Coaching inn group autumn 2015

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The CoaChing inn group - formerly known as The bulldog hoTel group

CCoachingInn Group The

The CoaChing inn group - formerly known as The bulldog hoTel group

Free of Charge

issue 2, 2015

recognISIng greAt ServIce

Meet The Coaching Inn Group’s most conscientious staff as we host our awards evening

our BrAnd new coAchIng Inn Visit our newly refurbished coaching inn on the border of England and Wales

InduStrIAl herItAge

Exploring England with a new generation of museum & attractions for the whole family to enjoy

A BArd Influence In StrAtford

Walk in the footsteps of Shakespeare to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the life of the playwright

Free of Charge issue 2, 2015

on tshee! hou

ur With O ents m li p Com

introducing our eight high quality coaching inns for drinking, dining and accommodation The Three swans, markeT harborough • The whiTe harT royal, moreTon in marsh • The TalboT, oundle • The old bridge, holmfirTh The whiTe harT, bosTon • The admiral rodney, hornCasTle • The george, pierCebridge • The royal oak, welshpool

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The Three Swans Hotel is a 16th century coaching inn with all the charm and character you would expect from such a building coupled with modern facilities...

The hotel boasts a number of licensed function rooms, in the original building or our purpose built function suite, ideal for civil ceremonies, intimate celebrations or larger events.

• The Cromwell Suite is a beautiful, self contained suite with marble entrance floor, lounge, private bar and cloakrooms.

• The Cygnet Room, on the first floor of the hotel overlooking the centre of Market Harborough, has bay windows, high ceilings and an ornate fireplace.

• The Swans Suite is situated on the first floor of the main hotel with its own lounge bar along with high ceilings.

• The Fairfax Suite is a more intimate room, ideal for a civil ceremony and smaller dinners.

With ample car parking spaces and the internal courtyard for photographs, the hotel is ideal for your special day.

We would be more than happy to meet with you, provide a bespoke package for your day and show you around the hotel.

The Three Swans Hotel High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7NJ T: 01858 466644 E:threeswans@innmail.co.uk threeswans@innmail.co.uk (General Enquiries) E: candeswans@innmail.co.uk candeswans@innmail.co.uk (Weddings, Events and Conferences) www.threeswans.co.uk

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The CoaChing inn group - formerly known as The bulldog hoTel group

Welcome...

...to the SeCond edition of our in-houSe magazine, Keeping our gueStS up-to-date on our eight high quality CoaChing innS and our future growth planS for the Company

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was recently asked what the definition of a Coaching Inn was. According to

Wikipedia it is: ‘An Inn providing food, drink and lodgings for coach travellers.’

Kevin Charity Managing Director of The Coaching Inn Group

From the mid-17th Century for a period of 200 years Coaching Inns, sometimes

called Staging Inns, were a vital part of the country’s inland transportation system.

Often located just seven miles apart, dependent on the terrain, these Inns also provided stables for tired horses with fresh teams ready to replace them.

The more prominent Coaching Inns also hosted the provision of a mail service.

Many of these old Coaching Inns have survived and are still happily providing food, drink and rooms for today’s weary travellers. Indeed a proud historic former Coaching Inn can be found in the centre of most of the country’s market towns to this day.

We have a particular passion for these lovely old buildings and we are fortunate to now have eight of these fantastic, historic properties in our collection. We simply want to carry on with this 200 year plus tradition, but also of course to add our own twenty-first century twist.

To reflect this, we decided this year to change our company name to something more ‘inn’ keeping with what we do! We are therefore now known as The Coaching Inn Group and have left our old name of Bulldog Hotel Group behind.

I hope you enjoy visiting our Inns as much as we enjoy revitalising and operating them. We realise that we are only the latest custodians within a long line of previous owners, but it is good to know that we have contributed

Head Office: The Coaching Inn Hotel Group Friars House, Quaker Lane, Boston, PE21 6BZ. Telephone: 01205 355522. www.coachinginngroup.co.uk office@innmail.co.uk

in some small way to the continued survival of these ‘hubs of the community’ and to help with their preservation for the future...

Kevin Charity Managing Director of The Coaching Inn Group.

inTroduCing our eighT high qualiTy CoaChing inns for drinking, dining and aCCommodaTion 3

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s t n e t Con

2015, ediTion Two

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This Issue’s Special Features...

6 news roundup

A roundup of the latest news from The Coaching Inn Group.

8 unsung hero

A big thankyou to chef David Simms who has been working hard to create new menus for our hotels.

Cover photo: Taking the award for General Manager of the Year in the Coaching Inn Group awards this year was Rachel Armstrong of our Old Bridge Inn, situated in Holmfirth.

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10 Bard influence

From The White Hart Royal, we embark on a pilgrimage to discover the life and work of our best-known and most popular playright.

21 wedded Bliss

Meet Sarah Wilson, one of the hundreds of brides who say “I Do!” with us each year with The Coaching Inn Group’s help.

28 discovering heritage Discover Britain’s industrial heritage, at a new breed of museums which promise a richer way for adults and families to uncover the past.

52 teatime treats

In this edition our pastry chefs will share the secrets of some of their most popular patisserie.

62 our new hotel

Read all about the latest addition to The Coaching Inn Group family, The Royal Oak in Welshpool.

70 Celebrating Success

Revealing the winners of The Coaching Inn Group’s annual awards ceremony to recognise great service.

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you are reading the in-house magazine of The Coaching inn group which includes the following: three Swans hotel, high Street, market harborough, ln16 7nJ. tel: 01858 466644 www.threeswans.co.uk white hart royal hotel, moreton in marsh, gloucestershire, gl56 0Ba. tel: 01608 650731 www.whitehartroyal.co.uk

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the talbot hotel, new St, oundle, northants pe8 4ea. tel: 01832 273621 www.thetalbot-oundle.com the old Bridge inn and Coffee house, holmfirth, west yorkshire, hd9 7da. tel: 01484 681212 www.oldbridgeholmfirth.co.uk white hart hotel, 1-5 high St, Boston, lincolnshire, pe21 8Sh. tel: 01205 311900 www.whitehartboston.com admiral rodney hotel, north St, horncastle, lincolnshire, ln9 5dX tel: 01507 523131 www.admiralrodney.com the george hotel, piercebridge, nr darlington, County durham dl2 3Sw. tel: 01325 374576 www.george-ontees.co.uk the royal oak hotel, the Cross, welshpool, powys Sy21 7dg tel: 01938 552217 www.royaloakwelshpool.co.uk

66 Food and Drink in this Issue...

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the white hart

Grant Dawson, Head Chef at the White Hart Hotel, reveals why fresh is best in Boston.

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the talbot hotel

Northamptonshire’s Talbot Hotel is home to our Chef of the Year, David Simms - meet him in this issue.

40 white hart royal

66 the three Swans

44 a pint of history

74 the admiral rodney

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Discover the Cotswolds and enjoy quality dining in a beautiful 17th century coaching inn.

The family run Black Sheep Brewery has six generations of provenance... meet them in this issue

the old Bridge inn

Our Holmfirth inn and coffee house gets a new chef and revamped menus for high quality dining in the heart of God’s own country...

published for The Coaching inn group by pride magazines ltd, home of lincolnshire and rutland pride magazines editor - rob davis editor@pridemagazines.co.uk publisher - Julian wilkinson julian@pridemagazines.co.uk

A major refurbishment has created a stunning new restaurant in our 16th century Market Harborough coaching inn.

Dining is shipshape at our Horncastle coaching inn. See for yourself as we meet Dan Thurling.

the george hotel

Our County Durham coaching inn receives an infusion of fresh talent in the form of new Head Chef Mark Whiteley.

all prices quoted in this publication were correct at time of going to press. all material is copyright to The Coaching inn group and may not be reproduced in any form without prior permission. e&oe.

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Company news the Coaching inn group to double in size following major investment exciting times are ahead for The Coaching Inn Group thanks to major investment capital and a five year growth plan.

External investment from the Commer Group will allow the firm to continue purchasing, and adding value to, its portfolio of former coaching inns in market towns across the UK, especially hotels requiring modernisation or refurbishment.

The company has also secured investment capital from the government’s Business Growth Fund

which has already facilitated the purchase of the firm’s latest hotel, The Royal Oak. A second tranche of BGF funding can be taken in 2016/2017 which will allow the company to continue expanding, and meet its target to acquire three new properties by 2016.

“The group already has eight hotels, with aims to reach a total of 15 properties by 2020,” says Kevin Charity.

“Our dedicated fund means we can continue to grow without compromising on reinvestment in our

existing hotels. So, we’ll be able to continue a rolling programme of refurbishment for our current premises whilst adding new ones to our portfolio, doubling the size of the company by 2020.”

Customers of The Coaching Inn Group will also benefit from the group’s expansion plans, with the group enjoying increased buying power, allowing us to pass on the savings we make to our customers.

new acquisition in welshpool is fit for a queen as group purchases its latest coaching inn welshpool’s royal oak hotel really is fit for a queen - in fact, Her Majesty visited the hotel back in 2010 on a tour of the area.

The Queen visited the town when its new indoor cattle market was opened, dining in the restaurant of the 18th century Grade II listed hotel.

top: Coaching Inn Group’s newest acquisition.

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above: The Royal Oak has undergone a full refurb for 2015.

If the monarch revisits this year, we think she’ll be impressed with the transformation as The Coaching Inn Group purchasing the property earlier in 2015 - will have completed a full

refurbishment of the property by the end of the year.

“The hotel has 25 bedrooms, a great function room and 55 cover restaurant and is already established as the hub of the charming market town,” says Kevin Charity.

“There is already a great core trade and so we are excited to see where we can take it. The Royal Oak is clearly the focal point of the town and has for centuries been popular with visitors and local residents alike.”

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Have you enjoyed a meal or stay at one of our hotels?

We love your feedback - email it to office@innmail.co.uk

£350,000 investment for market harborough’s three Swans hotel market harborough’s Three Swans Hotel has just been treated to a £350,000 refurbishment which has created a superb new restaurant with cocktail bar and lounge area.

On top of our rolling refurbishment programme,

les routiers hotel of the year award

the hotel has also gained a new terrace for customers to eat and drink outdoors, featuring an extending weatherproof canopy with integrated heating and lighting. The terrace is also due to gain a pizza oven as we go to press.

The hotel has also benefited from the appointment of new General Manager Nick Kilmartin and the promotion of former Sous Chef Chet Wilcock to the role of Head Chef, leading a brigade of 10.

our head office is a great place to bat ideas back and forth... in anticipation of its expansion plans, The Coaching Inn Group’s head office staff have moved into new premises in Boston.

The office houses the company’s accounts, payroll, central purchasing, HR, sales, marketing and IT departments, servicing each of our eight hotels.

Currently, there are 14 members of staff based at the office, just a short walk from the group’s White Hart Hotel in the town, and this is set to increase with the company’s plans to expand to 15 hotels by 2020.

Unsurprisingly, the most popular feature of the office is not the board room table, but the ping-pong table, designed for an impromptu five minute break-out session before getting stuck into work again.

Below: mat Charity (seated) claims to be unbeaten over 24 games. his brother adam refutes this claim. an umpire’s decision is pending.

Staff at oundle’s talbot inn are celebrating being named Hotel of the Year by Les Routiers.

Les Routiers serves as a guide to the best independent hotels and restaurants in the UK, and named The Talbot Inn Hotel of the Year in December after a ‘secret shopper’ visited them.

General Manager Julian Saunders says he’s “Delighted to offer all of our guests great service, quality dining and accommodation.”

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MEET OUR HEROES

The Coaching Inn Group’s Award-Winning Chef, David Simms

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e are lucky to have so many talented chefs in our group, but David Simms earned himself our Chef of the Year title at the group’s annual award ceremony.

Not only has he achieved an AA Rosette on his own patch at The Talbot in Oundle for three consecutive years, David has also helped to set up our new restaurant at The Three Swans and has been responsible for infusing his wealth of new ideas across each of The Coaching Inn Group’s eight hotels.

David is really keen to dedicate time to train our younger chefs, and is keen to teach some of the old hands some new tricks too, using up-to-the-minute techniques such as the sous vide - his latest toy!

■ In this edition, David shares a few patisserie secrets with us on our recipe pages, and we’ll meet a few more of the group’s award winners on page 70 of this edition.

s e o r e H r Meet Ou

“Recognising staff, suppliers and customers who go the extra mile.”

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Company news our new websites offer customer better access to the services you need... we are updating all of our websites with enhanced functionality as well as better compatibility with mobile devices.

london’s Stock exchange has recently compiled a list of the 1,000 most inspiring UK companies to work for... and we’re on it!

Rolling out this summer, we’re unveiling modern-looking websites for each of our hotels that will enable guests to book accommodation and dining online, download our menus and view special offers all at the click of a mouse, whether you’re on a PC, Mac or smartphone.

above/left: Our new sites are clean, intuitive, easy to use and mobile friendly.

iphone service means quick and accurate orders for customers if you see one of our staff using an iPhone, please don’t raise an eyebrow they’re still hard at work!

The Coaching Inn Group is currently rolling out a new hi-tech system where front of house staff collect customers’ orders via an iPhone and send them instantly to our kitchens.

we’re one of the uK’s 1,000 most inspiring companies...

ensure front of house staff spend more time in the restaurant and less time delivering orders, in turn, resulting in a better experience for our customers.

The report analyses growth performance over the past four years, weighted to the most recent year’s performance, and examines which businesses outperformed their own sector. The Coaching Inn Group employs over 350 people in total and has an ambitious five year growth plan.

it’s a game of two halves for our charity football league team... the Coaching inn group’s Admiral Rodney and White Hart Boston were preparing to take on 16 other teams in a charity football league as we went to press.

The annual event sees independent hotels competing against one another. Last year’s matches raised £1,000 for Cancer Research UK.

easier: Mobile ordering will ensure speedy service.

The system, called Kitchen iQ with Zonal, will result in orders being taken faster, with greater accuracy and will

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Grand Days Out Shakespeare in Stratford

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BARD Inf luence

All the world’s a stage, and Stratford upon Avon, just a 20 minute drive from our White Hart Royal Hotel in Moreton in Marsh, is the perfect place to tread the boards for a long weekend of Elizabethan prose and high quality dining...

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hether it’s all Greek to you, or you’re more sinned against than sinning.

If something is fair play or you give the devil his due. e truth will out this year as we recognise the myriad Shakespearean phrases that have fallen into common parlance... and more fool you if you don’t appreciate the Bard’s influence because, the long and short of it is that his influence is a foregone conclusion.

400 Years of Influence 2016 will mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. His legacy is alive and kicking even in modern speech, but it’s also very much present in Stratford upon Avon, just a few minutes drive from our hotel in Moreton in Marsh, as our recent pilgrimage proved.

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Grand Days Out Shakespeare in Stratford

Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616, dying at a then quite impressive 52 years of age. During his life he authored no fewer than 43 plays plus myriad poems and sonnets, whilst somehow finding time to fall in love with Anne Hathaway, at age 18, and fathering three children.

A Poetry Pilgrimage Today, Stratford is home to just over 25,000 people, and understandably enjoys a keen influx of visitors making a pilgrimage to see the Bard’s home town. e Coaching Inn Group’s White Hart Royal is just 20 minutes from the town, and staying there, rather than in Stratford,

of the best examples we’ve enjoyed for a long time. By half past nine though, we’d enjoyed the brief, picturesque drive into Warwickshire to begin our Stratford day.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace Helpfully, Shakespeare’s birthplace is in the centre of the town, well-signposted. e Shakespeare Centre, run by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, provides access to five of the poet’s family homes - his birthplace, his mother’s former farm, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, his daughter’s home and the Elizabethan Harvard House - for a joint price of £23.90/adult.

“Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616, dying at a then quite impressive 52 years of age.

During his life he authored no fewer than 43 plays plus myriad poems and sonnets...”

Our Day Begins

From here, you’re able to enjoy a walk around the Shakespeare Centre’s interpretation and learn a little more about the Bard’s life. e Centre is situated in the grounds of Shakespeare’s birthplace, home to his parents Mary Arden and John Shakespeare, a tanner who made leather goods in the town.

Nothing sets you up for a day of exploration like a traditional English cooked breakfast, and the Royal’s is one

e property’s grounds are absolutely beautiful, and enhanced even further by

is a better bet not least in terms of value for money, but also because the Royal is equidistant not just from Stratford, but from many of the Cotswolds’s prettiest towns and from Oxfordshire with its wealth of shopping opportunities.

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actors like Martin Smith, Steven Critchely and Emmeline Braefield who were ‘taking requests’ in a small amphitheatre, performing to crowds before they went into the property itself. ere’s also the ubiquitous gift shop, and, from here it’s just a short walk to Shakespeare’s grave inside Holy Trinity Church and to two more properties, New Place - the poet’s home as an adult - and Nash’s House, where he lived before his death, both of which are currently undergoing restoration.

2016 will see the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, and to commemorate the year, the Trust will, in April 2016, open Shakespeare’s schoolroom at King Edward VI School to visitors, as well as revealing a new exhibition at the RSC theatre.

By The River From the poet’s birthplace, it’s worth visiting Jubilee Pavilion, just by the Avon, next to the RSC eatre. e Gower Memorial in the gardens was created in 1769 with a statue of the poet in the middle, and four figures around the base including Hamlet, Falstaff, Lady Macbeth and Prince Hal. A beauty spot with pretty canal boats and an idyllic riverside location, it’s also ideal for those seeking to hire a punt or enjoy a riverboat trip to see the rest of the town’s beauty spots.

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below: The gardens adjacent to the Gower Memorial, overlook the idyllic Avon and the RSC Theatre.

right: Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616. His life is celebrated in Stratford and five properties provide a complete ‘pilgrimage’ for visitors.

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Grand Days Out Shakespeare in Stratford

left: The RS Theatre and Swan Theatre both host performances of the poet’s work, and host theatre tours.

A short drive from the town, the hamlet of Shottery provides a visit to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, where Shakespeare courted his future wife. Today there’s an idyllic orchard, pretty courtyard garden and of course, the cottage itself to explore. If you’ve children in tow, a visit to Mary Arden’s farm where the poet’s mother grew up, will allow children to burn off a bit of steam and provide a useful aside, albeit one which continues on a Tudor theme.

All The World’s A Stage Back in Stratford, evening performances at the RSC’s Royal Shakespeare eatre and Swan eatre take place on most days from 7pm, with matinées on selected dates at 1.15pm. So, after a day of exploring you can build up to the ‘main event,’ the playwright’s work performed in Shakespeare’s own home town, with July and August providing an

left: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is just 15 minutes from the town and is where Shakespeare courted his future wife.

below: Steven Critchely is one of the performers entertaining crowds and taking ‘requests’ at Shakespeare’s birthplace.

“July and August provide an opportunity to enjoy The Merchant of Venice and a collaboration of the RSC with Garsington Opera; a Midsummer Night’s Dream, with Mendelssohn’s score.” opportunity to enjoy e Merchant of Venice and Othello, and a special collaboration between the RSC and Garsington Opera of a Midsummer Night’s Dream, with Shakespeare’s prose set to Mendelssohn’s score.

With the Cotswolds to explore too, all within easy reach of the White Hart Royal, a visit this summer or in 2016 during the 400th anniversary year is definitely recommended. All the world’s a stage but Stratford’s performance is the true star.

■ Stratford upon Avon is just 20 minutes from e Coaching Inn Group’s White Hart Royal. A Five House Pass is available from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s Shakespeare Centre on Henley Street, CV37 6QW (www.shakespeare.org.uk). For dates, times and prices of each RSC performance call 0844 800 1110 or see www.rsc.org.uk.

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e Graceful

SWAN

A dramatic transformation has taken place in Market Harborough. Lots of investment and time has been spent by e Coaching Inn Group’s interior design ‘A’ Team led by Commercial Director Mark Porcher...

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he Coaching Inn Group does many things well.

We offer well-thought out menus, comfortable accommodation and we make dreams come true by ensuring our brides’ weddings are the happiest days of their lives.

One thing we do well - really well however, is rescuing old coaching inns.

Take the ree Swans. It’s our Market Harborough hotel, which was purchased by the group in 2013.

A New Kitchen, A New Menu At the time it looked very different, and since bringing it into the family, we’ve treated its 61 bedrooms to makeovers, and revamped its High Street facing bar and lounge. In 2014, we added a brand

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new, state-of-the-art induction equipped kitchen at a cost of over £150,000. at has allowed chef Chet Willcock and his brigade to create a brand new menu too.

Now, we’ve completed the hotel’s transformation with the addition of a brand new restaurant and revamped terrace - a transformation costing a total of £350,000.

A Worthwhile Investment “You can put a price on the money spent, but in terms of being worthwhile, it’s priceless,” says Commercial Director Mark Porcher. “What we’ve delivered is a much smarter environment. Before, we could provide fewer covers. With the installation of a new kitchen we were putting in the ground work for a greater number of covers.”

“But the way the hotel works is only half the story. We’ve really smartened the place up with an eatery that comprises 80 covers on the ground floor with large windows, lots of light and a cocktail bar with a private dining room adjacent.

The changes are most apparent in the hotel’s new restaurant and its revamped courtyard...

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The Graceful Swan All Change in Market Harborough

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bottom: A private dining room, downstairs dining, and first floor restaurant will triple the number of covers. A new, ÂŁ150,000 kitchen ensures the kitchen can deliver, too.

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below: A new courtyard area will satisfy diners seeking to eat al fresco in the summer months. There’s a retractable cover with heating and lighting for cooler evenings.

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The Graceful Swan All Change in Market Harborough

>>

Meanwhile, upstairs, there’s a first floor dining room with a plush lounge area and further dining for 80.

“We completed work in April and we’re really delighted with the work,” says Mark. “We’ve had wonderful feedback about the look we’ve chosen which is traditional but with modern touches.

Wing chairs are comfortable and deep, lavishly upholstered with tactile metallic fabrics for a rich look and feel.”

“We’ve opted for chandeliers for a grand feel and chunky tables to soften the formality with a rustic influence.

The result is somewhere that looks smart but never feels stuffy - it’s still very friendly and welcoming.”

Al Fresco Dining The terrace adjacent to the restaurant hasn’t escaped Mark’s attention either.

Not only has it been given a newly laid car park, there’s a new pizza oven due to be installed next year which Chet and the team can use to create homemade artisanal pizzas in the summer.

There’s also an electrically retractable cover for the terrace’s 120 seats which is heated and illuminated to ensure that even on cooler summer nights, customers are still comfortable.

“We’ve used a bright, clean palette of colours designed to enhance the fabrics we’ve chosen,” says Mark. “Then we

“It’s important, too, that we work with the features and character of each of our hotels and ensure they’re all unique, retaining their own individual feel...” plan the space carefully to ensure it works well and delivers a good customer experience.

When we design our space it’s not just a cosmetic matter; the way each restaurant, each bedroom, each area works is central to creating the overall feel of each hotel.

“It’s important, too, that we work with the features and character of each of our hotels and ensure they’re all unique, retaining their own individual feel.

We’ve definitely done that here, and our customers seem to agree given the feedback we’ve had. A hotel which was pretty tired before we brought it into the family is a graceful swan once more!”

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talbot@innmail.co.uk

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weddings with the Coaching inn group

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

This month, we tell the story of how Sarah Wilson married her fiancé Wayne at The George, The Coaching Inn Group’s Piercebridge based wedding venue of the year... wedding album images courtesy of lee dowson photography, County durham; 07854 598 406, www.leedowson-photo.co.uk.

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edding bells rang recently for Sarah Wilson and fiancé Wayne. e couple’s chosen venue was e Coaching Inn Group’s wedding venue of the year, e George of Piercebridge.

“It suited us perfectly!” says Sarah.

“We’re both from the area and knew the hotel well. We wanted a wedding venue with the best of both worlds; an intimate place for a ceremony with just a few close family members, but also somewhere to hold a really fun party with family and friends.”

“We really loved the feel of the place too. We’re country people, we love our dogs and horses, and e George had a

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lovely rustic feel; just perfect for the kind of wedding we had in mind.”

An Unexpected Proposal Sarah and Wayne are both from Bishop Auckland, just 10 miles from e George. e couple met in 2011 and, following an unexpected proposal from Wayne, became engaged in 2013.

“It was a Christmas proposal. Wayne had asked my father’s permission which I thought was really sweet. He’s like that... old school, very romantic!” says Sarah. “I had no idea he was planning it.

I was looking for my presents on Christmas morning when be presented a ring box and dropped down on one knee... I was delighted!” >>

“Wayne had asked my father for my hand in marriage. He’s like that... old school, very romantic!” above: The George of Piercebridge offered the couple an intimate room for a ceremony with close family, as well as the ballroom, pictured here, which could easily accommodate a large party with lots of friends! wedding album images courtesy of lee dowson photography, County durham; 07854 598 406, www.leedowson-photo.co.uk.

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planning your wedding

“We looked online at a couple of venues but didn’t really get a feel for anywhere.

When we saw e George it was love at first sight!” says Sarah. “e grounds are beautiful, perfect for photos, we loved the bridal suite and we really liked the fact that there was a large room for the reception and a separate, smaller room for the ceremony.”

“When we went to see The George it was love at first sight! The riverside setting is really beautiful!”

A Helping Hand “I’ve a few friends in the wedding trade but really I didn’t know where to start with planning the event,” says Sarah. “e hotel wedding coordinator, is absolutely brilliant. She wasn’t just there if I called but she was proactive and called me too. ere were a few things I was worried about, like the layout of the tables and the size of the room, but we worked through those together.”

“She was there on the day as well as throughout my wedding planning and really went above and beyond to help make the day run smoothly. I used a few of the suppliers she recommended, like our photographer, Lee.” >>

the george at piercebridge was awarded the Coaching inn group’s wedding venue of the year title. who better, then, than its wedding team to provide some wedding planning tips?

■ Set a date first Availability of suppliers depends on a date, so first things first; find your wedding venue, set a date, then begin seeking out your other suppliers.

■ don’t take an entourage When wedding dress shopping, take one trusted advisor... not an entourage of people with different opinions!

■ no Crash diets Avoid ‘crash diets’ in the run up to your wedding... your dress might not fit as well if your body shape changes!

■ recommended Suppliers Your venue will have experience of working with some suppliers. Photographers like Lee who are familiar with the venue will have experience exploiting its best locations and will be more familiar with the light at different times in the day.

■ Keep a file Maintain one wedding file with all of your booking details, contracts and other paperwork all in one place. wedding album images courtesy of lee dowson photography, County durham; 07854 598 406, www.leedowson-photo.co.uk.

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>> “We knew he was familiar with the

venue - the best places to shoot and the nicest backgrounds. His images were great, but he was so unobtrusive.

We wouldn’t have found him without the hotel’s recommendation!”

Local Suppliers Sarah used several local suppliers familiar with the venue including Alison’s Flowers, and Julianne Clayton for venue decoration, choosing a tasteful silver and ivory colour scheme and wearing an Italian made mermaid-line wedding dress with beaded and embroidered bodice.

top: Sarah and Wayne with seven-year old Jake, and parents Dominic & Julie and Ian & Diane.

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“e place looked amazing, and everyone had a really good time.

We wanted a really decent party, an enjoyable celebration of the day.”

Sarah and Wayne enjoyed a barbecue in the early evening for daytime guests with drinks on the terrace, overlooking the Tees. e couple wanted a hot buffet in the evening for party guests.

Sarah’s sisters Jessica and Chloe were bridesmaids, whilst seven-year old Jake was ring bearer and best man.

An Incredible Day “I can definitely recommend e George too. It was a lovely backdrop but the continuity of contact and the help that Nicola gave me was fantastic, it helped to create the happiest day of our lives!” says Sarah.

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Coaching inn

wedding

VenueS the george is just one of many great Coaching inn group wedding venues...

■ admiral rodney, horncastle With the addition of a new private entrance leading directly into the function room, from the hotel garden, our Horncastle venue is more attractive than ever.

Wedding packages from £2,000 also ensure great value.

■ the talbot, oundle

A beautiful 17th century Grade I listed wedding venue with a rich history in the pretty town of Oundle. Whitwell and Westgate suites for 60-100 guests.

Fully licensed with bespoke packages to suit all budgets.

■ the white hart, Boston

wedding album images courtesy of lee dowson photography, County durham; 07854 598 406, www.leedowson-photo.co.uk.

A beautiful first floor function room overlooking the river and historic St Botolph’s Church creates a really pretty wedding venue in Boston for up to 120 guests. 26 rooms and a cocktail bar means plenty of room and great fun too!

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Grand Days Out Our Industrial Heritage

Bringing The Past

ALIVE

e north of England is rich in industrial heritage, and a new generation of museums eschew roped-off areas and signs reading ‘do not touch,’ in favour of presenting a reflection of our history that you can see, touch and even talk to. Best of all, three of e Coaching Inn Group’s venues are perfectly placed for those seeking to bring the past alive... words: Rob Davis.

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e were all dragged along to dusty, eerily silent museums as children, ones where ‘do not touch’ signs, roped off areas and stern looking guides kept history just out of reach.

Just like England’s industrial past though, time moves on and a new generation of museums are all about bringing history to life with unprecedented interactivity and greater realism.

It was a bright spring morning when we left e George Hotel. Having enjoyed a cooked breakfast at the 16th century

“Visitors to museums no longer want to passively observe history from behind a rope...” says Jacki.

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Grade II listed Coaching Inn Group hotel, on the border of Teeside and County Durham. we reflected on what working life would have been like in the farmland surrounding the hotel and on the river, not in the distant past but just a generation or two ago. From the George it’s just a 45 minute drive to Beamish, an open air museum with unprecedented interactivity and scale.

A Brand New Restaurant “Visitors to museums and similar attractions no longer want to passively observe history from behind a rope.” says Beamish’s Jacki Winstanley, walking us around the attraction’s WWI town, with its pub, stables, Co-Op store, garage, bank and sweet shop. “People want to interact with history, talk to people, see, smell and even taste it. ey can do that here - we’ve a 1900s bakery and fish ‘n’ chip shop all on site.”

Beamish covers 350 acres and is located on the site of an old drift mine.

Buildings - indeed, entire streets - have been moved brick by brick and rebuilt

>>

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main: Beamish will host its agricultural show from thursday 17th to Sunday 20th September.

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>> with absolute authenticity. Beamish comprises a complete town, an additional pit village and colliery from the early 1900s, as well as a Georgian home and waggonway, and a 1940s farm.

Beamish will also embark on a £16.5m expansion in a couple of years to include a 1950s village with police station, café, a parade of shops and cinema... an entire town complete with pre-fab homes.

A Reflection of History “I think the beauty of Beamish is the richness of its reflection of history and its interactivity - our staff are costumed and remain absolutely in character - but also the fact that it tells the story of a more recent history which more vividly reflects the lives of our parents and grandparents, so it’s a history that’s easy to relate to.”

