Friday 31 July 2015

Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor

Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor Having recently stayed with Hanbury Manor for their "Ultimate Sleep Experience" with Duxiana Beds, I promised that I would blog separately about their afternoon tea - so here it is, there really was far too much to say not to. I have been lucky enough to sample afternoon tea at Hanbury Manor a while back now, but they have recently changed their menu and I was invited to give it a whirl. Well, who was I to say no? You must know me by now... Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor Setting The Scene:  Afternoon tea at Hanbury Manor is served within their oak panelled study close to the main entrance of the hotel and what a stunning room this is. With carved and ornate decorations over the fireplace and around the windows, it's the perfect location for a traditionally British afternoon tea. There's a choice of tables to book when you visit, options including a formal and elegant high table within the secluded library behind the main walls, or a slightly more informal and lower table within the study itself. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor We went for a lower table, complete with soft, cushioned chairs to recline in as we sipped on our Pommery champagne after arriving. The champagne tea of which we were sampling served my favourite sparkling beverage in the most beautiful etched flutes I've ever sipped from at tea, these made it feel very special before we had even started. In fact, this champagne is very light, almost too light... I managed to sip it rather quickly and the bubbles did seem to go straight to my head, ahem. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor We ordered different teas to sample as many as we could, opting for the Royal Tea blend and a light Ceylon for my bearded friend, who was a little unsure what to go for in place of the usual "builders tea" he would normally make. The Afternoon Tea:  The tall afternoon tea tier looks mightily impressive on serving, with the first element I spotted being their salmon pinwheel sandwiches, these looked so striking and inviting in equal measures. But, not only did they look beautiful, they tasted as good as they looked - perfectly moist and filled with tasty smoked salmon, a real wow factor for this tea. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor These were certainly the highlight when it came to the finger sandwiches, as unfortunately the rest were rather dry and had started to curl. I know how much of a challenge it can be to keep finger sandwiches fresh, but these had been made a while and hadn't kept well. The fillings were very traditional, cucumber & mint, ham & mustard on a walnut bread (our next favourite) and egg & watercress in a pink beetroot bread - very unusual breads, I liked the selection used in this way. We were also served a thin savoury muffin topped with crayfish, but again, the muffin was very dry and felt almost stale to the bite, it just wasn't very pleasant. A real shame, as again, this could have worked very well as a slightly different savoury offering to this tier. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor I would, however, also urge any afternoon tea venue reading this to please stop using watercress with your egg mayonnaise finger sandwiches. The thick, long stalks don't taste good or feel good when biting into a (what should be "dainty" or ladylike) sandwich, this is personally a real bug bear of mine. What's wrong with normal cress when it comes to this filling? Perhaps it's just me? We were offered more finger sandwiches, but we didn't take our waiter up on the offer, but there was plenty of food to keep on enjoying this time. The Scones:  So, moving on to the scones... Oh these scones were worthy of the visit on these baked goods alone. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor They were served wrapped up in a cloth napkin (we were also provided with these for our laps, my bearded friend choosing to tuck his into his collar instead of over his knee of course ; ) to keep them warm for longer. I love this touch and have only seen it in one other hotel before, so I'm always pleased when they're tucked up in this way. Scones should break through the middle when pulling apart with your fingers and these did so beautifully, they were fluffy in the middle, light as air and tasted heavenly. We could even taste the glaze on the top of the scones, of which I asked for some geekery on as they tasted so good. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor Executive Head Chef, Raj Chakraborty (who is a fine man indeed) tells me the secret to a good glaze is as follows.
The glaze is made of egg yolk, sugar and salt. Salt prevents it to burn, sugar caramelises and gives that effect.
I'm guessing a low and steady heat for the caramelising (from my own experience), he didn't go into proportions, so a case of trial and error to recreate that glaze then! Fruit and plain scones were on offer, two of each for both of us, I do love a choice when it comes to the flavours of a scone - I might even be as bold as to say this was the perfect scone. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor The Sweet Treats:  The miniature cakes for this afternoon tea were to share between two, including a battenburg, glazed strawberry tart with vanilla creme Patisserie (my fave with a crisp pastry shell), a moist lemon & basil macaron and a chocolate torte with a rich chocolate ganache to finish us well and truly off. There was also a watermelon (trifle?), I'm not 100% sure what it was, but unfortunately it was a slush by the time we came to try it, it had curdled and did not taste or look good in any way. I would say this probably wasn't needed, perhaps it was there as a pallet cleanser, but it really didn't work for is menu. They could perhaps look at offering a shot of lemon posset or a jelly in future, but this didn't taste of much which was, again, a real shame. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor The Little Extras: On serving our champagne to accompany our tea, were were advised to call over to our waiter when we were ready for our food. He took our tea order, then allowed us time to enjoy the glass before anything else was added to the table. I liked this touch very much, as it can sometimes be too much to balance a champagne flute on the table with tea and food at the same time. We weren't rushed, our table was ours for as long as we required, it was a very relaxed afternoon indeed. If we didn't need to rush off afterwards, I could have easily snoozed here all afternoon. Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor The Little Niggles: We felt very much "watched over" as we dined, as the large team of waiting staff hovered by the door next to our table. They were stood there chatting quietly, but it felt rather intimidating being stood over as a dining guest. With four large scones being served, there simply wasn't enough jam to put onto all of them had we wanted them all. There was plenty of clotted cream, however, it was simply too solid to smother on top - clotted cream really should be served soft and you should be able to dollop it gently onto your scone. This had been in a very cold fridge and had to be cut out of the bowl and placed on top. Not a huge issue, but still... Review: Afternoon Tea At Hanbury Manor Final Thoughts: The afternoon tea looked fabulous on serving, it has an elegant look about it and I would say it's perfect for couples wanting to try and share lots of different elements or for small groups looking for somewhere sophisticated for a civilised celebration. The champagne tea at Hanbury Manor is £31.50 per person. Special dietary requirements can be catered to, it's advisable to arrange on booking, prior to your arrival to avoid disappointment. www.marriotthanburymanor.co.uk MSF Miss Sue Flay logo Green Brush Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! To find out more about my afternoon tea etiquette tips, simply click here. Please note - This visit was complimentary following an invitation from the team. I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. The service team that work on the day or duration of my visit are not aware of my reasons for visiting, to enable a fair review. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.  

