Spring Foraging Day 20th March 2010

Spring is just around the corner and its the perfect time to blow away the cobwebs with a guided walk through the local woodlands and hedgerows. You will be expertly guided by local foraging guru Raoul van Den Broucke identifying and collecting edible mushrooms, herbs, berries and plants. Returning to the hotel you will have the opportunity to partake of a set lunch menu featuring wild local foods.

Please note you may need to use own transport for transit between hotel and foraging locations.

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£25 per head (foraging only).

£40 per head including foraging and 3 course lunch.

To book please call: 01594 833 046
or
Email: info@tudorfarmhousehotel.co.uk

Website: www.tudorfarmhousehotel.co.uk

Forest of Dean Daffodil Weekends

Saturday 6 to Sunday 28 March 2010

Explore the Forest of Dean’s famous floral displays in Oxenhall, Kempley and Dymock, when wild daffodils start to bloom across the golden triangle this spring 2010.

See delightful daffodils in their true glory, during the three Forest of Dean weekend events.Visitors from across Gloucestershire, the UK and beyond will be descending on the Forest of Dean in March 2010, when stunning wild daffodils can be seen in all their glory and a number of activities will celebrate the enchanting native flower.

Taking place in an area known as the golden triangle; Oxenhall, Kempley and Dymock will all be hosting their own weekend events, giving visitors the chance to enjoy and learn more about daffodils.

Guided walks will be led by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers, taking in places of interest including the Daffodil Way footpath, Betty Daws Wood, Gwen & Vera’s Fields Nature Reserve and the former Daffodil Line Railway – which used to run the Daffodil Specials when local children would pick the wild flowers to be sent by train from Gloucester to London for the capital’s hospitals and markets.

Oxenhall Daffodil Weekend
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 March 2010
For more information contact Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust on (01452) 383333.

Kempley Daffodil Weekend
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 March 2010

Dymock Daffodil Weekend
Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 March 2010
For more information contact Dymock Parish Hall on (01531) 890453.

BBC Presenter Recommends the Tudor Farmhouse!

Kate recommends the Tudor Farmhouse.

THE Forest of Dean is one of the top wildernesses in which to escape says Springwatch star Kate Humble.

In a feature for this month’s Lonely Planet Magazine BBC presenter Kate outlines her top tips for an invigorating weekend west of the Severn.

Her highlights include Symonds Yat, the Giant’s Chair sculpture at Beechenhurst Lodge and the array of wildlife including goshawks, woodpeckers and wild boar.

Kate says: “When you enter the Forest of Dean you feel as if you’re on someone else’s territory; that something or someone else is in charge, it’s really quite exciting.”

Kate recommends the Tudor Farmhouse in Clearwell as a top spot to spend the night and the Garden Cafe in Lydbrook as a good place to grab a bite to eat.

2010 Special Offers

Curl up by the fire and relax this winter at the Tudor Farmhouse Hotel. Start off the New Year taking advantage of one of our special offers. We are offering 3 nights for the price of 2 for new bookings in January and February on Sunday to Thursday inclusive.

Alternatively, our Winter Warmer offer is for two nights on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis and includes a complimentary hamper of local goodies in your room including locally made chocolates, preserves and drinks, a glass of sparkling prosecco each before dinner, a complementary newspaper and full English breakfast delivered to your room each morning. For more details on the offers available please visit our website at:
www.tudorfarmhousehotel.co.uk/specialoffers

NOVEMBER 2009 LAST MINUTE OFFER – 3 FOR THE PRICE OF TWO

Get away from it all for THREE nights Bed and Breakfast or Dinner Bed & Breakfast for the price of TWO. Offer is valid Sunday-Thursday inclusive for new bookings during November 2009.

Please call 01594 833046 quoting the reference “November 3 for 2″.

