Day 13
Round & About
Ivy’s Circus NYE
Round & About
See in the New Year with a three-course set menu, a night of circus fun, celebration and spectacular food
This New Year’s Eve, The Ivy Collection invites guests to step into the enchanting world of the circus for an unforgettable evening of exquisite dining, refreshing drinks, and dazzling entertainment. With a meticulously curated set menu featuring The Ivy’s signature dishes, diners can celebrate the arrival of 2025 in style with family, friends, and loved ones at their nearest Ivy restaurant.
Available to book now, the evening promises a festive atmosphere, with each restaurant offering bespoke entertainment, such as live music or a DJ, ensuring a lively and memorable celebration to round off the year.
From spectacular performances to indulgent cuisine, the menu showcases seasonal touches on The Ivy’s classic dishes. Starters include the festive Chilled Lobster and Prawn Cocktail, served with marinated avocado and Marie Rose sauce, and the Twice-baked Stilton and Walnut Cheese Soufflé, paired with a rich and creamy sauce.
For mains, guests can savour celebrated favourites like The Ivy’s Festive Shepherd’s Pie, a hearty combination of goose, turkey, duck, braised lamb, and beef, topped with mashed potato, cranberry chutney, and orange zest. Other options include the Lobster Linguine, featuring tender lobster in a roasted garlic and chilli sauce, and the Pan-Fried Sea Bass, served with creamed potato, samphire, tomato concasse, and saffron sauce.
For dessert, guests can choose from options like The Ivy Chocolate Bomb, a decadent melting dome with vanilla ice cream, honeycomb, and hot caramel sauce, or a creamy Crème Brûlée accompanied by winter berry cinnamon compote and shortbread.
As midnight approaches, diners can raise a glass to the New Year, celebrating with loved ones amidst circus-inspired cheer and the thrill of the countdown.
The festivities don’t end there; The Ivy Collection will also offer a flavour-packed New Year’s Day Brunch to help guests start 2025 on a high note. From a savoury Bloody Mary to hearty dishes like The Ivy Truffle Burger with thick-cut chips, Chicken Supreme Milanese with Truffle Sauce, or a comforting Lentil and Aubergine Bake, the brunch menu caters to all tastes and ensures a delicious recovery from the night before.
The New Year’s Eve set menu is available to book now at restaurants nationwide* starting from £87.50 per person, while the New Year’s Day Brunch is offered in select locations, starting at £34.95 per person.
*Terms & conditions apply. Prices vary by location.
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Top Christmas Wine Essentials
Round & About
Round & About Magazine’s resident wine columnist Giles Luckett recommends this year’s Christmas wine essentials.
‘Tis the season to be jolly, and while they say Christmas is all about the children, this is one big kid who’s looking forward to opening some adult Christmas crackers this year. Christmas offers so many opportunities for enjoying a glass of something special and to give you some inspiration – or vinspriation (I got that one out of a cracker, can you tell?) – here are my top 10 Christmas wine (and spirit) essentials.
First up, champagne – well it is Christmas. I’ve tasted a lot of champagnes this year, some of the finest of which I reviewed in my recent champagne article. One that’s stuck with me is the Laytons Brut Reserve (£33.95). I worked for Laytons in the late 1990s and Laytons was a firm favourite with customers and staff alike and it was great to taste it again after so many years. Chardonnay-based it has a lovely lightness of touch, offering a fresh bouquet of citrus and white blossoms with a creamy, yeasty undertow. The delicacy continues in the mouth, but the long bottle ageing shows towards the finish as notes of toasted brioche, apricots and honey come through. A lovely way to start the day, it has enough oomph to partner hors d’oeuvres or smoked fish starters.
If you’re looking for beauty on a budget, then make a beeline for the Graham Beck Pinot Noir Rosé 2017 (Majestic £19 on a mixed six). This is going to make my top ten wines of the year and I’ll be serving it at home. At under £20, this is a great buy. Salmon pink with tiny red gold bubbles lifting notes of raspberries, strawberries and cream, and limes into the air, this beautiful wine entrances from the off. The medium-bodied palate offers red berries, cherries, and blackberries with rather more exotic notes of limes, coconut and Asian spices. Lovely on its own, it also pairs well with food such as smoked fish or brown turkey meat.