Review: The Mill Cafe, Hempnall

Review: The Mill Cafe, Hempnall As you may know by now, I love to explore a new area for the best places to enjoy a cuppa, afternoon tea, a wedge of cake or simply good food worthy of shouting about. Well, whilst visiting friends in Florida earlier this year, I got chatting to a lovely lady called Jean who told me all about The Hempnall Trust in Norfolk, a charity that she was involved with herself. Review: The Mill Cafe, Hempnall Jean told me to pop in for lunch some time, where they host The Mill Cafe once a month, within the stunning old windmill just down the road from my regular stopover. Based in the Hempnall Mill Centre (just a few miles south of Norwich), The Mill Cafe runs every first Monday of the month to help raise money for this local charity. The trust provides grants for residents of Hempnall who may be experiencing need, hardship or distress. Examples of these grants include assistance with funeral expenses, emergency funding, palliative care support, even help with heating or fuel costs. Anybody can apply for these grants, so long as their permanent residence is within Hempnall. Review: The Mill Cafe, Hempnall Many of the patrons within The Mill Cafe are elderly or disabled, dining here to meet with family or friends, enjoy a range of activities on offer whilst they visit and tuck into delicious, home cooked food provided at an affordable cost. The menu offered sandwiches served with salad and crisps, homemade minced beef & onion pie or roast mixed peppers & cheddar quiche (of which I tucked into) served with new potatoes and salad. Review: The Mill Cafe, Hempnall If you have room, there's a dessert menu, where I saw lemon layer gateau, summer berries & cream or a naughty bannoffee roulade being served to my fellow diners. You can also order tea, coffee, soft drinks as well as home baked cakes (I could choose fluffy fruit scones, coffee & walnut cake or a Malteaser cake) all made by the volunteers working that day. These treats can be taken home as a takeaway option if you're passing and fancy something for the road. The lunches cooked here are prepared by a professional chef and she's assisted by helpers & volunteers who prepare salads, vegetables and refreshments, as well as help with the clearing and washing up. Review: The Mill Cafe, Hempnall It's a real team effort here, with the volunteers all helping to entertain visitors, clear tables, serve customers and I got to see them preparing their own lunch for when the cafe closed, enjoying it as a team later in the day as a reward for their service. My lunch came to £5.80 in total, including a slice of homemade quiche with all the trimmings, a slice of coffee & walnut cake to take home and a soft drink - it was extremely good value for money. Review: The Mill Cafe, Hempnall Not only is the food truly delicious, a really friendly atmosphere here and you're made to feel so welcome, I'll be back again for sure next time I'm in the area. The Mill Cafe is open the first Monday of every month from 10am to 2pm. www.hempnalltrust.org.uk MSF Miss Sue Flay logo Green Brush Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please note - I paid my way during this visit and I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.  

