As fans of Sessions Arts Club in London we’re excited to check out Boath House, near Nair in the Highlands. The same team – artist and restaurant Jonny Gent, architect Russell Potter and chef Florence Knight have reunited to create the new hotel with two restaurants and just nine bedrooms. Set within a Georgian house, step into the grounds and explore the walled garden and grounds where two cabins will host creatives throughout the year.
Fifteen minutes’ outside Deal is Updown, a 17th century red-brick farmhouse with woodlands, wildflower gardens and seven and a half acres of grounds. Newly restored it’s now a restaurant with seven pretty bedrooms spread across the house and two cottages. Visit in summer to eat outdoors where the hyper-seasonal Italian-leaning menu is prepared by the chefs in the outdoor kitchen with a bakers oven built into the stable wall.
The Fox at Oddington, Cotswolds
Rooms above pubs can be poky but not at The Fox where each comes with its own living space with sofas, armchairs, desks and books. Refurbished by Carole Bamford there’s a Daylesford-y feel – bunkbeds in the family Hunting Lodge are made with wood from the Daylesford Estate, their organic produce supplies the kitchens and bicycles are provided so you can pedal along to the Bamford spa up the road. The six bedrooms are themed around local flora and fauna; look out for the Wild Meadow that looks out over the living rooftop planted with flowers and herbs. The pub itself is classic Cotswolds with cosy inglenook fires and a seasonal British menu but it’s also sustainable being powered by 100% renewable energy and with a zero waste ethos.
On the pebbly beach at Aldeburgh fishermen still come ashore with their daily catch; one is Dean Fryer who supplies Sur-Mer, the restaurant at The Suffolk. Along with nearby smokehouse, Pinney’s this contributes to a delicious menu that includes Butley Creek oysters, dressed Suffolk crab and grilled langoustines and aioli. The star dish is the whole fish for two – cooked over coals and served with chips and hollandaise. Right on Aldeburgh High Street, the restaurant is now open, with six bedrooms to follow in late September.
A Little Bird Loves