Next up the first of two delicious, but very different, French wines. The first is the Gérard Bertrand Orange Gold 2022 (Majestic £12.99). Orange wines get their name from their distinctive colour, in this case, a mid-apricot orange, colour they get from the juice resting on the skins as you do with red wines. This delightful example is Chardonnay-led but has support from Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Mauzac and Muscat which give it fragrance and complexity. Medium-bodied but with noticeable texture, here you’ll find everything from apples and melon to apricots, to dried pears and lemon rind. It’s a fascinating wine that goes perfectly with all kinds of white meats.
Hugel is one of the greatest names in wine. This Alsace domaine was founded in Riquewhir in 1639 by Hans Ulrich Hugel and has been family-owned ever since. They produce some of the most profound dry Rieslings in the world and this Christmas I’ll be pairing the turkey with a bottle (or two!) of the Hugel Classic Riesling 2022 (London End Wines £19.50). I’m a huge fan of dry Riesling, but the intensity and depth of flavour in Hugel’s wines take the breath away. The nose is zesty, full of mineral-tinted citrus, and green apples while on the palate there are lemons, limes, white peach and grapefruit with touches of apricot and pistachio. Give this a couple of hours open and serve with white meats, seafood, or creamy cheese.
Red wines are always popular at Christmas, and while many wine lovers reach for a bottle of red Bordeaux to partner the turkey, goose or their rich vegetarian centrepiece, there are better, more interesting choice to be made. The key to partnering red wines with foods such as this is intensity and juiciness. Turkey, goose, and other game birds can be dry, and all have a richness of flavour that takes something with a persistence of flavour to cut through. The following wines have all proved great partners in the past.
Burgundy is perfect with all forms of poultry and game birds, but red Burgundy prices have risen so high even in recent years that unless you’re planning to spend Christmas on your yacht you may want to look elsewhere. A joyful exception to this distasteful rule is the Louis Jadot Bourgogne Cote d’Or 2021 (Majestic £29.99, £22.49 when you buy any six). This is an affordable taste of Burgundian luxury. Deeply coloured, the bouquet offers cherries, blackberries, mushrooms and a hint of seasonal cranberries. In the mouth, it’s clean and fresh with a delightfully silky texture and offers and abundance of fruits of the forest, cherries, plums and a mint and mineral finish. Gorgeous.
And so, to Rioja but with an even greater weight of mellow fruitiness, we have the Baron de Ley Gran Reserva 2017 (Vinissimus £20). Gran Reserva Riojas are only made in great years and by law must spend at least two years in oak and three years in bottle before release. This long ageing mellows the fruit, adds a spicy vanilla tone and creates some of the finest wines Rioja can offer. The Baron de Ley Gran Reserve is a mighty mellow mouthful. The nose contains aromas of fresh toast, ripe black fruits, red berries, spices and tobacco. The generously full-bodied palate is juicy and complex. Baked black berries and sun-warmed black cherries are coated with creamy vanilla before the firm, fresh finish adds life and intensity.
If you’re feeling adventurous this Christmas, try the Chateau Musar ‘Hochar’ 2019 (Vimum £12.85). Chateau Musar is Lebanon’s greatest wine estate, and this is their second wine, the younger brother if you will, to Chateau Musar (Waitrose £41.99) and shares much of it characteristics. Produced from an unusual blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault grapes (think Bordeaux meets Rhone meets Languedoc) it’s rich and full-bodied with flavours of plums, cherries, sloes, and blackberries. Ageing in oak gives it a spicy tone and having been grown at high altitude it has a delightful red berry freshness.
And speaking of adventurous wines, how about a red dessert wine? While they are relatively rare, I’ve had plenty of sweet red wines over the years. Many are fortified such as the brilliantly bonkers Zuccardi Malamado Fortified Malbec (N.D. John Wines £17.45) but the Masi Angleorum Recioto Classico (Hic! £28) takes a rather different route to sweetness. Healthy grapes (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara) from Veneto hillsides are dried on bamboo racks over the winter months. This has the effect of concentrating the sugars while elevating the aromatics. These are pressed and the resulting wine is lusciously sweet and full-bodied but with sufficient natural acidity to keep the wine fresh and vibrant. Offering a beguiling combination of preserved cherries, prunes, and bitter chocolate, with a touch of mocha and raspberry liqueur, this is a stylish partner to gorgonzola cheese, sweet pastries and tarts or as an after-dinner sipper.