Staying at e George Hotel, you’re just 15 minutes from another of the North East’s best historical attractions, Head of Steam. “It’s the place where trains were born!” says curator Leona White-

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Hannant as we looked at a replica of Stephenson’s Locomotive No.1, built for the opening of the museum in 1975.

It’s one of four locomotives on display in the museum, each on loan from the National Railway Museum.

“We’re located on the 1825 route of the railway. is was by no means the first railway but it was significant because we were the first place from which a locomotive could haul passengers; the first public railway for the transport of people,” says Leona.

“As a museum we really want to engage people of all ages. Steam trains are nostalgic now but in their era, they were an absolutely integral part of people’s working life and eventually facilitated leisure too, with holidays and day trips to the countryside.”

“Steam trains are regarded as nostalgic now but in their era, they were an absolutely integral part of people’s working life and eventually facilitated leisure too, with holidays and day trips to the countryside.”

A Part of Everyday Life “We’ve tried to make the museum as interactive as possible so visitors can see, and touch history to really make our industrial heritage come alive.”

■ We stayed at e George Hotel, Piercebridge, DL2 3SW. Tel: 01325 374576. www.george-ontees.co.uk.

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ike Beamish, another area of the UK which owes a great deal of its heritage to the coal industry is Leeds. Guests at e Coaching Inn Group’s Old Bridge Inn at Holmfirth are just 20 minutes from the National Coal Mining Museum for England, where visitors are given hard hats before stepping into a cage and travelling 140m underground. “e industry was a celebrated part of British life and central to many villages not just economically but culturally too,” says curator Fern Montgomery. “e idea of the museum was to not just put up boards with text and pictures, but to really immerse people in the life.”

“All of our tours are led by ex-miners, and give visitors a vivid insight into the dangers and hardships faced by the men, women and children who toiled underground, complete with the sights, sounds and smells of a working coal mine; we absolutely pride ourselves on our realism.”

As with the coal mining industry, horses were a central part of Yorkshire’s working life. Holme Valley Heavy Horses offers a chance to see what working life was like when horses were a necessity rather than a novelty.

Experiencing Heavy Horses “e sound of leather, brass and chains, the clip-clopping of hooves pulling a brewer’s dray along a cobbled street are sounds my granddad would have heard 100 times a day,” says the farm’s Simon Hinchcliffe. “We wanted to keep alive the culture, and so, having established the UK’s first farm shop, we began offering Heavy Horse Experience days.”

After a hearty breakfast at e Old Bridge, you’ll enjoy meeting Major, William and Ted - the farm’s Clydesdale and Shire horses. At a cost of £250/two people, the days offer the chance to stable, groom, harness and exercise the animals.

■ We stayed at e Old Bridge Inn, West Yorkshire HD9 7DA. Tel: 01484 681212. www.oldbridgeholmfirth.co.uk.

Find out More ■ Beamish 0191 370 4000 www.beamish.org.uk ■ head of Steam 01325 460532 www.darlington.gov.uk ■ national Coal mining museum for england 01924 848806 www.ncm.org.uk ■ holme valley heavy horses 07541 257655 www.holmevalley heavyhorses.co.uk ■ Court Barn (over) 01386 841951 www.courtbarn.org.uk ■ gordon russell design museum 01386 854695 gordonrussellmuseum.org ■ Cotswold w/weavers 01367 860660 cotswoldwoollenweavers.co.uk ■ Cotswolds motor museum 01451 821255 www.cotswoldmotoring museum.co.uk

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inally, for guests enjoying the hospitality of The Coaching Inn Group’s White Hart Royal in Moreton in Marsh, exploring Britain’s heritage begins just 15 minutes away at the Court Barn museum of craft and design.

Arts & Crafts in the Cotswolds e area is also renowned as the home of the William Morris arts and crafts movement; one concerned with functional design for the home that avoided superfluous decoration and favoured practicality. e movement is celebrated at the museum, at Chipping Campden, with hands-on workshops and demonstrations. Just 20 minutes from the White Hart Royal, the Gordon Russell Design Museum also celebrates the area’s association with the arts and crafts movements, tracing the evolution of our homes from the 1930s to the present day.

A Heritage in Textiles e best English wool cloth originates

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from the Cotswolds, and at the area’s heritage centre, based at Filkins, you can experience the lives of weavers whilst watching craftsmen working on traditional equipment.

“We live and breathe the wool heritage that made the English Cotswolds,” says the mill’s Richard Martin. “e centre is a celebration of the wool farming, spinning and weaving industries that the area was dependent on in the 18th century.”

“We live and breathe the wool heritage that made the English Cotswolds,” says Richard Martin.

A Social History in Cars And finally, visitors to the area can also appreciate the social context of motoring with a visit to Bourton on the Water’s Cotswolds Motoring Museum. Again, you can see, touch and really get a feel for the exhibits. e museum’s toy collection, adjacent to the main museum, will appeal to those who appreciate a sense of nostalgia.

■ We stayed at e White Hart Royal, Moreton in Marsh GL56 0BA. Tel: 01608 650731. www.whitehartroyal.co.uk.

above: Discover Beamish’s steam engine heritage.

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17th - 20th Sept

2015/2016

dateS FOR YOuR diary

We’re big fans of Beamish, the open air museum in County Durham.

In September, the attraction’s agricultural show recreates the pastoral idyll of a traditional country show from the early 1900s. 2015’s event includes WWI Cavalry displays.

■ Where to Stay: Just a short drive from The George Hotel, Piercebridge.

23rd oct - 1st nov

Sat 28th nov

Celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, see Lincoln Cathedral’s copy of the document, enjoy the city’s Frequency Festival of Digital Culture and have a look around the city’s newly renovated medieval castle - all in October.

This year celebrates the 75th anniversary of Winston Churchill becoming Prime Minister and of VE Day. Blenheim Palace is celebrating Churchill’s birthday on 28th November with a series of commemorative activities.

■ Where to Stay: 30 mins from The Coaching Inn Group’s Admiral Rodney Hotel in Horncastle.

■ Where to Stay: 30 mins from The Coaching Inn Group’s White Hart Royal, Moreton in Marsh.

11th-19th dec We’re big fans of Holmfirth’s Picturedrome. Right next door to our Old Bridge Inn. In December, you can see The South, Showaddywaddy, Queen Tribute Mercury, T-Rextasy and Bad Manners. For details, see www.picturedrome.net.

■ Where to Stay: Next door to The Old Bridge Inn.

2nd-23rd January The RSC presents Queen Anne at the Swan Theatre. 1702: William III is on the throne and England is on the verge of war. Princess Anne is soon to become Queen, and her advisors vie for influence over the future monarch, tickets from £8-£37.

■ Where to Stay: 20 mins from The Coaching Inn Group’s White Hart Royal, Moreton in Marsh.

June 2016 Exact date to be confirmed.

Look to the skies in 2016 for air displays of modern and heritage aircraft. The Welshpool Airshow is held at the town’s airport and incorporates a Festival of Transport too.

■ Where to Stay: 10 minutes from The Coaching Inn Group’s Royal Oak Hotel, Welshpool.

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Eating Out White Hart Hotel, Boston

Food From e

HART

Grant Dawson is the lucky chef working in the heart - or rather the hart - of one of the UK’s most prolific food producing areas.

His philosophy is one of customer satisfaction for the broad range of diners that enjoy the hospitality of Boston’s White Hart Hotel and Eatery... words: Rob Davis.

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oston’s White Hart is a great example of how we’ve come to expect more from our dining in recent years.

e market town is home to around 65,000 people, and is surrounded by rich arable farmland. It’s an area where food is important, both economically and because the townsfolk prefer local suppliers - family butchers and veg stands on the twice-weekly market - to meat and vegetables from supermarkets.

A Brand New Restaurant As a result, restaurants in Boston have to offer customers a great deal to be successful; local ingredients, satisfying portions and good value. It’s easy, then, to see why the White Hart is so well-regarded as one of the town’s best restaurants. Head Chef Grant Dawson has headed up the restaurant’s kitchen for over four years, and oversaw the refurbishment of both the kitchen and dining room last year.

Grant has over 40 years experience working as a chef across the UK and returned to his native Lincolnshire in 2011, missing the local ingredients and

warmth of the locals. His career has seen him cooking for everything from banqueting and weddings of up to 1,000 covers to creating fine dining dishes at country house hotels. He joined e Coaching Inn Group wanting to build on the successful refurbishment of the mid-18th century hotel, ensuring its food was as impressive as the Grade II listed building itself.

“What’s really interesting about working here is the diversity of our customer base. Our residents dine here, we’ve business people meeting here during lunchtime service and we’ve plenty of family parties in the evenings.”

“We’ve had to create a menu with dishes that suit both business people during the week, and the more relaxed dining trade, that the restaurant has at the weekend.”

“Grant wanted to ensure The White Hart’s food was as impressive as the Grade II listed building itself...”

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“With new menus for the summer months we’ve a keen understanding of what local diners want from us...” says Grant.”

above: The brigade produces a ‘pie of the day’ option for diners.

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e White Hart’s adjacent Courtyard Cocktail Bar is due to be refurbished this year to accommodate the increasing number of customers enjoying not just cocktails, wine and local ales, but grazing and sharing platters - a sort of Lincolnshire tapas option - and the menu’s four ‘pub classics.’

Unique to the White Hart is the incredibly popular sizzlers - with both chicken and duck options. ese are available as chilli or Chinese dishes with either five-spice marinated meat or sweet chilli sauce with a platter of vegetables and rice or hand-cut chips.

Beginning life as a ‘special’ on the restaurant’s blackboards - offered alongside the à la carte menu - they became a permanent part of the restaurant’s menu.

Dining in the Riverside Restaurant, customers can choose from six starter options, four seasonal main courses, and eight grill options. “Really popular dishes on the menu include our piri-piri chicken and sticky beef options, as well as our ‘Dirty Burger’ - so-called because it’s packed with Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, smoked bacon, mushroom and onions and a ‘Double Dog’ with pulled pork.”

“With new menus for the summer months we’ve a keen understanding of what local diners want from us.” says Grant. “We’re using some really good local suppliers - Mel Ward Butchers, and Boston Sausage, which is just next door to the hotel.”

“We also accommodate lunchtime dining with some lighter but just as well-thought out sandwiches, baguettes and ciabattas. We believe that whether you’re dining during your lunch break, or you’re looking to enjoy nibbles over a drink or you’re seeking three course à la carte dining, you should enjoy the best local ingredients, big flavours and a level of service that matches the quality of the food itself,” he says.

With the option of dining in the Riverside Restaurant, the Courtyard Bar or al fresco, overlooking the medieval Boston Stump, there’s plenty of choice both in terms of the menus and of where to dine at the White Hart.

What’s consistent throughout, though, is the provision of quality dining, local ingredients, a warm welcome, and the most modern, flavoursome dishes that Grant and the team can offer all of their customers this summer.

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far left: Desserts like this peanut and chocolate sundae are all made in-house.

Below: Grant Dawson has headed up the kitchen for four years.

our CheF recommends to eat: We enjoyed a grazing platter with - what else - Lincolnshire sausages with Grant’s honey and mustard glaze. to drink: Enjoy a cocktail in the hotel’s Courtyard Cocktail Bar. to do: If you’re looking to work up an appetite, climb the tower of Boston Stump or enjoy the wildlife of the nearby coastal nature reserves. the white hart hotel, high Street, Boston, pe21 8Sh. tel: 01205 311900, www.whitehartboston.com.

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TOP OF the You’ll be spoilt for choice when choosing something to accompany a meal at any of our hotels... so we’ve asked our wine expert Dougal Kenny to recommend some of our best value wines...!

1. andean Malbec the wine: Damson and plum with a spicy palate, a rich, midbodied red. Perfect wine for those who enjoy robust reds. the food: Great with grilled meat - like our 10oz Sirloin Steak (£18/White Hart Boston). the damage: £20/bottle.

14% ABV

2. Spearwood the wine: A fresh, juicy Chardonnay with melon fruit flavour and a crisp finish. the food: An ideal aperitif or to accompany dishes like creamy woodland mushrooms (£6/Ad. Rodney, Horncastle). the damage: £4.25/175ml, £16.70/bottle. 13% ABV.

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e dropS 3. esk Valley S/Blanc

4. Fransh. Semillon

the wine: Intense, powerful Sauvignon Blanc with tropical/citrus flavours.

the wine: Complex oak-aged Semillon with ripe fruit and nut flavours.

the food: Perfect for fish dishes like our seafood platter (£14/Talbot Hotel, Oundle). the damage: £5.80/175ml, £24/bottle. 13% ABV.

the food: Partners seafood beautifully, like our grilled baby squid or scallop starters (£8/Three Swans, Harborough). the damage: £5.30/175ml, £20/bottle. 14% ABV

5. Calterra reserva

6. Zinfandel rosé

the wine: Merlot-styled wine with red cherries and big, soft tannins from carmenere/cab sav grapes.

the wine: Jack & Gina’s vibrant, strawberry flavoured wine. Sweet but well-balanced.

the food: Ideal with goat’s cheese or Camembert (£7/George, Piercebridge).

the food: Ideal with salads and simple grilled meat like warm chicken salad (£7/£11 Old Bridge, Holmfirth.

the damage: £4.60/175ml, £18.30/bottle. 14% ABV

the damage: £4.10/175ml, £16.00/bottle. 10.5% ABV

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Eating Out White Hart Royal, Moreton in Marsh

The Hart of

ENGLAND there’s a new head Chef at the Coaching inn group’s 400 year old moreton in marsh coaching inn, the white hart royal...

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For high quality dining, right in the heart of England, look no further than our beautiful Cotswolds coaching inn. The White Hart Royal is ideally placed for a romantic weekend away, equidistant from the area’s prettiest towns, shopping in Oxfordshire, and a pilgrimage to Shakespeare country as well. Duncan Craig shows us around...

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ithout doubt, the Cotswolds is one of the prettiest travel destinations in the UK, with plenty to attract tourists and a wealth of attractive scenery.

What’s more, Moreton in Marsh’s Coaching Inn Group hotel, e White Hart Royal, is the ideal destination for exploring the area, equidistant between the area’s most quaint villages and market towns, Shakespeare country, and cosmopolitan Oxfordshire with its wealth of shopping opportunities.

The hotel has a popular bar, The Snug Bar, in the oldest part of the hotel, with its old bread oven, Tudor window, flagstone floors and inglenook fireplace.

It’s in here and in the courtyard and the hotel’s two lounges that a daytime menu is served, seven days a week from noon until 6pm, offering traditional main courses, sandwiches, plus sharing & grazing options.

Dining in the Courtyard Restaurant is reserved for evening service, from 6pm9pm, with an à la carte menu comprising six starters, six main courses, sharing platters, and ‘gastropub’ classics, as well as a selection of side dishes and desserts.

A Right Royal Welcome With over 400 years of provenance in the town, the hotel certainly impressed General Manager, Duncan Craig, who arrived in the town three years ago and, like many of his guests, was won over by the town’s charm and the warm welcome locals give to visitors.

“The group acquired the hotel five years ago,” he says. “It’s popular with guests who want to explore the area, ideally situated and comfortable thanks to a makeover which, last year, culminated in a newly refurbished dining room and terrace.”

“Just recently our new head chef arrived at the hotel and is already beginning to make his mark on the kitchen.”

“He’s working with a brigade of four chefs to improve upon the already pretty impressive efforts of the team to ensure quality dining for visitors to the area.

