Foraging, carol singing, cookery and sheer indulgence at Pride of Britain Hotels

12 August 2014

There is never a dull moment at any of the 49 hotels within the Pride of Britain Hotels’ consortium of luxury, independently-owned establishments.  Forage for mushrooms, sing Christmas carols by candlelight, brush up on your culinary skills, or hole up in a stylish spa…

October Fungi-Foray at Hambleton Hall, Rutland

Hambleton Hall near Oakham, Rutland is offering a mushroom foraging outing on 4October.  The Fungi-Foray & Lunch costs £85 pp and involves a morning mushroom foray in Burley-on-the Hill wood – home to a huge variety of mushrooms, including the Trooping funnel cap and the Parasol mushroom. Some are edible and others are deadly, so mycologist Paul Nichol will be on hand to identify the ones that can and cannot be eaten.  A three-course mushroom-themed lunch is then served back at Hambleton Hall – one of the UK’s finest country house hotels, with a Michelin-starred chef – overlooking sweeping vistas of Rutland Water.  A one-night stay costs from £265 per room/£133 pp (two sharing) including breakfast and a morning newspaper.

The Swan at Lavenham’s Weavers’ Spa opens in December

Set to open in mid-December, the luxurious new Weavers’ House Spa at picturesque The Swan at Lavenham will offer over 30 skin, body and soul treatments.  Try the unique ‘weaving massage’ which is choreographed to music or book a special day package with a choice of treatments.  Facilities will include an outdoor vitality pool, aromatic steam room, hot stone sauna and six treatment rooms with two relaxation areas. A one-night stay, including use of the spa, costs from £195 per room/£98 pp (two sharing), including a full Suffolk breakfast.

Carols by Candlelight at Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, West Sussex

During Advent (5,12,19 December), Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa will host Christmas carol concerts by candlelight in the hotel’s 13^th century chapel on Friday afternoons (tickets £25 pp including a sumptuous tea) and evenings (tickets £65 pp including drinks/festive dinner) sung by the much-revered Eton Place Christmas Quartet.  And if you’re still looking for some last-minute Christmas gifts, then nearby Arundel has plenty of independent shops and boutiques to offer inspiration. Guests attending any of the carol concerts can stay overnight for a special rate of £120 per room/£60 pp including breakfast (two sharing).

Ribble Valley Cookery at Northcote, Lancashire

Once the home to a Lancashire textile baron and recently fully refurbished, Northcote, on the edge of Lancashire’s Ribble Valley, has become a highly-acclaimed gourmet haven. The hotel’s long-awaited cookery school opened in April with a menu of masterclasses including the half-day Mastering Macaroons (on 19/30 September and 29 November, suitable for beginners, priced £115 pp, including two-course lunch and glass of wine) and the full-day The Game Larder on 23 October (suitable for enthusiastic home cooks) led by the hotel’s Michelin-starred Chef Patron Nigel Haworth. The Game Larder course costs £250 pp (max 8 students) including coffee and pastries, two-course lunch, apron and gift bag.  Stay overnight from £120 per room (two sharing) or £110 (single occupancy) including breakfast.

Hole up at the award-winning Dormy House, Broadway

Dormy House in Broadway blends original Cotswolds features such as flagstone floors, log fires and oak panelling with more modern, Scandinavian touches.  The House Spa has only been open six months and has recently been named one of the country’s top five spas by the Good Spa Guide.  Facilities include an elegant indoor infinity pool, an outdoor hydrotherapy hot tub, Veuve Clicquot Champagne Nail Parlour and a comprehensive range of over 50 indulgent treatments ranging from a 30-minute Power Breakfast facial (£45) to a 60-minute Glorious Mud treatment (£85).  Delicious seasonal cuisine can be enjoyed in the hotel’s two restaurants (Chef Jon Ingram’s Garden Room restaurant is currently Hotel Restaurant of the Year in the 2014 Cotswold Life Food & Drink Awards). A one-night stay including breakfast costs from £230 per room/£115 pp (two sharing).

To book an overnight stay, and for the best available price, call Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 (www.prideofbritainhotels.com).

Ends

Press:  Photography of all properties is available to download: www.prideofbritainhotels.com/press.

For media enquiries and press visits, please contact:

Julia Farish, Camilla Colley or Sue Ockwell, Travel PR, tel: 020 8891 4440, email: j.farish@travelpr.co.uk, c.colley@travelpr.co.uk or s.ockwell@travelpr.co.uk.