I’ll leave the wines on a high with a Port. I’m a subscriber to the adage that Port is for life, not just for Christmas, and after tasting a wine as good as the Warre 1985 (MWH Wines £87) I’m sure you’ll be one too. 1985 was a truly outstanding year for vintage Port and the best wines are now drinking superbly. The Warre 1985 has retained much of its youthful Victoria plum colour with just a hint of ruby visible at the rim. The bouquet is a showstopping mix of dried black fruits, Morello cherries, chocolate, dried herbs, almonds, and smoke. Massive and rich in the mouth, the sweetly toned black fruits are complimented by flavours of coffee, black treacle, crushed nuts, pomegranate, mint and cocoa. Wonderful on its own, open and decant this beauty and enjoy with cheeses or fruity puddings.
I’ll finish my Christmas essentials with a couple of winter-warming spirits. The first is the Adnams Sloe Gin (Adnams £29.95). I’ll be honest I find most sloe gins are just a waste of good gin, being either teeth-rottingly sweet or bone dry but with red berry tones simply acting as a distraction to the gin’s botanicals. This though is excellent. Cherry red, there’s a touch of perfume to the nose which helps lift the sweet cranberry fruit and dry herby notes of the base spirit. The palate is voluptuous and warming – the 26% alcohol makes its presence felt – but clean and tangy. Maybe it’s me, but this tastes like a great gin cocktail rather than a Sloe Gin. Whatever the case, neat or with a dash of tonic, it’s delicious.
Last but by no means least we have Adnams Rye Malt Whisky (Adnams £42.99). In my early trade days, I got quite into whisky but as I’ve got older, I drink it less and less. That said I do like an after-dinner snifter at Christmas, and this is the perfect choice. Produced in Suffolk using locally grown rye, it’s aged in new French oak for at least five years. This oak ageing is at the core of my love of this. It adds a creaminess and an apricot and honey sweetness, imparting a creamy mouthfeel, a ginger spiciness, and a raisin fudge tone. Add a drop of tepid water and you have a joyous sundowner.
Well, that’s it for me this year. I’ll be back next month to celebrate Australia Day with some cool climate Australian wine stunners.
Cheers, and Happy Christmas,
Giles
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Day 9
Round & About
Day 8
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Christmas Sparkling Wine Guide
Round & About
Round & About Magazine’s resident wine columnist Giles Luckett recommends some fabulous festive fizz that will make your Christmas sparkle
With the holiday season now a cork’s throw away, I thought I’d share some recommendations for festive fizz that won’t break the bank. Champagne prices have risen sharply over the past few years. This has been partly a hangover from the pandemic, partly as a succession of great vintages has pushed up demand. As I said in my recent article on The Best Champagnes of The Year, many champagnes are seriously expensive, but great sparkling wine can still be affordable.
Once upon a time, sparkling wine was something best avoided. In my early trade days, it was often sold under that chilling euphemism, ‘party wine’. It was usually cheap, made from grapes as (ig)noble as Mauzac or Treabbiano using a tank and a giant bicycle pump and had all the joy of a wake. It took non-French winemakers, notably in Spain and the New World, to show that sparkling wine could be serious and great value for money. Today, the wine world is awash with cracking sparkling wines offering beauty on a budget and here are my recommendations for sparkling wines that will be the life and soul of the party.
First up, a Prosecco, the Terra Organica (Sainsbury’s £12). This is one of the best Prosecco I’ve had in a long time I’m mid-way down the second glass it’s become cloying and insipid. The Terra Organica avoids this, I suspect, through cool fermentation and by giving it time on its lees (yeast and other elements left over after fermentation), it certainly has a savoury, creamy edge to the pear and peach fruit. Great on its own, this has the intensity and weight to partner with salty appetisers or smoked fish.
Next, a Cava. I had to drink, sorry, think, long and hard about this one as there are so many excellent Cava’s out there. The Cune Cava (Majestic £10 on a mixed 6), the Roger Goulart Brut Reserva (N.D. John £15.95), and the Contevedo Cava Brut (Aldi £5.79) are all great wines. But the one that’s consistently stood out for me this year is the Vilarnau Brut Reserva Organic Cava (Ocado £11). Vilarnau takes Cava incredibly seriously, using organically framed grapes from their own vineyards to produce a dazzling wine that’s fruit-driven and characterful. The nose is a joyous mix of flowers, red and white berries, yeasty, and blackberries. In the mouth, it’s full, and creamy, and offers layers of white and yellow fruits interspersed with red berries, and a clean, lively finish. Enjoy this lightly chilled with olives, blinis, and other savoury party foods.