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“We’re keen to further enhance diners’ experience of the hotel with a brand new menu launching soon...”

top: Gnocchi with butternut squash, wild mushroom, wilted spinach, Parmesan, truffle oil. above: Pan roasted sea bass, crab and spring onion mash, white wine and watercress cream sauce. left: The hotel’s courtyard is especially popular in the summer.

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In addition to the main evening menu, the hotel’s chefs are also enhancing diners’ experience of the hotel with the brigade’s selection of homemade bread and a series of specials on the hotel’s blackboard.

Al Fresco Dining We enjoyed dining in the courtyard of the hotel, with a starter of roast chicken & ham hock terrine plus a goat’s cheese roulade. The former was served on a slate, enhanced with a tangy fruit chutney and freshly baked walnut bread.

The latter demonstrates the brigade’s keenness to work with local businesses like The Cotswold Cheese Company, situated opposite the hotel, a knowledgeable supplier of artisan cheeses such as the example used to create our roulade dish.

“All of the chefs are really keen to use local suppliers where possible and to really raise the bar for those visiting the area for weekends away,” says Duncan. “All of the dishes we provide during lunchtime and evening service are of the best

quality, but weekend service allows us to really go the extra mile.”

Quality Main Courses Main courses during our visit included our pan roasted seabass with beautifully crisp skin glistening in the sunny courtyard. Accompanied by one of 33 bins of wine, it’s a stunning summer option, not too heavy for those enjoying a long walk after lunch in one of the nearby open gardens or picturesque villages. Our other main course was a rump of lamb dish with dauphinoise potatoes, featured on our opening spread, served pink with a glossy jus.

With a chocolate assiette and white chocolate panna cotta for dessert, our meal was rounded off beautifully.

For anyone seeking compelling dining in the Cotswolds, The White Hart Royal is a venue we’re really keen to recommend.

With all of the chefs producing first class food, we think it’s dining that’s entirely suited to the pretty location, just perfect for a long weekend.

top: White chocolate panna cotta, strawberry sorbet, toasted oats, sesame seed and black pepper tuile. above: Millionaires dark chocolate delice, caramel ice cream, shortbread crumble.

our CheF recommends to eat: Enjoy traditional rump of lamb or belly pork traditional English cuisine in a quintessentially English setting! to drink: Our O&E Merlot was smooth and plummy at £18/bottle. white hart royal hotel and eatery, high St, moreton in marsh, gloucs, gl56 0Ba tel: 01608 650731 www.whitehartroyal.co.uk

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Real Ale Black Sheep Brewery

Enjoying a Pint of Yorkshire’s

Black Sheep

for six generations, the theakston family has been brewing beer in yorkshire. in 1992, the family turned its back on mass-produced ales to set up a new regional brewery in masham, concentrating on quality, not quantity. that approach is one the Coaching inn group very much approves of, which is why you’ll find the Black Sheep Brewery’s cask ales across many of our hotels...

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ith an output of more than 21,000,000 pints a year, Masham’s Black Sheep Brewery is hardly a ‘micro-brewery.’ e regional brewery - as senior brewer Phil Douglas more correctly refers to the company - sits comfortably between small scale artisan producers and larger breweries which concentrate on volume.

A Popular Drop Three quarters of the Black Sheep Brewery’s output is cask conditioned ales, for which it has over 900 outlets like The Coaching Inn Group’s Old Bridge in Holmfirth, Darlington’s George of Piercebridge and the Talbot in Oundle - though the firm also produces its own bottled ales too.

“Our most popular beer is Black Sheep Best Bitter which accounts for just over half our output. There’s a peppery hop flavour in the mouth, and a long dry finish, it’s a classic bitter with a rich creamy head,” says Phil. “We also have a premium blonde ale called Golden Sheep with a light citrus flavour, and then two more permanent ales, Black Sheep Ale and Riggwelter, which are

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produced in smaller quantities, usually sold more locally.”

“We also produce a number of special edition ales like this summer’s Velo and Hoptacular, and December’s Blitzen for Christmas. That’s the beauty of the company really, we’re large enough to produce a good quality product, but still small enough to create speciality ales of exceptional quality.”

Faithful to its Roots Brothers Rob and Jo Theakston are the firm’s current Managing and Sales Directors. If the name sounds familiar, you’re correct in attributing the family name to Theakston’s Ales.

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“Our most popular beer is Black Sheep Best Bitter which accounts for just over half our output..” seven generations: it’ll be a while before the seventh generation of the theakston family is able to enjoy his family’s legacy, but paul and rob theakston certainly appreciate a taste of their hard work, producing 21m pints each year!

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Real Ale Black Sheep Brewery

“We have two shifts of brewers and mash in twice a day. 80% of our hops are English, and we use water from one of two wells which draw Yorkshire water straight from the ground.” e brewing dynasty had been producing ale in Masham for six generations, before the firm was taken over by Scottish & Newcastle Breweries.

In what Rob & Jo’s father Paul describes as an era of bland mass produced beer the family then set up Black Sheep Brewery in a derelict former malthouse brewhouse nearby.

A Secret Ingredient “We’ve grown really quickly and ten years ago we had to double in size, adding a new cask racking plant to cope with demand,” says Phil. “We have two shifts of brewers and mash in twice a day at 7am and noon, milling the grist and mixing it with hot water in the mash tuns. 80% of our hops are English, and we use water from one of two wells which draw Dales water straight from the ground.”

“It has its own unique composition and creates an ale whose flavour is totally unique - even if you had the details of which hops and malt we use, it’s impossible to replicate the taste of a Black Sheep ale without our water - to say nothing of the other skills and processes we’ve perfected over the years.” e brewery visitor centre which offers brewery tours, a spacious bistro and bar and a well-stocked sheepy gift shop attracts 40,000 dedicated fans each year.

In fact, if you’re staying at e Coaching right: A trip to Black Sheep Brewery allows visitors to see for themselves the original copper kettle.

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Inn Group’s George of Piercebridge you’re just three quarters of an hour away, so as part of our recommendations for discovering the area’s industrial heritage, as we suggest in this issue, you may want to include a brewery tour as well.

In doing so, you’ll see the firm’s original copper kettle, rescued from Hatleys of Cumbria shortly before its demolition and Yorkshire Square fermenters.

Today, that equipment is still in use but has been supplanted in terms of quantity and efficiency by a new production line, as well as a small five barrel ‘experimental’ brewing line where Phil and the team the firm employs 20 in the brewhouse, 100 overall - play with new flavours.

“We’ve been brewing for six generations, and though we live in a fast-paced world, we’ve the experience to know that some things are still worth savouring,” says Phil. “e visitor centre has become an integral part of enjoying our beers, and it’s nice to be able to look out of the window and see people enjoying our beers in the garden next to the brewhouse.”

A Better Bitter What matters to e Coaching Inn Group most of all, though, is the quality and consistency that Black Sheep can provide our real ale aficionados.

Being able to offer a product with real provenance, made by people who really love their ale is really important to us.

Try a pint for yourself, hand-pulled in one of our hotels, and we think you’ll agree that this is one ale that’s definitely not the black sheep of our family.

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Local Ales A..t.

Our Hotels

■ Batemans, lincs

Based in an old windmill, Batemans Brewery supplies Boston’s White Hart Hotel, and Horncastle’s Admiral Rodney with craft brewery ‘good honest’ ales.

The company has been brewing since 1874 and its classic cask ales, like Batemans XB enjoy a great reputation in the area.

■ hook norton, oxfordshire

A steam engine at this old brewery is used to rouse Hook Norton’s Lion and Hooky ales into the mash tun and hop back. Five floors of this Willy Wonka premises are used to create craft beers which can be enjoyed at Moreton in Marsh’s White Hart Royal.

■ Black Sheep Brewery masham, n/yorkshire

Profiled here, Black Sheep supplies three of our sites The George of Piercebridge, The Old Bridge in Holmfirth and The Talbot in Oundle with quality craft beers.

Output is over 21,000,000 pints a year, and the family has six generations of brewing expertise.

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Yorkshire Hospitality at the

Old Bridge

From god’s own country comes food that’s simply divine.

Helping to head up Holmfirth’s Old Bridge Inn & Coffee House is Senior Sous Chef Philip Craner, who came to the hotel to maintain its excellent reputation in the town...

D

escribed as god’s own country, Yorkshire is home to rolling vistas, vast swathes of arable farmland and some of the prettiest market towns and villages.

Holmfirth is no exception to this; a quaint market town home to fewer than 2,000 people, adjacent to the Peak District’s national park, located on the River Holme. Stone cottages and a patchwork of undulating fields, sliced up by dry stone walls, create a beautiful backdrop for e Coaching Inn Group’s Old Bridge Inn & Coffee House.

Newly Refurbished Acquired by The Coaching Inn Group over 14 years ago, it’s one of the oldest premises in the group. It was also the subject of a £250,000 refurbishment of its bar and restaurant in 2014, providing a modern, comfortable venue for dining popular with both locals and tourists.

There’s a dedicated sandwich menu providing a choice of Teapigs teas and Bewley’s Grumpy Mule coffees sourced from just a few miles away, plus sandwiches, cream tea options and a

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choice of home-made treats from the patisserie cabinet. The Old Bridge also has a newly revamped à la carte menu which we were keen to try during our recent trip.

Our visit saw four seasons in one day, with uncharacteristic sleet in late April giving way to a beautiful blue sky which illuminated the fast-flowing water splashing over the craggy river bed just as we crossed the bridge to get to the Inn. We were greeted by Rachel Armstrong, e Coaching Inn Group’s General Manager of the Year, who introduced us to Senior Sous Chef Philip Craner.

“We’ve recently updated the à la carte menu with some new dishes like a flame-grilled spatchcock poussin chicken, and a sweet chilli roasted salmon. ey’re great dishes, already

“We were keen to try the newly revamped à la carte menu during our recent trip...”

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Eating Out e Old Bridge, HolmďŹ rth

above: Sweet chilli roasted salmon with new potatoes and sugar snap peas.

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Eating Out e Old Bridge, Holmfirth

In addition to a meat and grill section, featuring six steaks, gourmet burgers and hanging kebabs, the Old Bridge’s unique Pie on a Plate is a very big, very popular and absolutely delicious prime cut beef steak pie. Generously filled and served with plenty of veg and potatoes, it’s well regarded among locals.

sandwich filled with roast beef and gravy. e menu features a total of seven ‘classics’ from a roast of the day option to fish ‘n’ chips. With six starters, four salads and nine tapas-style options, Philip and the team serve a range of classics as well as providing dishes for grazing and sharing. In addition, there’s a choice of 30 wines and local ales from breweries such as the Black Sheep Brewery, which we profile in this edition.

Serving Classics

Real Enthusiasm

Being a Yorkshire venue, e Old Bridge also offers a homemade Yorkshire pudding starter with fried onions and gravy, as well as a hot Yorkshire pudding

“Philip has brought real enthusiasm to the restaurant, he’s fab with staff and diners, and he’s really making his mark on the menus with our blackboard specials.”

“Being a Yorkshire venue, the Old Bridge’s menus also champion the Yorkshire pudding!”

“e Old Bridge has always been a great place to dine but now there’s even more reason to visit us. ere’s a really good vibe with friendly, local regulars but also lots of tourists in the summer... and of course, plenty of choice on the menu with great food that we think will appeal to absolutely everyone!”

proving popular, and sit well alongside some of our signature dishes.”

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our CheF recommends to eat: Dine in the sunny coffee lounge at the Porcher table, and enjoy one of several Yorkshire pudding options, or the venue’s ‘Pie on a Plate.’ to drink: Our Australian Spearwood Champagne was fresh and juicy at £16.70/bottle. to do: Holmfirth has a wealth of festivals throughout the summer - like September’s Food & Drink Festival. the old Bridge inn & Coffee house, market walk, holmfirth, west yorkshire hd9 7da tel: 01484 681212 oldbridgeholmfirth.co.uk. top: The venue was subject to a £250,000 refurbishment in 2014.

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top: Spatchcock poussin chicken with lemon, garlic and fresh oregano.

top/right: The Old Bridge overlooks the River Holme and provides excellent al fresco dining.

above: Home made Crème Caramel.

right: Italian seafood salad.

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Recipes Teatime Treats

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Our Tea Time treatS One of e Coaching Inn Group’s more popular options for mid-morning customers is our selection of cakes and pastries, available at Oundle’s Talbot Hotel, Holmfirth’s Old Bridge and Market Harborough’s ree Swans.

We’ve twisted the arm of Coaching Inn chef David Simms to reveal three of his most popular recipes, so you can enjoy a slice of our tea time treats in your own home!

words: David Simms. images: Rob Davis.

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Recipes Teatime Treats

White Chocolate & Vanilla Blondie...

Pictured on our previous spread, this homely traybake is sweet and delicious, it’s also really easy to create, taking less than 15 minutes to prepare...

■ Break up half of the chocolate and melt it over a bain marie - a bowl into which the chocolate is placed suspended over steaming water. Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

Whisk the eggs to a frothy texture, add the caster sugar and vanilla extract, beating well. Whisk in the melted chocolate then beat in the sieved flour and baking powder too.

Makes approx 10 slices.

Prep: 15mins. Cook: 25mins.

Preheat oven to 180°c/350°f/Gas 4.

Finely chop the remaining chocolate and stir in, then spoon into a rectangular tin, scattering the raspberries over the top.

300g quality white eating chocolate 200g butter, unsalted ree large free range eggs 150g caster sugar 1tsp vanilla extract 200g sieved plain flour 1/2tsp baking powder 150g fresh raspberries

Bake for 25 minutes using a skewer to test the middle - it should emerge from the centre of the cake clean. Allow to cool before removing from the tin.

Mint Chocolate ‘Aero’ Brownies... is recipe utilises readily available Aero mint chocolate bubbles, frozen and stirred into a rich delicious chocolate brownie mixture...

Makes approx 16 squares.

Prep: 30mins. Cook: 25mins.

Preheat oven to 180°c/350°f/Gas 4.

One packet of Aero mint bubbles (110g) 100g butter, unsalted 200g milk chocolate ree large free range eggs 1tsp peppermint essence 250g caster sugar 100g sieved plain flour 1tsp baking powder 30g cocoa powder

■ Place the Aero bubbles into a freezer for 24 hours. Line a square baking tin with greaseproof paper. Create a bain marie and melt the milk chocolate and butter together, setting aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together, and fold in the chocolate mixture.

Incorporate the sieved flour, baking powder and cocoa into the chocolate, eggs and flour. Add the peppermint essence and stir well.

Fold in the Aero bubbles - as they’ve been frozen they should remain intact despite any residual heat from the mixture.

Pour the batter into the baking tin, ensuring the Aero bubbles are distributed well. Bake for 25 minutes ensuring they’ve a nice crust with a chewy texture inside.

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Lemon & Blueberry Polenta Cake Perfect with a cup of tea and a catch-up with friends mid-afternoon. is teatime treat is a tangy twist on lemon drizzle cake...

Makes approx 10 slices.

Prep: 15mins. Cook: 45mins.

Preheat oven to 180°c/350°f/Gas 4.

100g butter, unsalted 100g caster sugar Two large free range eggs 100g ground almonds 90g polenta Zest and juice of one lemon 1tsp baking powder 100ml natural yoghurt 100g blueberries

■ Preheat the oven and line a loaf tin or shallow rectangular tin with greaseproof paper.

Cream together the butter and caster sugar, beating in the eggs one at a time.

A hand-held electric mixer is best for this as processors don’t allow as much air into the mixture. Add a tablespoon of ground almonds with each egg.

