant and comfortable room in which to enjoy the creations of head chef Darren Kelly and his talented team.

Hotel owner Martin Barlow said: “Our restaurant refurbishment has been a major project for us and we are so glad to have it finished and looking so lovely in time for our Spring Gourmet weeknd.

“For all its quirkiness our guests had a fondness for the original dining room – so we’ve put a great deal of thought into keeping a sense of originality and uniqueness – refurbishing without turning it into something bland and generic. We are thrilled with the result.”

The food and wine combinations were something to behold.

Smoked duck breast and duck liver parfait was paired with a Pinot Noir, the acidity of which cut beautifully through the fatty parfait.

Course two was my favourite – a chunky turbot fillet complemented by a blood orange hollandaise, samphire and fennel. A feast for the eyes, as well as the taste buds. This was accompanied by an impossibly light (in both taste and colour) rose from France’s Provence region.

Roast fillet of beef and slow cooked cheek was presented on blue cheese mash for the main course, with the richness offset by a Madeira gravy and a punchy Argentinian Malbec.

After the indulgence of the beef dish, a pear delice with elderflower sorbet was a welcome refreshment and was coupled with Italy’s new kid on the block a sparkling white called Durello, which our affable wine expert Oliver Tullett believes will eventually elbow Prosecco into the long grass.

The fifth course was a trio of cheeses washed down with an exceptional Port.

Mr Barlow brought out Darren and has team for a well deserved round of applause after the meal. He reserved special praise for apprentice Tom Rudkin, who recently gained a distinction as part of his training.

Darren, who together with restaurant manager Mo Roberts has almost 70 years of experience running the hotel’s front and back-of-house teams, said: “Great food and great service has always been at the heart of everything we do. We feel really proud to have such as stylish and beautiful restaurant to further enhance our guests’ dining experience.”

The gourmet weekends have been running for 20 years and the weekend’s offering sourced local suppliers Matthew Stevens, from St Ives, dairy produce from Trewithen, meat and poultry from Etheringtons, game from St Ives-based Celtic and fruit and vegetables by Westcountry.

The spring gourmet, from March 6-8, was from £224 per person including two nights’ accommodation, five-course gourmet dinners on Friday and Saturday, full Cornish breakfasts, unlimited use of the golf course, tennis courts, pool and leisure area.