English sparling wine has been the toast of the trade of late, and while some have got the eye-poppingly pricey – the Nyetimber 1086 Rosé Prestige Cuvée will set you back £175, about the same as a bottle of Dom Perignon – many remain well priced. Take the Tesco English Sparkling Wine (£18.50 with a Clubcard). Made at the award-winning Balfour winery in Kent from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it offers tangy green and red berry fruits, crisp green apple and pear tones and a lovely creamy yeastiness to the finish. A class act, a glass or two of this would be a fine way to toast the big day.
New Zealand has proved to be a whizz with fizz. This isn’t much of a surprise given the splendour of its still Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines and the talented winemaking team at Villa Maria have built on their successes with these noble vines to produce the Villa Maria Sparkling Cuvee Brut (Sainsbury’s £14). This is a wine that’s easy to love. Everything about it, from its soft blossom and pear nose to its plump, textured body of peach, grape and honeydew melon, is easy drinking but complex and satisfying. It’s also one of those wines that makes you wonder if sparkling wine bottles are smaller, for no sooner have you opened it than it’s empty.
Riesling is arguably the greatest grape variety in the world. Few (if any) grapes can produce wines of such majesty in such an array of styles, from bone-dry stunners such as the Hugel Classic Riesling (Majestic £22.99) to luscious, sweet wines that can age for decades such as the Dr. Loosen Beerenauslese (Noble Green Wines £19.90). It can also produce exceptional sparkling wines as the Von Buhl Riesling Brut 2019 (Laithwaites £22 or £17.99 when you buy any 12) proves. This is a curious wine, that seems to meld two distinct styles. On the one hand, it’s a fresh, concentrated Riesling, green apples, nectarines, minerals and flowers, while on the other, it has an apricot, dried pear and honey richness from the extended bottle ageing. An intoxicating combination, like all good Rieslings this is a wine for the mind and the mouth.
Want to add a touch of bling to the season? Then pop open a bottle of the Bottega ‘Gold’ Prosecco (Majestic £19). There’s more to this wine than meets the eye, which is saying something. Produced at an estate that can trace its roots back to the 17th century, it’s made from grapes grown in Valdobbiadene – the finest Prosecco-producing area – with an attention to quality and detail that’s more commonly associated with champagne. The bouquet offers aromas of orchard fruits, citrus, pears and salty-creamy yeast tone. The palate is richer and weightier than most Prosecco’s and the fruit flavours go beyond the usual pears and nectarines to lemon and lime, raspberry and rhubarb. Impressive, this is a wine to enjoy chilled as an aperitif or with cold white meats.
I couldn’t write a fizz column and not mention the winery that provides our house fizz, but rather than recommend the Graham Beck Vintner’s Selection (Tesco £13.50), I’m going for something else from their improbably impressive range, the Graham Beck Rosé Brut NV (Waitrose £16.99). The main difference between the white and the rosé Beck, aside from the gorgeous pink colour, is that the rosé has just a bit more red berry fruit and is a touch riper. Now your eyes will deceive you when it comes to tasting wine and seeing a rosé wine the brain will leap to a load of conclusions as to what it thinks you should taste and these will show up on the palate. Practice, and a little blind tasting, can help you see what’s there and not what you think should be there. I’ve tasted these two against each other blind and there’s more raspberry and strawberry fruit to the rosé and a little less of the exotic coconut and Asian herbs you find in the white. A great wine that’s a steal at this price, I can see us needing a bigger recycling bin by New Year.
Next time out, Christmas wines.
Cheers!
Giles
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Balancing Family Life & Live-In Care
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As the holiday season approaches, many families are faced with the challenge of balancing caregiving with their daily lives. For families supporting elderly or disabled loved ones, live-in care can be a wonderful solution to ensure they receive around-the-clock assistance while keeping family life intact.
In this post, we’ll explore how integrating live-in care into family life can be both seamless and rewarding, how it impacts family dynamics and how it can create time for family celebrations during the holidays.
How can live-in care be integrated into family life?
Live-in care brings a professional carer into the home to provide 24/7 support, allowing your loved one to remain in familiar surroundings. While this offers many benefits, integrating live-in care into family life does require some thoughtful planning. Here are a few steps families can take to ensure a smooth transition:
1. Open Communication: Before a live-in carer moves in, it’s important for family members to discuss what this change will mean. Consider holding a family meeting to set expectations and address any concerns about privacy, space and responsibilities.