Stir in the polenta, lemon juice and zest, the remaining almonds and then the yoghurt and half of the blueberries too.

Pour into your tin and scatter the remaining blueberries on the top.

Bake for 45 minutes, testing the centre with a skewer.

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Recipes Teatime Treats

a SliCe oF

indulgenCe You can enjoy these and other homemade cakes, pastries and savouries at the following Coaching Inn Hotels...

■ the old Bridge, holmfirth Based in West Yorkshire, our Old Bridge Inn and Coffee House serves local roasted Bewley’s Grumpy Mule coffee.

■ the talbot hotel, oundle The Talbot is home to David Simms, who provides the recipes we’ve pictured here.

Enjoy a slice of indulgence in the courtyard or in the hotel’s enclosed garden.

■ the three Swans, market harborough Newly refurbished, The Three Swans will also be serving cakes and patisserie outdoors from its new terrace and in its restaurant.

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Eating Out e Talbot Hotel

Stepping Back in

TIME

A trip to e Coaching Inn Group’s Talbot Inn, Eatery & Coffee House is like stepping back in time, with its connections to Mary Queen of Scots. Its provision of dining, though, is anything but dated, with modern dishes courtesy of the group’s Head Chef of the Year, David Simms and his brigade...

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rickling through the streets of Oundle is like stepping into a lavish period drama. During our visit, the town’s honey coloured buildings were illuminated by sunshine and, with such glorious weather in attendance, there was only one place to enjoy a rest. e Talbot Inn is one of e Coaching Inn Group’s newest acquisitions, and was refurbished just last year - no mean feat given its Grade I listing. e place is also home to David Simms, the group’s Chef of the Year. He leads a brigade producing not just à la carte meals but sharing platters, lunches, afternoon teas and patisserie.

“Cutting through the hotel is a sunny courtyard with its own garden room and patisserie...”

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Cutting through the hotel is a sunny courtyard with its own garden room, a nice place to enjoy an offering from a chiller cabinet which is home to around 10 cakes and pastries, updated daily and all made in house. Choose from mint ‘Aero’ brownies, muffins, Bakewell tart, croissants... or if your preference is more savoury, a ‘gourmet’ sausage roll, or Cheddar and bacon lattice.

A Range of Dining Options Our appetite was rather more substantial, though, so we opted for three courses and, rather than enjoying them al fresco, we chose to dine inside rather than in the courtyard or garden room. e hotel’s dining room has recently been updated, with new soft furnishings and heraldic crests providing a backdrop to a mural depicting Mary Queen of Scots the monarch’s executioner stayed at the hotel shortly before Mary’s execution at nearby Fotheringhay Castle. e stonework and staircase from there were later incorporated into the hotel. e menu includes a choice of six starters and six main courses.

>>

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Whilst these feature ingredients, presentation and chef craft to rival any fine dining restaurant, there’s also a selection of more casual Classics - a Talbot signature burger, fish & chips and a choice of two steaks, as well as three sharing platters and options to consume as appetisers or mezzé style sharing options.

Locally Sourced Ingredients Our starter option of local asparagus and main course of seared smoked cod loin both featured asparagus from Oundle’s JL Ashby & Co., whilst other local suppliers include Lutton Farm, Cambridgeshire based River Farm

“Our food is full of flavour and goodness, because we use local suppliers we really trust.”

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Smokery and Seven Wells Family Butchery.

“We always want to know that our food is full of flavour and goodness, and this is enhanced by using local suppliers and by working with people we trust.”

During our visit we enjoyed the asparagus starter, served with a poached organic free range egg, Parmigiano Reggiano, plus a starter option of mackerel, soused then blow-torched.

Main Course Options Our main course options were the roasted lamb rump pictured above, served with slow braised lamb and potato hash.

We’ll also recommend the beautiful pure white flesh of our cod loin, pictured on our opening spread, and the exceptional, not to mention local Talbot Ploughman’s Platter which features Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, Colston Bassett Stilton

from the Vale of Belvoir, locally farmed meat and hand-raised pork pie - the dish is a delicious ambassador for all of the quality food produced in the East Midlands.

Dessert options we recommend include our chocolate mousse with marshmallow brownie & mint-chocolate chip ice cream, a yoghurt panna cotta dessert with passion fruit curd and blueberry compote and - pictured above - a celebration of summer in the form of Pimms No 1 Jelly with orange custard, and homemade strawberry sorbet.

Whether you’re enjoying à la carte dining, a light lunch or one of e Talbot Hotel’s three afternoon tea options, there’s no mistaking the taste of quality and chef craft. Explore the pretty market town, visit nearby Peterborough but whatever you do during your visit, make the most of the talent and dining opportunities available at one of our most compelling restaurants.

our CheF recommends to eat: Enjoy one of the hotel’s platters outdoors in the garden or the hotel’s (hopefully sun-drenched) courtyard. to drink: Enjoy the sunshine with a Ponte Pinot Grigio Rosato at £18/bottle. to do: Explore the quaint market town of Oundle or venture to Peterborough for shopping at the Queensgate centre and a trip to the Cathedral. the talbot hotel, new Street, oundle, pe8 4ea tel: 01832 273621 www.thetalbot-oundle.com above: Roasted lamb rump, asparagus and panna cotta.

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Our New Hotel e Royal Oak

A Hotel Fit for a

QUEEN

e Coaching Inn Group specialises in breathing new life into old buildings; finding tired hotels to restore to former glory and transforming them into modern, comfortable coaching inns.

Our latest project is e Royal Oak in Welshpool, on the border of England and Wales... words: Rob Davis.

F

irst impressions count. at’s why, as soon as we set eyes on Welshpool’s Royal Oak, we could see its potential. e hotel is the latest property to come into e Coaching Inn Group family of small, characterful hotels. e hotel is Grade II listed, formerly a manor house for the Earl of Powis, and created from stonework from a former abbey near to the property.

Somewhere Really Special “e Coaching Inn Group has owned the hotel since April this year,” says Mark Porcher, our Commercial Director.

“We’ve been making plans to transform the hotel into somewhere really special in 2015...”

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“Since then we’ve been making plans to transform the hotel into somewhere really special. e hotel’s coaching inn provenance dates back to the 1920s, and the place has a good reputation in the town, but in recent years, the old girl was in need of a little work.

Positive Changes “We’re making some really positive changes, particularly in terms of the ground floor layout of the hotel,” says Mark. “We’re creating a dedicated restaurant on the ground floor with lots of character - oak beams and sash windows - really making the most of the building’s features.”

By autumn 2015, there will be a private dining area similar to the one created at the recently refurbished ree Swans (p16), and a new bar with a dedicated bar menu will ensure that whether you’re seeking an informal lunch or celebrating a family occasion, you’ll be dining in style and comfort.

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work in progress: our latest purchase, the royal oak, is currently undergoing a complete refurbishment.

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>> “e restaurant is located at the side of the hotel, and we’ve introduced a palette of colours which really make the most of the building, creating a bar and restaurant that’s warm, personal and inviting,” says Mark.

Sleep Easy “Guests will be able to sleep easy too, with the hotel’s bedrooms now fully refurbished. We’ve installed new bathrooms and have completed a full redesign of the rooms, creating classic and contemporary grades, to afford those on business more room in which to work and live - a sort of home from home.”

“We’ve spent a total of £90,000 on the ground floor areas and a further £50,000 on the bedrooms, which is a good investment, but one which we feel will give a better experience whether you’re dining with us or staying over.”

Visiting e Area e hotel already has a good mix of tourists and those visiting the area on business. It’s on the border of England and Wales, close to Offa’s Dyke.

Nearby Powis Castle is a National Trust property with stunning grounds, whilst Glansevern and Dingle Gardens, both provide a great opportunity to explore the Welsh countryside, and for transport buffs, helicopter rides and two light railways offer unparalleled views of the Severn Valley and the countryside of Montgomeryshire.

“Guests will be able to sleep easy too, as the hotel’s bedrooms have all been refurbished...”

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the royal oak

what we

oFFer ■ food & drink

Dine in our bar area with a menu of sandwiches and snacks, or enjoy à la carte dining from the new menu.

The refurbishment of the restaurant is now complete with further refurbishment to take place in the hotel’s bedrooms in winter 2016.

“The Royal Oak is a typical Coaching Inn Group venue; it’s in a market town, with lots of character and lots of potential. It’s a pretty area and there’s lots to appeal whether you’re visiting for business or pleasure...”

“It’s a pretty area and there’s lots to appeal whether you’re visiting for business or pleasure,” says Mark. “We’ve created a menu which will serve both markets, with Head Chef Bill Britten providing everything from light bites to à la carte main courses and homemade desserts.”

with lots of character and lots of potential,” he adds. “Each of our refurbishments are carried out by our tradespeople and supervised by myself and Coaching Inn Managing Director Kevin Charity. The aim is to ensure each looks and feels unique but all are completed to the same high standards and carry a consistent message of quality accommodation.”

Lots of Character “e Royal Oak is a typical Coaching Inn Group venue; it’s in a market town,

left/above: The bar, lounge and restaurant areas have all enjoyed a full refurbishment.

“We’re absolutely delighted with our latest acquisition. It already had lots of character and style but now our programme of work has been completed, we think it looks very special and provides a great place to stay whilst exploring the area.”

■ accommodation

The Royal Oak has 25 en suite rooms. This summer has already seen a complete refurbishment of bedrooms with £50,000 invested.

■ weddings & functions As part of the refurbishment, The Coaching Inn Group will be refurbishing the Powis Suite for functions, and to offer weddings & conferences for up to 120.

the royal oak, the Cross, welshpool, powys Sy21 7dg tel: 01938 552217 www.royaloakwelshpool.co.uk

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Eating Out ree Swans, Market Harborough

A New Look for an Old

SWAN W

elcome to a new look ree Swans, where a three month long refurbishment has seen the creation of a brand new restaurant in the firm’s 16th century coaching inn - the largest hotel in e Coaching Inn Group.

A £350,000 investment has created a graceful swan from Market Harborough’s coaching inn, acquired by e Coaching Inn Group in 2013, building on last year’s refurbishment of the hotel’s bar area...

left: Chet Willcock is the Three Swans’s new Head Chef, leading a brigade of 15.

It’s all change at our Market Harborough hotel, with a new General Manager, Nick Kilmartin, and a newly promoted Head Chef, Chet Willcock.

An Inspired Menu “With the refurbishment we’ve also been inspired to create a new menu which will change seasonally and make the most of local suppliers like Bates Butchers and Wesses Bakery,” says Chet.

“We’re creating simple dishes with fewer ingredients to allow flavours to really come through; dishes that are simple but effective. e feedback since the launch of our new menus has been really positive... we’ve also installed a new, extended kitchen for our brigade of 15.”

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main Course: roast rump of lamb with slow braised shoulder and pea hash, Chantenay carrots plus curly kale and mint jus.

e previous bar menu has been retained with a couple of adaptations, but the à la carte menu for the new restaurant has been radically redesigned.

Plenty of Choice Front and centre of the new menu is a choice of six à la carte main courses, and seven Classics - high quality versions of traditional favourites such as e Swan’s Burger, a beer battered fish ‘n’ chip option, and exclusive to the ree Swans, a superfood salad comprising feta cheese, lentils & chickpeas and Moroccan spiced bulgar wheat with toasted seeds & dried cranberries.

“Our food is full of flavour and goodness, because we use local suppliers we really trust.”

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Also exclusive to the ree Swans is a heritage beetroot and goat’s cheese croquette and a soft ham hock dish both available as starters. You’ll also find a signature meringue swan on the dessert menu too, as well as the clotted cream panna cotta pictured above/left.

“We’re really pleased with the look of the Grand Room in particular,” says Nick Kilmartin. “It combines the comfort of a really smart city boutique hotel but with the warm welcome of a traditional coaching inn.”

An Investment in the Future “We’ve also created three Artisan options,” says Chet. “ese are upmarket open sandwiches with Highland cured smoked salmon, steak and Portobello mushroom variants. All are luxuriously presented - with truffle salted skinny fries and dressed watercress - and they’re proving really popular already.”

A Fresh New Dining Room e new restaurant features a cocktail bar, booths for sociable dining and comfortable, richly upholstered furniture.

Upstairs there’s a galleried dining area for large parties, a spacious lounge and the 60 seater Grand Room with its luxe fabrics, wing chairs and elaborate window treatments.

“We’ve a really diverse customer base here,” adds Nick. “From couples enjoying lunch together to a buoyant trade in business people holding informal meetings, to people who want to sit and enjoy a drink with grazing options.”

“Creating a menu to service each type of client has been a challenge but Chet has managed to do so really effectively.

His chef craft was never in doubt but now he’s proving a really good leader too, directing a team from a new kitchen to produce dishes of unprecedented quality. “We’re delighted with what we’ve achieved and we’re happy that our diners have greeted the new menus with so much enthusiasm!”

our CheF recommends to eat: We enjoyed the restaurant’s ham hock with pease pudding, roast rump of lamb with kale and the hotel’s signature, the meringue swan! to drink: We enjoyed an aperitif from the cocktail menu; The Three Swans G&T. to do: Pay a visit to the pretty market town’s newly renovated Grammar School, built in 1614, or nearby beauty spot, Foxton Locks. the three Swans hotel, high Street, market harborough le16 7nJ. tel: 01858 466644. www.threeswans.co.uk. above: Beetroot and goat’s cheese croquette and meringue swan.

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Coaching Inn Awards Meet Our Champions

Celebrating Our Staff - meet our 2015

WINNERS

The Bulldog Hotel Group this month changes its name to The Coaching Inn Group.

Whilst our name changes, the commitment and dedication of our staff remains, so this month we meet the winners from our 2015 staff awards ceremony...

T

here are over 350 employees in e Coaching Inn Group. at’s a small army intent on delivering excellent customer service and a great experience for our diners and overnight guests or those relying on us to make their wedding day the happiest of their lives.

Despite the size of the group though, we’re determined to ensure that team members who go the extra mile for our customers are given the recognition they deserve.

Our Award Winners at’s why, each year, we identify people across all of the different departments of our eight hotel, who have really stood out and provided a really high standard of service for our customers.

“Our awards take place in April and are held in Boston, with about 25 key people representing each of our hotels,” says the group’s Company Director Lily Charity. “We choose 12 winners and then give out a few rather more lighthearted awards.”

Especially competitive are our three main awards for Hotel of the Year, Head

Chef of e Year and General Manager of the Year, with Holmfirth’s Old Bridge and the venue’s Rachel Armstrong taking two of the top awards for 2015.

departments, and there was a special award for Piercebridge’s George Hotel which acknowledged its role as our Wedding Venue of the Year.

Congratulations also went to David Simms who took our Head Chef award for retaining e Talbot Hotel’s AA rosette for the third consecutive year and for his work helping to launch the new menu at Market Harborough’s ree Swans.

“e hospitality industry means hard work and long hours, but it’s a really rewarding industry and there’s a feel-good factor when staff see the smiles on the faces of satisfied customers.”

Lifesavers at Work Some of our awards are more lighthearted but some raise an eyebrow - like our Hero of the Year, Alistair Fraser, who saved a guest’s life during a medical emergency early one morning at the Talbot Hotel in Oundle. Other winners were staff from our bar, restaurant, housekeeping and maintenance

A Fast Track for Shining Stars “We have a fast-track management scheme onto which really committed members of staff are invited,” says Lily.

