1 week Ago By [email protected] (Lauren Cole-Lomas)
If you’re spending the festive season in Surrey this year, you’ve got to try ice skating with a view at one of the UK’s top hotels. I spent the day enjoying magnificent views in the fresh air, followed by a three course lunch with cocktails that are to die for. One of the best ways to spend Christmas has got to be in the Surrey countryside, as tried and tested by Cameron Diaz, in the hit 2000s movie The Holiday.
I can’t help but think if the movie had been shot today, Cameron’s character, Amanda, would 100% have visited Beaverbrook for a spot of ice skating for a date with Graham, played by Jude Law. Recently ranked 21st in the UK by Conde Nast Traveller Choice Awards, Beaverbrook Hotel in the Surrey Hills was voted by readers as one of the top 35 hotels. With sylvan surroundings it’s easy to forget you’re in the UK and mistake your location for a mountainside chateau.
The elegant site is perfect for a festive themed day out, with the hotel adorned with wreaths, garlands and twinkling trees. Traditionally decorated this year with a colour scheme of burgundy, gold and emerald, there was an abundance of velvety red and green bows and shiny baubles against warmly lit fairy lights. A cosy atmosphere had been created inside the hotel, which has snug rooms with plenty of books to read and crackling fires.
Stepping out onto the terrace you’re met with breathtaking views across the Surrey Hills, with a stairway sweeping down towards the ice rink. From lunchtime to dusk, the hills have a frosty lilac haze, which you can enjoy either from the ice rink or from the safety of the sidelines with a warm beverage. The rink is also lit up with a string of lights, and has a bar and food van nearby for refreshments.
After chilling out at the ice rink, it was time to warm up and enjoy a cosy lunch at The Garden House Restaurant. It’s a short, brisk walk from the main hotel, and is attached to a lovely kitchen garden. I was seated at a table with sofa chairs you could sink into with plump pillows, and had a great view of the gardens.
The menu is perfectly curated for the cold weather, especially after a busy day out in the cold. I started with the hand dived scallop with Jerusalem artichoke puree and cavolo nero. This was a lovely light starter, surprisingly filling and of course, delicious.
The main dish really was the main event: Hampshire pork belly porchetta. I opted for something I wouldn’t usually go for, but it happened to be one of the most homely dishes I have ever tried. Crisp crackling surrounded the soft pork that melts in your mouth.
The dish was served with apple chutney and sauteed spinach, I also enjoyed sides of charred chilli broccoli and skin on fries doused in rosemary oil. This time of year calls for sumptuous desserts, so the sticky toffee pudding was a must. The pudding was severed in a sugary nest, which melted away when the accompanying sauce was drizzled over the top.
A side of creme fraiche ice cream was a lovely addition to the sweet treat. If you do opt to visit The Garden House Restaurant, do not miss out on the opportunity to sample some of the best cocktails. The innovative menu is whimsical with fairy tale themed beverages.
The Thieving Magpie, Poison Apple and Chestnut are some of the gorgeous offerings, with flavours of truffle and white chocolate, Negroni and bitter orange and cinder toffee with sparkling wine. I opted for Persephone’s Dream, made with Hercula wine, Luxardo cherry cinder toffee, pomegranate and cranberry juice, plum bitters, lavender and topped off with Fever-Tree ginger ale. This beverage was brought over in a tavern glass, topped with foam and white and purple flowers.
After dinner I ordered The Cheshire Cat, which combined warming, gentle spicy notes with hibiscus sour. It’s made with Tapatio tequila, Cointreau, hibiscus and rose, Dulce Monastrell, egg white and beetroot dusting to emulate the Cheshire Cat’s iconic stripey fur. Though Christmas really is just around the corner, the good thing about Beaverbrook’s ice skate experience is that it will run until January 30.
Therefore it would even make the perfect day out to beat the post-Christmas blues. Ice rink experiences start from £50 per adult and £35 per child, with 45 minutes of skating time. Or, for those wanting to skate, dine and stay, packages start at £556 per night and includes a £55 dining credit per person for a restaurant of your choice, and breakfast the following day.
For more information, you can book by clicking the link here ..