• Clear Roles and Boundaries: Each family member may have specific tasks or routines they prefer to handle themselves, such as cooking meals or running errands. Defining roles and setting boundaries early on helps everyone understand how they’ll collaborate with the carer, reducing potential friction.
• Build Trust Gradually: Introducing a new person into your home can be a big adjustment. A gradual approach to building trust can help everyone feel more comfortable. Consider introducing family members slowly whenever possible to allow your family to form a natural bond with them.
• Involve the Carer in Family Activities: Inviting the live-in carer to occasional family dinners or gatherings helps them feel integrated into the family unit, fostering a sense of harmonious living. This also helps your loved one feel that the carer is a part of their daily life rather than just a professional presence.
By focusing on these steps, families can make the process of integrating live-in care into family life smoother, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
Challenges of Balancing Family and Live-In Care
While live-in care offers many advantages, families may face certain challenges when balancing family life with a live-in carer in the home. Addressing these challenges proactively can make a significant difference.
Here are some of the common challenges and how families can overcome them:
1. Privacy Concerns: One of the most common challenges is privacy. Having an additional adult in the household can make family members feel like they have less personal space. Setting up a designated living area for the carer, separate from family common areas, can help maintain a balance between privacy and support.
• Adapting Family Routines: Live-in carers often follow schedules to meet the needs of the person they’re caring for, which may impact family routines. Families may need to adjust their routines slightly to accommodate these caregiving schedules, especially around meal times or social gatherings.
• Managing Family Dynamics: Introducing a new person into the family environment may temporarily shift family dynamics. Open conversations can help family members adjust to this change, especially when young children or teenagers are involved.
By recognising these challenges, families can create a plan to address them and establish a stable, collaborative environment that respects both the family’s needs and the carer’s role.
How Live-In Carers Impact Family Dynamics
Live-in carers inevitably impact family dynamics. Their role within the home affects relationships, routines and responsibilities – often in positive ways but sometimes it can be a challenge and require adjustment. This is absolutely normal, and for most families, it gets easier over time.
The benefits often outweigh any potential early concerns. When a live-in carer assumes the daily responsibilities of caregiving, it can significantly alleviate the emotional and physical strain on family members. This shift allows families to focus on nurturing their relationships with their loved one instead of constantly being preoccupied with caregiving tasks. By reducing the burden, family members can experience greater peace of mind, which enhances their ability to be fully present and emotionally available.
Live-in carers bring a level of professional support that goes beyond what most family members can provide. As trained professionals, they are skilled in assessing and responding to various health needs, offering a reassuring layer of security for families. This expertise often elevates the standard of care, benefiting everyone involved and fostering a sense of overall well-being.
With the day-to-day caregiving tasks managed by a professional, family members have the freedom to enjoy quality time together. Freed from the constant demands of caregiving, families can focus on meaningful connections and shared moments with their loved one, making their time together more enjoyable and memorable.
Additionally, the presence of a live-in carer can create a more positive atmosphere within the household. Family members, no longer feeling solely responsible for caregiving, may experience increased happiness and relaxation. This uplifting environment benefits everyone in the home, including the loved one receiving care, as the supportive, relaxed atmosphere promotes a sense of warmth and comfort.
Live-in carers often bring emotional benefits as well. By joining the family in celebrating special occasions and bonding with the family member they care for, carers often bring a sense of warmth, stability and familiarity that adds value to the family dynamics.
Celebrating the Festival Season with the Help of Live-In Care
With the holiday season around the corner, live-in care offers families an incredible opportunity to enjoy the festivities without the usual caregiving stress.
Here’s how having a live-in carer during Christmas, New Year and any other religious or cultural festivals can make the season more enjoyable:
1. Freeing Up Time for Celebration: Live-in carers manage daily care responsibilities, allowing family members to focus on holiday planning, shopping and decorating without added pressure. This extra time lets everyone fully embrace the holiday spirit without feeling stretched thin.
• Support During Family Gatherings: During family gatherings, the carer can assist with mobility support, dietary needs, or personal care, ensuring that the loved one receiving care can be comfortably involved in the celebration. Their assistance helps family members to relax, knowing their loved one’s needs are professionally met.
