The Royal Berkshire Hotel

A prime example of a fine Queen Anne mansion lies in a tranquil setting just east of Ascot. The Royal Berkshire Hotel was purchased in May 2011 by Exclusive Hotels Collection and joins its sister property, Fanhams Hall Hotel in Hertfordshire as part of the Group’s EH Venues brand. Built in 1705, the 15-acre estate was gifted by Queen Anne to the ancestors of Sir Winston Churchill, only being developed as a hotel as recently as 1971.

At the outbreak of the Great War, it became the property of one Colonel Horlick. His eponymous malted drink, famous today around the world, was used here as a nightcap devised for guests. It comprised Horlicks paste, Bronte liqueur and Drambuie topped with whipped cream and grated chocolate – very different from today’s recipe, for sure!

Today, EH Venues is providing the same care and attention on the hotel to match the high standards of Fanhams Hall Hotel. It boasts outdoor tennis courts, a croquet lawn, splash pool, sauna and fitness suite. Guests can choose from 63 bedrooms all equipped with flat screen TVs and free Wi-Fi. The unrestrictive and flexible layout, old world charm and traditional décor of rooms in the Queen Anne mansion contrast with the contemporary design prevalent in the rest of the building.

The inspirational surroundings make it a fitting venue for conferences, training courses and weddings, offering personality and style. Overlooking landscaped gardens and flooded with natural daylight, the nine spacious meeting rooms have wireless internet access, air conditioning and can accommodate 200-guest conferences or more intimate gatherings of 10 or 20 people. A new addition is a unique open planned refreshment area. Here, delegates can take creative breaks, unwind, help themselves to unlimited drinks, or simply continue their work in a relaxed environment.   After a busy day, the Polo Bar is the magnet for aperitifs by the fire before dining in Little Paddocks restaurant, this being the house name in the Colonel’s time.

Tea and coffee is in the capable hands of Café du Monde, who supply the Group with much of their beverage requirements. They have installed two advanced bean-to-cup machines in the new ‘break-out’ area, serving coffee and, naturally, Horlicks. For functions, there is a bulk brew system; cafetières are used in the lounge and restaurant and Newby tea’s served throughout the hotel.

Complementing Café du Monde on its impeccable service, hotel General Manager, Paul Fearon, said: “We have worked with Café du Monde for a number of years, notably advising us at Fanhams Hall when that opened in 2005. Once again their advice has been invaluable in setting up the delegate refreshment area here. We recommend them without reservation.”

Bibury Court

This is a majestic Jacobean mansion, picturesquely situated next to the old church in the ‘chocolate box’ Cotswold village of Bibury, once described as ‘the most beautiful village in England’ by eminent Victorian artist and writer, William Morris. Bibury Court was built in 1633 by Sir Thomas Sackville, a ‘knight and gentleman usher in dailie waiting to the king’ — James I, that is!

Nowadays, Bibury Court is a superbly appointed, privately owned hotel set in six acres of delicious Cotswold countryside. Could any place be more English, with its oak-panelled drawing room, log fires, four poster beds, serious antiques, mullioned windows and oil paintings by the score? The setting is pristine, with virginia creeper climbing the walls, clipped yew hedges, a rose arbour with lavender beds and the peaceful tinkling of the river Coln as it passes through the grounds. As a guest here you could throw a line in and pit your wits against the trout or simply meander alongside the river as it makes its way into the heart of the Cotswolds. What makes Bibury Court a real home from home, however, are the unobtrusively attentive and friendly staff.

The Bibury Court Restaurant is an award winner – two AA rosettes, Cotswold Life’s Restaurant of the Year 2007 and the current holder of ’Taste of the West’ Gold award. Restaurant Manager, Christina Lindstadt, Head Chef, Antony Ely and their respective staff are responsible for food and drink in the restaurant itself and guests may also eat in the conservatory, drawing room or, weather permitting, on the recently extended terrace. Antony, who learned his trade in top restaurants in London and Dublin injects his award-winning flair into devising inspired menus. He is passionate about the use of fresh local produce and his dishes reflect a plethora of regional specialities and produce in season. His talents also include that most traditional of English treats, Afternoon Tea, served on the terrace in the summer or beside a roaring log fire in winter.

You can expect a fine cup of coffee to accompany your superb meal, as Bibury Court became a customer of Café du Monde just last year, after hearing of them through these columns. They particularly wished to introduce Fairtrade coffees to the hotel. Antony and Christina tasted several companies’ coffees along with General Manager, Philip Mason-Gordon. They unanimously selected Café du Monde who went on to install its stylish free on loan cafetière system and a Mon Ami 75 bean-to-cup espresso machine.

Says Antony, “They endeared themselves to us early on with the quality of their Fairtrade coffee, which beat the others we tasted hands down. Since then, their support service has sparkled with willing, helpful advice and spot-on deliveries regular as clockwork.”