Pride of Britain Hotels welcomes Gravetye Manor plus other news
Edging ever closer to its limit of 50 hotels, Pride of Britain Hotels, the consortium of (currently) 48 privately-owned independent British hotels and spas, is delighted to announce the election to its membership of Gravetye Manor, recently named AA Hotel of the Year (England). Located near the pretty village of West Hoathly in West Sussex, Gravetye Manor is a Grade I listed Elizabethan stone mansion with 17 bedrooms named after its gardens’ trees species and furnished with fine antiques, rich fabrics and modern essentials including iPod docking stations and flat screen TVs. The gardens are much revered, having once been the home of the hugely innovative 19th century gardener William Robinson. Robinson’s influences are still visible in the garden today with its mix of naturalised bulbs and wildflower meadows contrasting with the more formal areas of the garden, now wonderfully tended by Head Gardener Tom Coward. Dining at the hotel is overseen by Executive Chef Rupert Gleadow who serves up a delicious seasonal à la carte menu (including inventive menus for vegetarians and vegans) and 95% of the hotel’s summer fruit and vegetables are grown in the one-acre kitchen garden.
A one-night stay in a classic standard room costs from £120 pp (two sharing) including full English breakfast.
Northcote’s nose for wine
Situated on the edge of Lancashire’s Ribble Valley and not far from the infamous Pendle Hill, Northcote is the place to go for Nigel Haworth’s much-lauded Michelin-starred cuisine and top-notch wines. The hotel’s four-strong, dedicated wine team was established three years ago to develop, review and constantly improve the vinous offerings at Northcote and the hotel has recently received the AA England Wine Award 2013-14 in recognition of its exceptional work. The wine list boasts some 400 bins and includes an excellent choice of half bottles that are painstakingly matched to the hotel’s delicious cuisine - plus champagne from cult French producer Vilmart, some notable red wines from Spain and Portugal, a choice of organic wine and a fine range of sherries. An overnight tasting break costs from £197.50 pp (two sharing a superior room) including breakfast, champagne and canapés, seven-course tasting menu and a signed menu.
Michelin star for The Capital
Award-winning chef Nathan Outlaw’s first London restaurant, Outlaw’s at The Capital, has just been awarded its first Michelin star. Featuring British seafood that’s primarily caught around the Cornish coast, specialities include Crispy Oysters, Cucumber & British Caviar and Grey Mullet, Crab, Samphire & Fennel. The Capital is a unique family-run five-star townhouse with 49 guest bedrooms and is just moments from Harrods. The excellent set lunch menu is priced at £20 for two courses and £25 for three courses and, on Thursdays, the restaurant welcomes guests wishing to bring their own wine with the bonus of no corkage charge. A one-night stay costs from £280 per room/£140 per person based on two sharing.
Banish the January blues – and no-hassle Christmas shopping!
Perfect for the men in your life, fussy aunts and even tetchy teenagers, Pride of Britain Hotels’ vouchers used for stays during the month of January are worth an extra 20%. Available in denominations of £50 and £100, the vouchers can be purchased by ‘phone, post or online and used as cash at all of the 48 member hotels on a choice of overnight accommodation, meals including afternoon tea, drinks, a spa treatment or other activities such as horse-riding, a round of golf or clay-pigeon shooting. Vouchers are valid for two years from the date of purchase.
To book an overnight stay or to purchase vouchers, and for the best available price, visit prideofbritainhotels.com.