• Helping with Holiday Preparations: Carers can be a huge help during the holidays by aiding with food preparation, gift wrapping and other tasks that require an extra hand. This allows families to focus on spending time together rather than being pulled away by holiday chores.
• Ensuring Safety and Comfort: If your loved one has specific needs, such as medication schedules or health monitoring, the live-in carer’s presence can provide invaluable peace of mind during the excitement of the holidays. Families can rest assured that their loved one’s needs will be met while they participate in the holiday cheer.
With the support of a live-in carer, families can experience a more relaxed, meaningful holiday season; focusing on togetherness and joy rather than juggling care duties with festive obligations.
Final Thoughts
Integrating live-in care into family life can provide numerous benefits, from reducing the burden on family members to enhancing the quality of life for loved ones who require assistance. While challenges may arise, a proactive approach to communication, boundaries and family dynamics can create a balanced and positive home environment.
As the holiday season approaches, the gift of live-in care can be particularly meaningful. By easing the caregiving load, it enables families to focus on what truly matters: spending time together, making memories and celebrating the season without the usual stress of caregiving duties. With a live-in carer by your side, you and your family can enjoy a season filled with warmth, joy, and harmony.
For more information about how Eximius Live-In Care can support you and your loved ones needing additional support please call us on: 0203 794 9933
Or email: [email protected]
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Day 2
Round & About
Clip ‘n Climb in High Wycombe
Round & About
Jacob Dixon scales new heights at the brand new Clip & Climb at Eden Shopping Centre
Climbing the walls at home? Looking for somewhere where little high achievers can let off some steam? The new Clip ‘n Climb features 22 challenges and 27 climbing lines tailored to all ages and abilities.
No climbing experience required: newbies are welcome here! Clip ‘n Climb – considered “the Mini Golf of Climbing” – promises fun for everyone in a safe, colourful environment.
The centre at the Eden centre features 22 challenges and 27 climbing lines tailored to all ages and abilities and is one of many upcoming retail and entertainment openings at Eden Shopping Centre.
Our young tester Jacob says he had a great time on the Stairway to Heaven and the epic Drop Slide, both of which are popular in the company’s other centres, including the one in reading run by the same franchisees Chris, Chambers and Jon Robinson.
The centre offers birthday party packages as well as SEN sessions with the friendly, attentive, patient and encouraging staff, with reduced music.
These sessions are a great way to introduce your little one to climbing with safe and fun sessions that will enhance motor skills.
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10 top hotels in Hampshire
Round & About
Here the Good Hotel Guide invites you to explore 10 of the top hotels in Hampshire. From the wild beauty of the New Forest to the historic haunts of Southampton, country house hotels to bijoux retreats, these are hotels that are destinations in their own right.
Best luxury and boutique hotels, B&Bs in Hampshire – Good Hotel Guide
The Montagu Arms, Beaulieu
The Montagu Arms | Country House Hotel in Hampshire, New Forest
A restaurant-with-rooms in the village on Beaulieu Water, the Montague Arms offers traditional architecture and contemporary hospitality. On the banks of the Beaulieu river, the wisteria-clad Victorian hotel is popular for its food, offering both a fine-dining restaurant and a pub called Monty’s Inn. Many of the rooms overlook an enchanting garden, allowing you to wake to a view of wild ponies wandering by. There are also dog-friendly, open-plan courtyard studios in the grounds, each with a private terrace, and there’s a general atmosphere of relaxation to ease you into your stay.
Lime Wood, Lyndhurst
5* New Forest Hotel | Lime Wood
A five-star hotel in the New Forest, Lime Wood is an idyllic combination of natural beauty, heritage architecture and modern style. The country house hotel is the ultimate retreat, just a 90-minute drive from London, and surrounded by ancient woodland. It’s also home to The Herb House Spa – a dedicated space for wellbeing, complete with forest views from the sauna and hydro pool. A luxury retreat set within the grounds, facilities include a mud house, outdoor hot pool, rooftop techno gym, ozone-treated lap pool with glass doors to the garden, and a manicure and pedicure room.
Chewton Glen, New Milton
Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa | 5 Star Luxury Hotel in the New Forest
A five-star country house hotel and spa, Chewton Glen combines heritage elegance with modern hospitality. There are stylish rooms and suites to choose from in the main house, all with traditional decoration and sumptuous furnishings, as well as unique treehouse suites that make the most of their enchanting New Forest location. They allow you to wake amongst the treetops, watch deer roam by, and an extra layer of connectivity with nature.