“We also run a Hero of the Month award, which recognises members of staff who have done really well between awards ceremonies, and ensures morale is kept high. It all helps to ensure we’re all committed to ensuring the very best service for our customers.” >>

“The hospitality industry means hard work and long hours, but it’s a really rewarding industry and there’s a feel-good factor when staff see the smiles on the faces of satisfied customers...”

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“This year’s award ceremony also celebrated the company changing its name from The Bulldog Hotel Group to The Coaching Inn Group to better reflect our business,” says Lily Charity.

(this page) left: A trio of awards for Holmfirth’s Old Bridge Hotel, one of which was Philip Craner’s Newcomer of the Year title. above: Staff from Boston’s White Hart Hotel were judged to have the best team spirit. (opposite page) top: The Talbot Hotel’s Dorota Metselaar and Suzie Hostead. right: Ramond Potter, of Boston based hotel The White Hart, wins Maintenance Person of the Year.

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our 2015 award winnerS

right: Lily Charity (left) and Lee Melton, (far right), The Coaching Inn Group’s Training & Development manager, with the firm’s Fast Track trainees; Emily Dawson, Dan Hollis and Jenny Buckley.

■ hotel of the year The Old Bridge Inn, Holmfirth.

■ head Chef of the year David Simms, Talbot Hotel, Oundle.

■ general manager of the year Rachel Armstrong, Old Bridge Inn, Holmfirth.

■ receptionist of the year Dorota Metselaar, The Talbot Hotel, Oundle.

■ housekeeper of the year Marion Peach, White Hart Royal, Moreton in Marsh.

■ front of house Staff member of the year Przemyslaw Frankowski, White Hart, Boston.

■ Bar Staff member of the year Matthew Tebbutt, The Talbot Hotel, Oundle.

■ Customer Service Specialist of the year Suzie Hostead, The Talbot Hotel, Oundle.

■ Best newcomer of the year Philip Craner, The Old Bridge Inn, Holmfirth.

■ Best team Spirit award The White Hart Hotel, Boston.

■ wedding venue of the year award The George Hotel, Piercebridge.

■ maintenance Staff member of the year Raymond Potter, Best Western White Hart, Boston.

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Eating Out e Admiral Rodney

The Admiral’s

TABLE

A pretty 17th century coaching inn on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, e Admiral Rodney is based in Horncastle. e town is a sort of ‘Cotswolds in Lincolnshire.’ It’s a great place to find antiques, aviation heritage and motorsport, but most of all, great dining... orncastle, home to e Coaching Inn Group’s Admiral Rodney is a sort of Cotswolds in Lincolnshire, surrounded by pretty villages, and with lots of antiques shops.

H

Dan has been with the restaurant for well over a decade and has a brigade of eight chefs, catering for diners at the Courtyard Restaurant and for the 20 weddings the hotel hosts each year.

At the last count, there were over 30 dealers in the little market town, which is home to fewer than 7,000 residents.

It’s a great place to enjoy browsing for antiques for your home, and once you’ve worked up an appetite, we’ve a very good restaurant in which to enjoy a meal.

New to the menu is a hanging kebab - with chicken and king prawn derivatives which are already proving popular. ere’s a sweet derivative too, with chocolate and toffee fondues.

Warm Welcome, New Menu

Despite these sounding really tempting though, we instead opted for one of the favourite dishes with diners at the Courtyard Restaurant; the twice cooked pork belly, slow braised and served with thyme and apple mash.

Our visit to the former coaching inn was attended by glorious spring sunshine, which was fortuitous as there’s a large roof light in the hotel’s Courtyard Restaurant. A light venue that’s as warm as the welcome, our visit coincided with the introduction of new menus just a week or two before.

“We’re popular for morning coffee, afternoon teas, light lunches and three course dining both during lunchtime and evening service, so it was important to us to create a menu that could satisfy all of those diners,” says Dan urling.

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“It was important to us to create a menu that could satisfy all of our diners!” says Dan Thurling.

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main: Choose from a meat & grill section on the menu, a choice of pub classics or seasonal mains like our pork belly.

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left: A large roof light allows light to flood into the Courtyard Restaurant.

Below: Dan Thurling is The Admiral Rodney’s Head Chef.

Pork to cod goujons, rustic bread to crevettes. Otherwise, there are six starter options from BBQ ribs to a breaded deep-fried brie, each of which can be enjoyed as light bites.

The Admiral Rodney is located in the heart of Lincolnshire - the county that feeds the country, producing around 20% of all the uK’s food...

“We also offer pub classics, seasonal main courses and our meat and grill options,” says Dan. “We’ve a daily carvery roast and daily changing curry option, plus a ‘catch of the day’ fish dish on our pub classics menu. Diners can also enjoy twice cooked pork belly and pan-fried lamb loin on our seasonal mains section, and one of two burgers, plus a Jamaican-inspired jerk chicken dish, hot dog and one of three steaks.”

Below: If you’re seeking a light, healthy lunch, the restaurant’s smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel is served with a poached egg.

Lunch or Dinner

Even casual diners can enjoy quality options, such as the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel we enjoyed. It’s a menu that’s diverse without too many options, ensuring the brigade are well-versed in creating each one.

Our sunny visit provided the option to dine casually in the bar, catching up on the latest news via one of several flatscreen TVs, outdoors in the sunny courtyard, or in the Courtyard Restaurant.

It also yielded the option of enjoying a local ale from breweries such as nearby Bateman’s or one of the restaurant’s carefully chosen wines from 30 bins.

e Admiral Rodney’s daytime menus comprise eight sandwiches, four hot baguettes plus side dishes and three afternoon tea options. Alternatively, evening diners seeking a lighter supper can create their own Lincolnshire ‘tapas’ from the menu’s grazing and sharing options - for £10, you can choose three of the ten options, from BBQ Pulled

Whilst we can’t promise that the sun will always shine on Horncastle, as it did during our visit, we can, nonetheless, promise you that the welcome will always be as warm. ere’s lots to enjoy in Horncastle, not least a rummage through a number of antiques shops, which should prove sufficient to work up an appetite!

One of the best aspects of the Admiral Rodney is its situation in the heart of Lincolnshire - the county that feeds the country, producing around 20% of all the UK’s food. e location of the Admiral Rodney allows Dan to take advantage of locally farmed meat from local butcher Mel Ward, daily fish deliveries from Grimsby Docks - the UK’s international seafood hub - and local dairies like Cote Hill and Oslinc, who supply ostrich burgers and steaks.

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Eating Out e Admiral Rodney

our CheF recommends to eat: Twice cooked slowly braised pork belly, served with locally grown buttered vegetables and apple mash. to drink: Enjoy a pint of Bateman’s local ale in the Admiral Rodney’s Courtyard. to do: You can’t beat a rummage around Horncastle’s antique dealers’ shops. Look out for the BBC’s Bargain Hunt team who film regularly in the town and use the Admiral Rodney as their base. the admiral rodney hotel, horncastle, ln9 5dX. tel: 01507 523131, www.admiral rodney.com.

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Eating Out e George Hotel, Piercebridge

main Course: During our visit to The George we enjoyed slow braised belly pork with apple textures.

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New Talent for an

OLD INN

A fresh infusion of talent into the kitchens of Piercebridge’s George Hotel has created a brand new dining experience where dining is paramount. Mark Whiteley has been in post for just under a month now, returning to his home county to bring the historic coaching inn’s food right up to date...

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estling by the River Tees, Piercebridge’s George Hotel provides one of the best settings in e Coaching Inn Group’s portfolio for diners seeking a tranquil al fresco dining experience.

It’s situated by a Roman stone bridge and, built in the 16th century, the hotel could hardly be described as anything but traditional itself. Its provision of dining, though, is thoroughly modern and that’s especially so with the introduction of new Head Chef Mark Whiteley, who arrives at the coaching inn via London’s Savoy with the acquisition of Rosettes very much in mind.

Chasing Accolades “I’m from Darlington originally so returning to my home county to work is

“I’m from Darlington originally so returning to my home county to work is really nice...”

really nice. I enjoyed working in London - especially at the Savoy - but I wanted to settle back into the area and bring the knowledge I’ve gained to a new dining room and a new team.”

e Secret of My Success When we asked Mark what the secret of a good dining experience is, he stated quite firmly that a good rapport between the kitchen and front of house really does reflect on diners’ experiences.

“A really polished dining experience relies on a good communication between the kitchen and front of house. If a diner asks a question about a dish, a waiter should know the answer, and the relationship is essential to ensure our restaurant’s service is up to the same standard as the food we’re producing.”

“We’ve improved our processes, changed our menus and we’re doing lots of things to ensure kitchen and front of house work together to provide the very best experience for our customers.”

Location Location Location One of the George’s real plus points is its location - not just its pretty backdrop, but its proximity of just five minutes drive or so from the A1.

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is ensures those passing through from North Yorkshire can take a break from driving and enjoy the Bar Menu that Mark has introduced either in the fresh air overlooking the river - with around 80 covers on the terrace and decking area - or in the bar.

A dedicated restaurant menu has been introduced enabling diners to choose from one of seven starters, four George Classics - including a pie of the day, beer-battered fish ‘n’ chips - plus one of four seasonal mains and a selection of meat and grill options with ‘gourmet’ burger and a 10oz sirloin steak just two examples.

Also available at e George is a selection of grazing and sharing dishes, six pizzas - all made in-house. So many options means plenty of choice for diners whether enjoying more casual dining or the recently refurbished restaurant’s à la carte options.

A New Menu for a New Chef Our featured dishes, however, come from Mark’s new introductions, added to the à la carte restaurant menu which will now only be available in the

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Riverside View restaurant, with its 38 covers and elevated views over the river.

A slow roasted belly pork dish was served with textures of apple and mashed potato, whilst our second main course of sea bass was served with pea fricassée and trio of wild mushrooms.

Future Plans With his kitchen infused with fresh motivation, Mark now wants to begin producing all of the à la carte restaurant’s bread, ice creams and sorbets in house, and building on the local suppliers he’s worked with during previous appointments like fish suppliers Hodgsons, who provide Mark’s sea bass and Dover sole.

Other local suppliers include Sykes House Farm, providing locally reared meat from Darlington. “e George has such character, it’s a great place to cook,” says Mark.

“It’s already popular with local diners but we really want to capitalise on its position, on the availability of our local ingredients and - most of all - a really good team in the kitchen. We’re keen to breathe new life to our grand old inn!”

our CheF recommends to eat: Stop off at The George whilst travelling on the A1 and enjoy homemade pizza, or a delicious D-cut gammon with honey and mustard glaze. to drink: Enjoy a Black Sheep Brewery ale, made at Masham, about half an hour away. to do: If you’re stopping over at The George, visit Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle, a French-style château owned

by English Heritage. the george hotel, piercebridge, darlington, County durham dl2 3Sw. tel: 01325 374576. www.george-ontees.co.uk

above: New Head Chef Mark Whiteley is bringing innovation to an already popular menu. top: Bread & butter pudding with crème Anglaise.

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fish option: Our sea bass was served with pea fricassĂŠe.

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CoachingFacts

Below: The hotel is Grade II listed and dates back to the mid-18th century.

Opposite: One of the newest elements on the menu is a series of sharing platters.

the white hart hotel BoSton, linColnShire

Located in the market town of Boston, near to the town’s St Botolph’s Church, the Grade II listed White Hart is a Georgian masterpiece providing a luxurious stay...

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s you walk on the cobbles of the High Street in the busy market town of Boston, you’ll find a warm welcome at The White Hart Hotel.

A Grade II listed building originally built in the mid-18th century as a coaching inn, The White Hart Hotel and restaurant is situated on the riverside with stunning views of the famous 700 year old St Botolph’s Church - or as it’s known colloquially, The Boston Stump.

With quaint charm and character from the cobbled courtyard and outdoor terrace, to the stylish bar and restaurant, The White Hart Hotel provides the

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perfect place to stay for a luxurious weekend away or business trip.

Accommodation

With 26 newly refurbished en-suite bedrooms and executive rooms over three floors; you are definitely spoilt for choice. Each room is finished to a very high standard with a chic contemporary feel.

There are six different bedroom styles to choose from, including the classic single, spacious double and twin rooms up to Superior rooms with a lounge area and the executive feature room has a luxurious roll-top bath at the end of the queen-size bed.

Your home away from home, each bedroom has its own individual

shape and size in keeping with the character of the hotel, and has a real feeling of comfort – with flat screen TVs, desks and en suite bathrooms. There are also biscuits, and tea & coffee making facilities.

Food & Drink

The hotel has two settings to create the perfect place to eat; food is served from 9am to 9pm in the Courtyard Bar, and from 6.30pm to 10pm in the Riverside Restaurant.

Whether you are meeting friends for a light lunch, looking to spend time together with the family, seeking a cosy dinner for two, a place to relax and unwind or you’re away on business, The White Hart Hotel can cater for all your needs.

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the white hart exploits the best local ingredients of the food-oriented town thanks to excellent relationships with local suppliers. dine in the newly refurbished riverside restaurant or Courtyard Cocktail Bar...

You will be able to savour the taste of the local area as, where possible, the hotel sources ingredients from local suppliers.

With a satisfying menu on offer, from sharing boards, pub and grill classics & light bites, sizzlers & salads to sweet treats – you will be spoilt for choice.

As well as a large selection of wines and champagne, you can also enjoy a cup of freshly ground Bewley’s coffee or a pot of high quality Teapigs leaf tea.

Weddings & Business

The White Hart’s spacious function room, The Boston Suite, features impressive high ceilings, chandeliers and large bay windows, all creating a grand setting for your wedding day or function.

With seating up to 80 for formal dining and 120 for buffet dining,

there is plenty of room to enjoy a delicious wedding breakfast using locally sourced ingredients, before dancing the night away on the dance floor; with its fully stocked bar and own facilities, it’s a completely self-contained venue.

You can also take advantage of the extensive wealth of expertise and knowledge of Wedding Co-ordinator Dominic, who along with the hotel’s friendly staff, will help you create the perfect wedding day. The hotel can host Civil Ceremonies, which include Civil Weddings and Partnerships, and it’s available for business functions and conferences.

What to Do Nearby

If you’re looking for things to do nearby, Boston has lots to offer; the chance to climb its 272ft tower for panoramic views over the fens, and the Lincolnshire coast with its nature reserves.

Quick Facts rooms: 26 en suite rooms, six different bedroom styles.

Executive rooms offer a superior level of comfort with spacious lounge areas, air conditioning, large flat screen TV’s and both bath and shower facilities. food & drink: À la carte dining in the Riverside Restaurant, with food served 6.30pm-10pm for both residents and non-residents.

Courtyard bar with cocktail menu and lunch. weddings & Conferencing: Licensed for Civil Ceremonies, function suite for up to 120 guests with private bar.

Contact details: The White Hart Hotel, 1-5 High St, Boston, PE21 8SH. Tel: 01205 311900. www.whitehartboston.com whitehartboston @innmail.co.uk www.facebook.com /thewhitehartboston twitter.com /whitehartboston

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CoachingFacts Below/Right: A refurbishment in 2014 included a new decking area providing al fresco dining opportunities and the possibility of enjoying coffee and patisserie outdoors.

old Bridge inn

holmfirth, weSt yorKShire The subject of a comprehensive makeover in 2014, the Old Bridge Inn provides lots of opportunities to enjoy quality dining and accommodation with lots to do nearby...

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enefiting from a recent refurbishment, Holmfirth’s Old Bridge Inn and Coffee House is now one of the smartest venues in The Coaching Inn Group’s portfolio, but also one of its most versatile.