Monday 27 July 2015

VIDEO: Afternoon Tea Etiquette Tips With Miss Sue Flay

As my alter ego, "Miss Sue Flay", not only am I by now somewhat of an afternoon tea aficionado (I do love an unusual afternoon tea or a unique sweet treat!), but I also love to learn the history behind our beloved British pastime. VIDEO: Afternoon Tea Etiquette Tips With Miss Sue Flay When you find yourself enjoying afternoon tea, do you sometimes question where a certain tradition came from or even why we say or do something in a particular manner around the table? You might be booking yourself in for tea at The Ritz, but then have no idea how to eat your scone in the right way or you may visit a tearoom and realised you aren't quite sure how you pour the tea for your fellow guests. VIDEO: Afternoon Tea Etiquette Tips With Miss Sue Flay You may not care at all, but I have a feeling if you're reading this, there's a slight intrigue there and you are going to read on regardless... I'm somewhat of an etiquette rebel myself, hey, I dunk my Jammie Dodgers just as much as you do! VIDEO: Afternoon Tea Etiquette Tips With Miss Sue Flay This is all purely for fun and a little education as we go, so I hope you enjoy watching this little video as much as I enjoyed filming it with my puppy friend (Eddy) in tow! Here, I share with you my top tips on afternoon tea etiquette: [youtube height="HEIGHT" width="WIDTH"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhO3q7G-6-Q[/youtube]   I also urge you to share your own top tips below in a comment, I'd love to hear from you on your personal afternoon tea experiences. A HUGE thank you to Karen Cann Video for working with me on this fun video guide - if you want to find out more about her services, click here - she's awesome to work with and spurred me to make this video once and for all, thank you Karen!  VIDEO: Afternoon Tea Etiquette Tips With Miss Sue Flay   www.karencann.co.uk     MSF Miss Sue Flay logo Green Brush   Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.

Friday 24 July 2015

VIDEO: Making Bacon Sushi

I have good old Facebook to thank for this one, a recipe of which I desired for many weeks before attempting. VIDEO: Making Bacon Sushi There was a video doing the rounds, showing you how to make a "bacon sushi" wrap with barbecue sauce and coated in crispy onions for ultimate, erm, pork heaven! A rainy weekend came along, my bearded friend had surprised me with a fridge full of meat to recreate this epic recipe and so, create we did... VIDEO: Making Bacon Sushi This was SO devilishly good, but very rich, you don't need much of it. It's the perfect sharing food if you're looking for something a little different at a summer BBQ, informal dinner party or to add to your afternoon tea menu for an unusual twist to the savoury tier. VIDEO: Making Bacon Sushi You'll find the original recipe (of which inspired us to give this a go) from Cook With Meat. We made SUCH a mess with this haha, but it was great fun to make and do together - the nachos were a nice touch, but tricky to mash up and the sizzle as the meat cooked, cooooooooor - just listen to it in the video, it'll make you hungry just watching. VIDEO: Making Bacon Sushi Although not in the original recipe, we used Lawry's seasoned salt (found in supermarkets in the US) for this recipe, delicious. Here's my video of our bacon sushi shenanigans - enjoy! [youtube height="HEIGHT" width="WIDTH"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og6nUKcfTg0[/youtube]   Have you given this recipe a go yourself? Or will you now do so?...  How did it go? What do you reckon?  VIDEO: Making Bacon Sushi MSF Miss Sue Flay logo Green Brush Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.  