The Pig in the Forest, Brockenhurst
THE PIG, New Forest Hotel & Restaurant in Brockenhurst – THE PIG
Named because pigs have foraged in these parts since the Norman Conquest, The Pig in the Forest is a popular member of Robin Hutson’s collection of piglets. There’s a variety of rooms to stay in, from hideaway suites in the stable yard, to lodges and a forest hut at the bottom of the garden. Food is a feast for sit senses using ingredients from the kitchen garden or grown and reared close by. Dishes might include wild garlic tagliatelle, goat’s cheese and walnuts, or venison loin with artichokes and smoked yoghurt.
Stanwell House, Lympton
Stanwell House Boutique Hotel – Lymington
Following an extensive refurbishment by the new owners, Stanwell House is a Georgian hotel in a New Forest yachting town on the edge of the Solent. A family-friendly, dog-friendly bolthole, it’s chic but warm, with each room offering its own unique charm. There are heritage influences to the interiors, a glass orangery for lunch, and a decadent restaurant, Samphire, with exuberant pink and purple Colefax & Fowler floral wallpaper and a lavish menu.
Daisybank Cottage, New Forest
Daisybank Cottage Boutique Bed and Breakfast, Brockenhurst
Surrounded by free-roaming ponies and donkeys, Daisybank Cottage is an Arts and Crafts-style single-storey house in the magical surroundings of the New Forest. A family home turned boutique B&B, attention to detail is paramount. All rooms have an espresso machine, mini-fridge, Roberts radio and Bramley toiletries, while the spectacular Marryat Suite (named after Captain Frederick Marryat, author of The Children of the New Forest) is complete with a private entrance, patio area, barbecue and heater. Place your breakfast order in a flowerpot outside your door at night with options including American pancakes, homemade granola and soda bread, local free-range eggs, kombucha, kimchi and microgreens.
The Pig in the Wall, Southampton
Boutique Hotel in Southampton City Centre | THE PIG-in the wall – THE PIG
A city-centre bolthole and the smallest of The Pig hotels, the Pig in the Wall is as stylish as its siblings but unique in every way. Tucked away in the medieval walls of Southampton, the historic building welcomes you into the world of rustic wooden table and chairs, low sofa seating, a roaring log burner and cosy corners. There’s a deli-bar serving food sourced from the kitchen garden at The Pig, Brockenhurst, and homely rooms with plush bedding and elegant furnishings.
The Grosvenor, Stockbridge
A little gem dating back to 1822, The Grosvenor sits proudly at the heart of Stockbridge, the smallest town in England. A town that’s home to the world famous chalk stream River Test, it’s a popular spot for fly fishing, shooting, walking and cycling, with guests returning to the immaculate retreat for rest and relaxation afterwards. Dog-friendly (dogs beds available), you can stay in a choice of rooms within the main building, as well as The Tap two-storey cottage adjacent to the hotel. There are also multiple dining areas, each with its own decadent style, from the Market Room restaurant with its intricate chandeliers and a stunning verre églomisé mirror, and the stylish 1822 Bar – perfect for coffee and cake or drinks and nibbles.
Burley Manor, Burley
Country Spa Hotel In The New Forest | Burley Manor
A country house hotel and spa, Burley Manor is a New Forest retreat with a contemporary eclectic twist. The property dates to 1852, and is a spectacular baronial-style manor house set within an 800 year old estate. It’s also just a few minutes’ walk from the picture-perfect village of Burley. Rooms are split between the main house and the garden wing, all individually designed with thoughtful details. Imaginative menus champion local ingredients, and are served in an elegant dining room. Meanwhile, wellbeing is enhanced with a treatment room where they offer TEMPLESPA therapies to rebalance and restore.
New Park Manor, New Forest
New Park Manor | Luxury Family Hotels
Part of the Luxury Family Hotels group, New Park Manor is a stylish and welcoming retreat in the heart of the New Forest. A hideaway for nature lovers, it’s surrounded by woodland trails and opportunities to watch resident deer and ponies go about their day. Rooms offer contemporary comfort and easy going style, while dining is a feast of seasonal menus in The Vinery Restaurant, complete with family-friendly amenities such as games like Dobble, Bugaboo Giraffe highchairs, and a children’s menu. Completing the experience, the spa is an adult-only haven with two outdoor hot tubs and forest views, an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and Somadome technology-enabled meditation pod.