Just half an hour from Leeds and only a little further to Manchester, York and Sheffield, it’s ideally located for those seeking business accommodation, and yet, with lots of Pennine countryside to explore, and plenty of TV heritage, ideal for those seeking a relaxing break with plenty of pastoral countryside or vibrant cities to explore nearby.

As is name suggests, it’s located right on the River Holme with its rocky bed, in the Holme Valley.

A new terrace affords guests views of the river, the stone buildings and the town’s Picturedrome.

Take a seat under a parasol and you can enjoy anything from a pint of ale or coffee with a pastry from the Inn’s patisserie cabinet, to full à la carte dining.

A choice of grazing and sharing dishes are especially suitable for those looking to enjoy the hotel’s terrace, and being a Coaching Inn Group venue, dogs are welcome too.

accommodation

With twenty-one bedrooms, each room in the three hundred year old building is unique, and subject to the group’s rolling programme of refurbishment.

The hotel’s traditional look is mitigated with modern features like free Wi-Fi provision, flat screen TVs, whilst Superior and Executive rooms include balconies, riverside views, minibar and living areas with sofas.

food & drink

Along with the refurbishment of its bar and restaurant, The Old Bridge Inn also has a new menu offering home-made food from lunchtime provision of sandwiches, side dishes and options for grazing and sharing.

There’s also a meat and grill selection, plus The Bridge classics, including daily roasts, fish ‘n’ chips, and The Old Bridge Pie on a Plate.

A selection of salads mean healthy eating isn’t a chore, whilst the

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Chef philip Craner has won the group’s newcomer of the year award and brings fresh talent and leadership to an already popular restaurant. there’s plenty of choice on the old Bridge’s superb à la carte menu... sweet-toothed contingent are kept happy with a daily changing selection of patisserie made on site.

Examples include a banoffee pie, chocolate & marshmallow brownie and freshly baked home-made muffins.

The restaurant and lounge area have contemporary décor, with low beamed ceilings – a great place to relax with a glass of wine or a pint.

From time to time Holmfirth’s microbrewery, The Nook, even supplies speciality ales.

With a selection of up to six ales at a time, you’ll be spoilt for choice, whilst wine-lovers will appreciate the choice of 16 wines available by the glass.

what to do nearby

Holmfirth is the largest market town in the Holme Valley, right on the doorstep of the Peak District

National Park. With the Tour de France passing through the town this summer and exhibitions by renowned local artist Ashley Jackson there’s plenty to enjoy in Holmfirth.

The town is also the home of the BBC’s Last of the Summer Wine visitors to Holmfirth can enjoy a bus trip showing off a few of the programme’s filming locations.

With a Food & Drink Festival and the Holmfirth Arts Festival held each summer, the whole town hosts regular events that tourists love, whilst the proximity of The Old Bridge to the Pennine Way and nearby Marsden Moor - an area of outstanding natural beauty the hotel is well-placed to provide a relaxing break for couples, whilst at the same time providing a convenient place for business people to access the area’s large cities.

Quick Facts rooms: 21 en suite rooms, with standard, executive and superior rooms available. food & drink: Newly revamped menus with daytime offerings including grazing and sharing dishes and sandwiches. À la carte menu includes Bridge Classics plus meat & grill options and salads.

Contact details: Market Walk, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire HD9 7DA. Tel: 01484 681212. oldbridgeholmfirth.co.uk oldbridge@innmail.co.uk Top/Left: The restaurant’s garden room is bright and airy, and opens onto a large decked area for dining outdoors in high summer. www.facebook.com /oldbridgehotel twitter.com /oldbridgeHD

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CoachingFacts Below: The hotel is a former coaching inn dating back to the 17th Century.

Right: The Rodney Bar is ideal for enjoying predinner drinks, or enjoying coffee with friends.

the admiral rodney hornCaStle, linColnShire

Named after a British Naval Officer, The Admiral Rodney Hotel is situated in Horncastle, in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

It’s a bustling market town with a keen antiques trade...

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ituated on the southern tip of the Lincolnshire Wolds in Horncastle, The Admiral Rodney Hotel is a former 17th century coaching inn ideally situated between the cathedral city of Lincoln and the East Coast, with plenty of things to do and places to visit.

beautiful market town of Horncastle; the so-called antiques capital of England.

The hotel has recently enjoyed a major refurbishment, enabling it to provide the highest standards of accommodation and quality dining.

If you’re looking for something a bit more spacious and luxurious, there is also a first floor suite, which boasts a large double bedroom with its own dedicated lounge area.

The Hotel is purported to be named after George Brydges Rodney, a brave and noble British Naval Officer. With a sophisticated country chic feel, it makes the perfect place to rest after you have had a busy day exploring the

accommodation

There are 31 en suite bedrooms, and five different bedroom styles including double and twin rooms, and both small & large family rooms.

Each bedroom comes with complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, office facilities, free Wi-Fi and a flat screen LCD television.

food & drink

Ideal for relaxing and dining with friends, family, your partner or serving as the ideal place to host a business lunch, The Courtyard Restaurant is a light and spacious environment. The large roof glass windows mimic that of an orangery, allowing an abundance of natural light into the restaurant.

Guests can also enjoy al fresco dining in the warmer months, or you can eat in the relaxing Rodney Bar. The hotel’s kitchen team pride themselves on using fresh, local ingredients to create contemporary English, à la carte and traditional pub classics. Head Chef Dan has 18 years experience under his belt,

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the traditional coaching inn underwent a refurbishment in 2014 and now benefits from a brand new private entrance for the function suite adjacent to the garden, which is great for weddings and conferences... which he utilises to create an innovative and ever-changing menu.

There is an extensive cellar with new and old world wines, and a patisserie cabinet full of delicious homemade cakes.

weddings & Business

The Admiral Rodney Hotel has a choice of three function rooms, each offering the perfect place to celebrate your wedding or business meeting.

They can accommodate anything from 12 to 90 for formal dining.

With different wedding packages available, from under £2,000 for 40 guests, it’s the ideal location for Civil Ceremonies and other events.

The hotel’s function rooms can also be used for business meetings, including seminars, training programmes or board meetings.

So, if you are looking for an

alternative, atmospheric location for your business meeting, The Admiral Rodney Hotel and Eatery is the perfect venue.

what to do nearby

Horncastle is renowned for its selection of antique shops - there are over 200 dealers in and around the town - making it ideal for those seeking furniture or collectables.

Nearby Lincoln also hosts regular antiques events by AS Fairs at the county’s showground, and there’s a large centre at Hemswell, just north of the city, too.

On top of an array of antique dealers, there is a wide variety on offer on the county’s East Coast, including Cadwell Park, home of The British Superbikes. The hotel also has a partnership with Woodhall Spa Golf Club’s Hotchkin course - one of the UK’s best courses.

Quick Facts rooms: 31 en suite rooms, five different bedroom styles, family rooms and suite room offer a superior level of comfort with spacious seating areas, large flat screen TV’s and both bath and shower facilities. food & drink: À la carte dining in the Courtyard Restaurant, with food served for both residents and nonresidents. Rodney Bar has an extensive cellar, and local ales available. weddings & Conferencing: Licensed for Civil Ceremonies, function suite for up to 90 guests for formal dining.

Contact details: Admiral Rodney Hotel, Horncastle, LN9 5DX. Tel: 01507 523131. www.admiralrodney.com admiralrodney @innmail.co.uk www.facebook.com /bwrodney twitter.com /bwrodney

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CoachingFacts

Right:The hotel is Grade II listed and dates back to 1517.

Below: There’s a new restaurant which includes the Grand Room, shown here.

the three Swans

marKet harBorough, leiCeSterShire The subject of a £350,000 renovation in April 2015, Market Harborough’s Three Swans now boasts a brand new restaurant with plush furnishings and cocktail bar...

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t really is all change at Market Harborough’s Three Swans Hotel, with a new general manager, and a new head chef working in an equally new kitchen and restaurant.

The 16th century Grade II listed coaching inn was acquired by The Coaching Inn Group in 2013 and was, in spring 2015, treated to a £350,000 refurbishment of its restaurant, kitchens and outdoor area.

Work was completed in spring 2015 to make the group’s largest hotel a very special place indeed for those enjoying a drink, or a meal in The Three Swans’s brand new restaurant.

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accommodation

There are 62 bedrooms, with six different bedroom styles to choose from, including single, double and twin rooms to superior rooms with separate seating areas, and family rooms. For the ultimate luxury stay, choose a suite with king sized bed, separate dressing room and Jacuzzi bath.

Each room has a real feeling of comfort, with flat screen TV, iron and ironing board, trouser press and tea & coffee making facilities included plus homemade chocolates courtesy of Head Chef Chet Willcock and his brigade.

The hotel’s Conference Centre has also been updated to include

12 executive bedrooms, which, for a surcharge of £20/night includes bathrobes and slippers, fruit, high quality tea & coffee, toiletries and Sky TV.

food & drink

As part of the hotel’s refurbishment, The Coaching Inn Hotel Group has created a new downstairs eatery providing 80 covers, whilst an additional first floor dining room, the aptly named Grand Room, provides 60 further covers plus a spacious lounge area. There’s also a private dining room, The Oak Room, for 14 diners, or one of three smaller rooms in the oldest part of the inn for private parties.

Brand new menus at the restaurant have been created by former

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the three Swans hotel is perfectly situated in the town of market harborough, and has recently undergone a complete transformation - creating a high quality, relaxed yet chic place to stay...

Dorchester chef Chet, with grazing & sharing options, main courses, classics and home made puddings as well as artisan open sandwiches.

Customers can also enjoy a bar menu in Fothergill’s bar at the front of the hotel, named after the Three Swans’s irascible former owner!

As part of the renovation, The Three Swans also has an updated terrace area with 120 seats and all-weather canopy with heating and lighting.

As this edition goes to press, a new pizza oven will allow diners to enjoy artisan pizzas with handmade dough bases throughout the summer.

weddings & Business

The Three Swans offers superb facilities for weddings and conferences. In the oldest part of the hotel, overlooking the market town’s High Street are three smaller, traditionally styled rooms known

as Cygnet, Cob and Pen. Over in the dedicated conference building, Fairfax, Naseby and Cromwell are three dedicated function suites facilitating a maximum 220 guests.

Each of these can be divided up into three smaller rooms, and a dedicated wedding planner will ensure your special day is planned to perfection with bespoke menus and packages.

what to do nearby

Surrounded by rolling hills, the town of Market Harborough is the ideal location to enjoy the countryside.

As well as the town’s stylish boutiques and independent shops, visit Foxton Locks, to watch the narrowboats on the pretty local waterways, or get lost in the Wistow Maize Maze before heading back to the Three Swans to put your feet up.

Quick Facts rooms: 62 en suite rooms, six different bedroom styles.

Suites are available to offer a superior level of comfort with spacious lounge areas, air conditioning, large flat screen TVs and both bath & shower facilities. food & drink: A thorough refurbishment of the restaurant in April 2015 has created a superb new two storey restaurant, whilst a new terrace will shortly incorporate a pizza oven for al fresco dining. weddings & Conferencing: Licensed for Civil Ceremonies, function suite for up to 220 guests with private bar.

Contact details: Three Swans Hotel, 21 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 7NJ. Tel: 01858 466644. www.threeswans.co.uk threeswans@coachinginn mail.co.uk

www.facebook.com /threeswans

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CoachingFacts

Below: The hotel was acquired by The Coaching Inn Hotel Group back in 2008 and is situated on the borders of Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire.

the white hart royal moreton in marSh, CotSwoldS

Our Cotswolds coaching inn once entertained King Charles I, but you don’t have to be royalty to enjoy quality dining and comfortable accommodation in the Cotswolds

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former 17th century royalist coaching inn, The White Hart Royal is located in the heart of Moreton in Marsh. At the head of the beautiful Evenlode Valley, the hotel is surrounded by Cotswolds countryside providing a fantastic location in which to relax and unwind.

Once a coaching inn, King Charles I stayed at the hotel following the battle of Marston Moor in 1644 – and on arrival you can even see a copy of the King’s (unpaid!) bill.

Five years ago, the original buildings were lovingly restored, five years ago, and you can see a collection of old photos hung throughout the hotel’s bar.

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accommodation

You can choose from 28 beautiful bedrooms, with executive or feature rooms and disabled-accessible rooms in the former stableblock.

The luxurious contemporary or traditional suites offer four poster beds, private gardens, spacious wet rooms and roll top baths.

All individually designed, each bedroom offers gorgeous Beltrami linen, flat screen LCD television and free internet.

There are iPod docking stations, tea and coffee making facilities, and in the morning, you can also enjoy a full English breakfast cooked using the best local produce.

The perfect place for a business meeting or family celebration, the hotel’s Oxford function room can seat up to 55 delegates, and there are two private lounge rooms available to hire, too.

food & drink

Dine in the two comfortable lounges, The Courtyard Restaurant, or enjoy a pint of ale or glass of wine in the traditional Snug Bar with flagstone floors and original stone fireplace, which has been used since 1627.

The hotel creates the perfect place to relax and unwind with friends and family, a romantic meal for two, or a business meeting. The AA Rosette awarded restaurant uses fresh local ingredients to create contemporary

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the hotel is ideally situated for enjoying pretty Cotswolds villages, like Bourton on the water, gardens like Batsford arboretum and Bourton house as well as Stratford upon avon, as suggested in this edition...

English à la carte cuisine with traditional pub classics. The White Hart Royal also has an extensive cellar boasting specially selected new and old world wines.

The Courtyard is ideal for prereception drinks and photos.

On arrival at the hotel, you can also enjoy a red carpet and Champagne welcome to celebrate in style.

New to the restaurant this season is a sharing platter with the Traditionally English option offering mini-main courses, a whole Camembert option as well as a charcuterie board with continental meats - ideal for dining during the summer months in the hotel’s pretty courtyard.

The hotel offers a personal wedding service which starts from the moment you contact the hotel.

weddings & Business

The Oxford Suite, with its floor to ceiling windows, provides the perfect setting for weddings or meetings in the late 18th century Georgian extension. It can seat up to 65 guests for formal dining and has the benefit of its own their own private bar. The Evesham and Oxford Lounges also provide great breakout areas to relax, whilst

You can take advantage of the extensive wealth of expertise and knowledge of a dedicated Wedding co-ordinator, who, along with the hotel’s wedding team, will help you create the perfect wedding day.

The hotel can also provide Civil Ceremonies and Partnerships.

what to do nearby

Moreton in Marsh is one of the principal market towns in northern Cotswolds. Visit Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park, Batsford Arboretum, or take in the beauty of villages like The Slaughters.

Quick Facts rooms: 28 bedrooms, all en suite, with a choice of traditional and modern decoration. Feature rooms include the Garden Rooms and Stable Rooms, some of which come with private gardens. food & drink: Relaxed dining in the Evesham Suite of the hotel’s snug, eat in the historic bar, or enjoy an à la carte meal in the Courtyard Restaurant. Private dining is available in the Evesham Suite. weddings & Conferencing: Licensed for Civil Ceremonies, with wedding packages available for up to 80 evening guests; dedicated co-ordinator.

Contact details: The White Hart Royal Hotel and Eatery, High Street, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0BA Tel: 01608 650731. www.whitehartroyal.co.uk whr@innmail.co.uk www.facebook.com /whitehartroyal twitter.com /Whitehartroyal

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CoachingFacts

Below: Chef Matthew Gullidge with a sea bass dish.