Attic (single occupancy) £120 B&B £170 DBB
Barn £180 B&B £280 DBB
Garden £180 B&B £280 DBB
Character £260 B&B £360 DBB
Cilgerran Suite £300 B&B £400 DBB
Cottage Suite £320 B&B £420 DBB

Monmouth Raft Race

Monmouth Raft Race Competitors

Monmouth Raft Race is in it’s 44th year, but it will be a first for us. The hotel has one raft racing this year, with 10 enthusiastic staff, including Colin, our deputy manager, Cheryl, and head chef, Blaine, competing. We can thank Kath, one of our chefs, for the idea. I’m not sure she envisaged a race when she suggested rafting as a good team building event! I’m not sure who to thank for the team name – the Tudor Tiddlers. I’m sure they will be visible for their t-shirts alone!

The race takes place on Sunday September 6th and is organised by the Monmouth Rotary Club. It starts at 12 noon at Monmouth Rowing Club and is paddled over 6.5 miles down the beautiful Wye Valley to Tump Farm at Whitebrook where there is entertainment and refreshments. (Please note that we will be shut for lunch on the day of the race.) All monies raised are split between St David’s Foundation Hospice Care (75%) and other charities supported by Monmouth Rotary Club (25%). St David’s Foundation Hospice Care is a Gwent based charity caring for patients who have been diagnosed with a life threatening illness. If you would like to sponsor us you can visit our fundraising page, where all of the money will go straight to St David’s Foundation Hospice Care:
www.justgiving.com/tudortiddlers

Facebook

I have now set up a facebook page to complement the blog and keep everyone up-to-date on any special offers or last minute deals that we have. If you would like to become a fan, please click the link to the right hand side of the page.

Flickr

We have a flickr account, where you can view all of the photos taken for our new website and brochure. They are at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorfarmhouse/

They were taken by Bob from Abbey House Studio in Tintern. They concentrate now on weddings and offer an excellent service. They did the photos for Hari’s sister’s wedding. We would highly recommend them.
http://www.abbeyhousestudios.co.uk/

If you are looking for a portrait photographer, Bob’s daughter, Sheryl Long, is brilliant and is based in their studio in Tintern.
http://www.ahsportraits.co.uk/index.html

Best for Business

Robin Hutson with Hari and Colin

In January we applied to take part in the ‘Best for Business’ mentoring series by Caterer & Hotelkeeper, a magazine for hospitality professionals. We were fairly gobsmacked to be chosen (only six businesses were chosen), and just when we had gotten over the initial shock we were delighted to learn that Robin Hutson, founder of the Hotel du Vin Group, was going to be our mentor. Robin has been advising us on every aspect of our business, and it is true to say that we could not pay for the advice we have received. Robin is recognised throughout the hospitality industry as a hugely innovative and successful hotelier.

We are about half way through the year’s mentoring process and it has been invaluable. Robin has arranged for Blaine, our head chef, to visit the Walnut Tree and work with Shaun Hill, and Colin has been to visit Gerard and Nina Basset at their hotel in the New Forest, Hotel Terravina. Gerard was Robin’s business partner in Hotel du Vin, and “the one who put vin into Hotel du Vin”! There has been a monthly follow-up in the Caterer magazine, and if you are interested you can read more about it on their website:

http://www.caterersearch.com/BestForBusiness/Default.aspx

Wine Evening

Enjoy a glass of Chateau Cantemerle

Colin has been working on a new wine list for the past few months. His emphasis has been on excellent quality, whilst also providing value for money. He has tried to source smaller producers.

Colin is now also working with Tom Innes of Fingal-Rock to bring an Evening of Rare and Exciting Wines to the Tudor Farmhouse. On Friday 25th September Tom will host a wine dinner of rare and fascinating wines.  Tom is the director of Fingal Rock, a Monmouth-based wine merchant that specialises in sourcing thrilling wines from small-scale producers around the world with an emphasis on Burgundy.

 The evening will comprise of a 7pm reception with an apéritif followed by a five course dinner specially designed to complement each wine.

This evening is not to be missed and thanks to Fingal-Rock we are able to offer tickets for this event for just £50 per person. Please call the hotel on 01594 833046 if you would like to book.