Right: The Talbot Fish ‘n’ Chip Butty is one of Head Chet David Simms’s most popular lunchtime dishes.

the talbot hotel

oundle, northamptonShire In the centre of Oundle is a historic gem; Grade I listed, and one of the town’s principal buildings, The Talbot Hotel is full of character, charm and Elizabethan history...

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hen you visit the pretty market town of Oundle, it makes sense for you to stay at the equally charming Talbot Hotel. It’s one of the town’s principal buildings and was one of the first in England to be Grade I listed.

Full of character, with oak beams, open fires and a wealth of Elizabethan history, the former coaching inn has been welcoming guests through the doors since 1623.

accommodation

There are 34 bedrooms to choose from, including classic single, double and twin rooms. For something a bit more extra special, try one of the feature bedrooms, which are all individually designed and furnished

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with their own unique character.

For history lovers, The Mary Queen of Scots Superior Double Room with its four poster bed, leads directly to the staircase the Queen walked down to her execution.

For real luxury, there are also a number of suites, boasting more luxuriously appointed bathrooms and separate seating areas.

The Oundle Suite comes with a roll top bath, perfect to enjoy a relaxing soak before heading to The Eatery restaurant to dine.

Each bedroom comes with complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, mineral water and biscuits, Wi-Fi and LCD television.

food & drink

Locally sourced fresh ingredients make for an exciting menu at The Eatery which, during the day, doubles up as a coffee shop serving freshly ground Grumpy Mule coffee. Be sure to visit the patisserie cabinet, with home made cakes and afternoon tea available. During the summer months, you can also dine outdoors in the hotel’s enclosed gardens.

There are four menus on offer; breakfast, sandwiches and light bites, à la carte and dessert menus.

Each has a range of delicious dishes to choose from. With the option to dine in the lounge, restaurant or bar and with a number of fantastic reviews under its belt, the restaurant has an

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new general manager Julian Saunders wants to work with the team at the talbot to maintain the high standards of the grade i listed hotel, with its historic connections to mary queen of Scots...

AA Rosette, and a 9 out of 10 rating from the Peterborough Telegraph’s Joni Ager; another good reason that you’re assured of a comfortable stay.

weddings & Business

There’s a choice of two beautiful function rooms at The Talbot; The Whitwell Room is a traditional oak-panelled room, with a stone fireplace, suitable for 60 guests.

The Westgate Suite, meanwhile, has been exquisitely refurbished, and is located adjacent to the hotel’s courtyard. It has a private reception area, bar facilities and dance floor with access to the inner garden. It has seating for up to 70 guests’ formal dining, and up to 100 for buffet dining.

Take advantage of the extensive wealth of expertise and knowledge of the hotel’s wedding co-ordinator who, along with the hotel’s friendly staff, will help you create the perfect wedding day. The hotel can

provide Civil Ceremonies, including Civil Partnerships.

There are also three individual private meeting rooms for hire – including The Drummingwell Room which seats 10, The Whitwell Room which can seat 60 and The Westgate Suite, the largest of the three which seats up to a 100 delegates. Each of these meeting rooms boast natural daylight, and the hotel can also cater for all of your banqueting requirements.

what to do nearby

There is plenty to do in the quaint stone built market town. There’s a market place full of independent shops, and a lively market every Thursday where you can buy local produce, and a Farmers’ Market every Saturday. There is a museum displaying history about the town, and you can enjoy a walk along the River Nene to Barnwell County Park.

Quick Facts rooms: 34 en suite rooms, five different bedroom styles.

Feature rooms and suites offer a superior level of comfort with spacious lounge areas and large LCD TV’s. These are individually designed with their own unique character. food & drink: Fine dining in The Eatery, with food served all day until 9.30pm for both residents and non-residents.

Private dining is available. upper and Lower Bar. weddings & Conferencing: Licensed for Civil Ceremonies, function suite for up to 100 guests with private bar.

Contact details: The Talbot Hotel, New Street, Oundle, Northamptonshire, PE8 4EA. Tel: 01832 273621. www.thetalbot-oundle.com talbot@innmail.co.uk

www.facebook.com /talbotoundle twitter.com /talbothotel

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CoachingFacts

Below: The George is situated beside the idyllic Tees.

Right: Roasted duck breast main course, served with truffle mash and wild mushrooms.

the george hotel

pierCeBridge, north yorKShire In the heart of Teeside, on the border of County Durham and Yorkshire, Piercebridge’s George Hotel offers a quality stay whether your visit is for business or pleasure...

W

hen you’re relaxed, time can often appear to stand still. But at Piercebridge’s George Hotel, the old grandfather clock really has stopped - never to go again - since Henry Clay wrote his poem about that very same item.

The hotel is just a few minutes from the A1, affording great transport links: Newcastle, York, Durham, and Leeds are all within an hour or so of the hotel. The venue is also flanked by both the Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors, providing, at the same time, easy access to some of the most breathtaking scenery the UK has to offer.

The hotel dates back to the 16th century, carrying a Grade II listing,

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and is located beside the River Tees.

Timeless as it appears though, The George still appeals to a thoroughly modern contingent of businesspeople making their way up or down the country, and equally to couples seeking a rural retreat for a weekend away.

accommodation

There are 29 bedrooms, all with their own individual character.

Many of the rooms boast beautiful river views, and with a selection of rooms on offer and a rolling programme of refurbishment, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep in a modern room.

Whilst the hotel itself boasts traditional charm, you can still

expect 21st century comforts like free Wi-Fi and Superior rooms also boast even more luxurious decoration and king size beds.

food & drink

Food and drink in the hotel arrives courtesy of Head Chef Mark Whiteley.

Even those seeking a quick bite to eat will be impressed with a bar menu and dedicated à la carte restaurant menu.

There are seven starters, seasonal mains plus George Classics, a grill menu and homemade pizzas, as well as sharing and grazing options.

Desserts are made in-house and Mark creates his own flavoured breads and all of his desserts in house.

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the whole team was thrilled to receive the Coaching inn group’s award naming the george hotel our Best wedding venue for 2015. its beautiful ballroom is perfect for your special day...

Dine in the riverside restaurant with its picturesque views of the village’s Roman bridge, or in the library or bar.

Meanwhile two dedicated function rooms facilitate private dining and on Sunday, you can enjoy the hotel’s popular carvery option too.

In the summer months, you can also enjoy dining outdoors on the terrace with views over the river.

weddings & Business

The beautiful and stylish Ballroom has a sweeping staircase and views overlooking the river and gardens, accommodating up to 180 guests.

Meanwhile, the Pavilion is a real dream wedding location for more intimate celebrations with up to 70 daytime and 100 evening guests.

what to do nearby

One of the most compelling aspects of The George Hotel is its proximity

to many of the North of England’s key cities.

From just one hotel you can enjoy luxury shopping in Leeds, the beauty of County Durham including Beamish, less than an hour away - or Barnard Castle, just 20 minutes away. with its 12th century architecture and sensory gardens.

Bowes Museum is located just adjacent to Barnard Castle too, with its nationally renowned collection of fine art. Just over half an hour away is the Black Sheep Brewery visitor centre, profiled earlier in this edition.

Meanwhile Darlington, with its railway museum, and the 200 acre Raby Castle with its walled gardens and deer park, is just ten minutes away from The George Hotel, meaning plenty of attractions within a short drive.

Quick Facts rooms: 29 en suite rooms with many newly refurbished.

Standard and superior rooms available, Wi-Fi provision, hospitality trays and flat screen TVs all standard. food & drink: Dedicated bar and à la carte restaurant menus courtesy of Mark Whiteley and his team. weddings & Conferencing: Ballroom and Pavilion rooms available for weddings of up to 180 guests. Civil licensed.

Contact details: The George Hotel, Piercebridge, Darlington, County Durham DL2 3SW. Tel: 01325 374576. www.george-ontees.co.uk george@innmail.co.uk Above: The hotel’s library is home to artefacts unearthed

by Channel Four’s Time Team. www.facebook.com/pages /George-Hotel/154793527871650

twitter.com /thegeorgetees

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CoachingFacts

Far Right: The Grade II listed 25 bedroom hotel features Standard, Classic and Contemporary rooms.

the royal oak welShpool, powyS

The Coaching Inn Group’s newest property is the Grade II listed 25-bedroom coaching inn nestling on the English/Welsh border... take a look at the Royal Oak!

I

n the heart of Welshpool, pretty coaching inn The Royal Oak is The Coaching Inn Group’s latest acquisition, joining the family in April 2015.

The Royal Oak Hotel is a Grade ll listed building which began its life in the 18th century. There is, however, a chimney stack in the hotel which features stone from an abbey which once stood in Pool Quay, dating back to Elizabethan times. The hotel was the manor house of the Earl of Powis until 1927.

Welshpool nestles in the upper reaches of the picturesque Severn Valley near the border between Wales and England. The bustling market town is surrounded by the

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rolling hills of Montgomeryshire and the glorious unspoilt countryside of Mid Wales.

This year the hotel is undergoing a programme of refurbishment, with new restaurants and bedrooms to bring the hotel up to Coaching Inn standard, providing visitors with comfortable modern accommodation and dining, but in the kind of traditionally styled boutique hotel that the group is renowned for.

accommodation

The Royal Oak has 25 bedrooms, with Standard, Classic and Contemporary styles. The hotel’s Contemporary and Classic style bedrooms go that little bit further with extra style and space.

The Royal Oak Hotel is an ideal base for family getaways. The larger Classic bedrooms include a sofa bed in addition to the master bed, and the hotel has adjoining ‘door rooms’ for families with older children.

food & drink

A brand new menu includes a range of starters and seasonal main courses as well as meat and grill options.

Choose to dine in the Red Restaurant during both daytime and evening service, or the Green Restaurant, with its exposed beams and sash windows overlooking the market square.

Both the restaurant and the Powis Suite, have now reopened and are

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the Contemporary and Classic style bedrooms go that little bit further with a boutique style. the royal oak hotel is an ideal base for family getaways, and is ideal for those visiting the area on business... available for weddings and conference bookings, too.

The Royal Oak’s bar area provides a further 30 covers and there’s a snug area for those enjoying morning coffee or one of The Royal Oak’s afternoon tea options.

31 bins of wine provide ample choice, whilst the hotel has great relationships with suppliers like butcher Rikki Lloyd who provides the hotel with locally reared meat and Welsh artisan cheeses.

weddings & Business

The hotel’s Powis Suite provides the setting for weddings and conferences for up to 120 guests/delegates.

A makeover was completed as The Coaching Inn Group Magazine goes to press and has provided a stunning new look for the venue.

what to do nearby

The Royal Oak is located on the site of Offa’s Dyke, the 177 mile border separating Wales and England; the earthworks are, today, popular with those who enjoy walking and cycling.

By far though, the best way to appreciate such idyllic countryside, is by taking a stunning 16 mile return journey through the countryside on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, a narrow gauge service dating back to 1903 and now steaming throughout the summer months having been restored in 1963.

Just a few minutes from the hotel is the medieval castle and worldfamous gardens of the National Trust owned Powis Castle. Situated high on a rock, it’s a spectacular visitor attraction, definitely one to visit in the summer months.

Quick Facts rooms: 25 en suite bedrooms with Standard, Classic and Contemporary rooms available. Three star accommodation with newly refurbished bathrooms, wi-fi and hospitality trays as standard. food & drink: Comprehensive menu available in the Red Restaurant for casual dining, or the Green Restaurant where you can enjoy a brand new à la carte menu. weddings & Conferencing: Powys suite suitable for weddings and functions of up to 120 guests. Jacobean Room for private dining etc.

Contact details: The Royal Oak, The Cross, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7DG Tel: 01938 552217 www.royaloakwelshpool.co.uk relax@royaloakhotel.info www.facebook.com/pages /The-Royal-Oak-Hotel/ twitter.com/ RoyalOak_SY21

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three Swans hotel 21 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LN16 7NJ

01858 466644

www.threeswans.co.uk threeswans@innmail.co.uk

the white hart hotel 1-5 High St, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 8SH

01205 311900 www.whitehartboston.com whitehartboston@innmail.co.uk

the talbot hotel oundle, northants

the white hart royal, moreton in marsh

the old Bridge inn & Coffee house, holmfirth

01832 273621

01608 650731

01484 681212

the admiral rodney, horncastle

the george hotel, piercebridge

the royal oak, welshpool

01507 523131

01325 374576

01938 552217

New St, Oundle, PE8 4EA www.thetalbot-oundle.com talbot@innmail.co.uk

North St, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 5DX

www.admiralrodney.com admiralrodney@innmail.co.uk

High St, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 0BA www.whitehartroyal.co.uk whr@innmail.co.uk

Piercebridge, Darlington, County Durham DL2 3SW www.george-ontees.co.uk george@innmail.co.uk

Market Walk, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD9 7DA www.oldbridgeholmfirth.co.uk oldbridgehotel@innmail.co.uk

The Cross, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7DG

www.royaloakwelshpool.co.uk royaloak@innmail.co.uk

treesleep: a Simple, eco-friendly initiative

dog friendly, Cycle friendly

Keep in touch; we love your feedback!

You can sleep soundly at our Lincolnshire hotels - because of our Treesleep initiative.

For every night you stay - we’ll plant a tree!

All of our hotels’ bars are dog friendly and we have secure storage for your bicycle if you’re keen on exploring and enjoying some fresh air!

If you’ve enjoyed a meal or a stay with us, let us know! Write to us at The Coaching Inn Hotel Group Friars House, Quaker Lane, Boston, PE21 6BZ. Tel: 01205 355522. www.coachinginngroup.co.uk.

Bulldog Hotel Group (Issue Two, SS 2015)_Layout 1 25/08/2015 15:57 Page 99

The perfect choice The perfect choice for for perfect wedding your your perfect wedding day day

Located in Horncastle the very heart of Horncastle at the corner of the Located in the very heart of at the corner of the Lincolnshire Wolds, Admiral the 17th century Lincolnshire Wolds, the 17th century Rodney Admiral Hotel Rodney Hotel the perfect atmospheric alternative offers the perfect offers atmospheric alternative to modern hotels.to modern hotels. ourare function rooms for are marriages fully licensed marriages and civil Both our functionBoth rooms fully licensed andfor civil ceremonies and have their own private We bar also and facilities.

We also offer ceremonies and have their own private bar and facilities. offer 31 individually styled en-suite bedrooms and suites.

31 individually styled en-suite bedrooms and suites. it comes organising your special day ourstaff team of friendly staff When it comes toWhen organising yourtospecial day our team of friendly have a wealth of experience helpperfect you create yourday. perfect wedding day. have a wealth of experience to help you createto your wedding Wedesign can individually design your wedding breakfast and we will happily We can individually your wedding breakfast and we will happily cater torequirements, suit your precise requirements, canapĂŠs to a five course cater to suit your precise from light canapĂŠsfrom to a light five course celebratory dinner.celebratory dinner.

Contact our Manager 01507your 523131 book Contact our Manager on 01507 523131 on to book visittoand seeyour visit and see yourselves justyour howwedding wonderful wedding day could be. for yourselves justfor how wonderful dayyour could be.

BEST WESTERN Admiral Rodney Hotel, Horncastle, LN9 5DX BEST WESTERN Admiral Rodney Hotel, Horncastle, LN9 5DX T: admiralrodney@bulldogmail.co.uk 01507 523131 E: admiralrodney@innmail.co.uk admiralrodney@bulldogmail.co.uk T: 01507 523131 E: www.admiralrodney.com www.admiralrodney.com www.facebook.com/bwrodney www.twitter.com/bwrodney www.facebook.com/bwrodney www.twitter.com/bwrodney

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threeswans@innmail.co.uk