Wednesday 22 July 2015

Review: Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin 

I get asked by many people where my favourite afternoon tea venues are and one of my ultimate locations is actually in London. Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin  The Halkin is a very elegant hotel, just set back from Belgravia Square and they have always been one of my most favourite locations for a peaceful and classy high tea menu in London. The restaurant here holds one Michelin Star and is home to some talented chefs, including Elena Arzak, voted Veuve Cliquot World's Best Female Chef, it's somewhere to go for some relaxation and simple fine dining. This is a hotel of understated luxury, for people who've made it in life - the rooms and suites (five suites within the hotel, one on each floor) here are something very special with a real homely feel to them. When looking out of a suite window, it felt as if I were peering out of an apartment overlooking the neighbourhood below, it's a peaceful haven from the bustling streets below. Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin  If it's good enough for the likes of Meryl Streep when she visits our Capital, it's good enough for Miss Sue Flay. They once served the "Japanese Rituals" afternoon tea in collaboration with William Curley, a highly talented and passionate chocolatier and Pâtissière - those stunning  cakes are always in my cakey dreams. However, lately, The Halkin have taken a slightly different approach and now play host to Spanish tapas style food, even when it comes to their afternoon tea thanks to their new menus within the Halkin Bar. Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin  Thanks to good old Twitter, we managed to connect a few weeks back following a conversation I'd started about the new trend in "Gentleman's Teas" and Chris Orlikowski, PR & Marketing Manager for the Como Hotel group made me an offer I simply couldn't  refuse... ... Chris advised me of something very exciting and new to The Halkin, inviting me to join not only himself, but their General Manager Andrew Thomson to play a game of Backgammon over a cup of tea or two. Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin  This wasn't just any backgammon set, it has been curated as a bespoke set for The Halkin by COMO by luxury retailer William & Son in London's Mayfair. Andrew is a master at this game, having played with his family for many years whilst traveling the world, making him the perfect mentor to learn the art myself on a grey, but warm Tuesday afternoon. I was a little scared to play to start, I always find board games so confusing, having not played too many as a child myself. If we did play games as kids, my sister and I would argue to high heaven, most likely with the game getting thrown around or somebody stomping off in the opposite direction, so we never played them really as a result. Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin  Admittedly, as we tucked into some tapas style nibbles and a pot of tea between courses (I adore that this hotel serves cold milk in chilled milk jugs, a beautiful touch) Andrew patiently coached me through the game in hand. We took our time, Andrew showing myself and Chris how to play the best moves with the rolls of my dice and to my complete surprise, I actually enjoyed a clear win - although I'm still unsure if perhaps that's slightly cheating when you're being told which moves are the best by a master player. But still, a win is a win, hurrah. Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin  I truly adore this hotel, highly rate their food, especially if you're looking for a slightly unusual twist on a traditional afternoon tea. I sampled their take on fish & chips, but with the most colourful gel potato "crisps" I've ever seen, they were so unusual - such a work of art, I almost didn't want to demolish them... almost. It was all delicious and truly unusual for an afternoon tea (the fish & chips from the Tapas menu) - this is one for you to try.  Their latest afternoon tea menu can be found here. I believe that The Halkin will be offering a 25% discount on their afternoon tea bookings throughout National Afternoon Tea Week from 10th August 2015, so book yourself a table and get your hands on this stunning purple leather Backgammon set to while away your afternoon. Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin  In fact, I'm off to buy my own set, I just wish I could afford to replicate this beautiful board myself - this hotel had toyed with offering a bespoke Monopoly board game to add to their bar, so if they do, I'm hoping I'll be the first to give it a whirl! Have you played Backgammon before? Did you find it easy or hard to get to grips with?  Do you play board games with your own afternoon tea? I'd love to hear from you in a comment below! Afternoon Tea And Backgammon At The Halkin  www.comohotels.com/thehalkin MSF Miss Sue Flay logo Green Brush Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please note - This visit was complimentary following an invitation from the team. I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. The service team that work on the day or duration of my visit are not aware of my reasons for visiting, to enable a fair review. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek

Afternoon Tea Week 2015 is coming to the UK, get very excited. Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek Last year, you may have seen I was lucky enough to join the team at AfternoonTea.co.uk and Nudge PR where we all met aboard the BB Bakery bus for a tour of London as we dined to celebrate the launch. This year I was invited back to join the team for a much more civilised and relaxed affair within the grand surroundings of St Ermin's Hotel in London's Westminster. Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek For 2015, Afternoon Tea Week will run between 10th to 16th August, playing host to a series of exclusive afternoon tea events and celebrations nationwide within the our favourite British hotels, restaurants & Tearooms - there will be themed tables, talks, tea tastings and geekery a plenty. For example, certain UK hotels will be offering a generous discount with their afternoon tea menus, such as the St Ermin's Hotel (the host venue for this launch event) with their stunning "Sparkling Tea On The Terrace", complete with unlimited champagne. Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek St Ermin's Hotel started out as St. Ermin's Mansions in 1889 (smart serviced flats within Westminster) and the red brick Queen Anne style was a fashionable choice back in that time. Nowadays, it reflects a luxurious Victorian interior and boasts London's very first "Bee Hotel" up on the rooftops above, complete with hexagonal boxed suites for a variety of bees to nest in peace. Their menu even includes the option to buy their rooftop honey whilst visiting and their afternoon tea is beautifully presented, served on a tall white layered box, not dissimilar to something you might find in IKEA - I've never see anything like it, I love it. Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek The savouries include pork & black pudding sausage roll and finger sandwiches with fillings such as salt beef with horseradish, cucumber & cream cheese and smoked salmon with caviar for some true decadence. An assortment of warm, freshly baked scones are served with lashings of strawberry jam and clotted cream, but served with slightly unusual flavours. Not only do they have a traditional sultana scone, but also milk chocolate & strawberry or even a sea salt scone, all truly delicious and very moreish. Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek It doesn't stop there, the sweet treats will keep you going all week with a chocolate & raspberry tea cake, lemon & rose petal drizzle cake, strawberry macaroon (almost like a fluffy marshmallow!) and a tropical fruit Yuzu posset to cleanse your pallet. The tea selection is hand picked by London-based gourmet tea company "Newby Teas" and at just £35 as the hotels' standard afternoon tea price, this is a luxury afternoon tea venue worthy of a visit, throughout Afternoon Tea Week 2015 or beyond. Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek They can also cater for gluten free afternoon tea requirements if requested on booking. So... What do you fancy doing to celebrate National Afternoon Tea Week in August? I may even be getting involved in some plans myself, so watch tis space. Or perhaps you'd like to book me to join with an afternoon tea etiquette element to your own proceedings?... Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek To find out more about his exciting week of high tea themed shenanigans and a full list of what's going on, visit: www.AfternoonTeaWeek.com  www.sterminshotel.co.uk/eating-drinking/afternoon-tea  Other blog posts from this event:  Suzy Pelta Bakes Afternoon Tea At St Ermin's Hotel & #AfternoonTeaWeek MSF Miss Sue Flay logo Green Brush Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please note - This visit was complimentary following an invitation from the team. I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. The service team that work on the day or duration of my visit are not aware of my reasons for visiting, to enable a fair review. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.  

Thursday 16 July 2015

Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor

Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor I'm not one to get too mushy about the romantic side of life, but recently I was invited to review a new sleep experience at Hanbury Manor in Ware. "Where's Ware" I hear you cry?! Ware is a 40 minute hop from Cambridge or London into the wilds of, well, Hertfordshire. It's really not far at all, well worth making a visit for a country retreat not too far from civilisation. Hanbury Manor is a 200 acre Jacobean country estate on the very outskirts of Ware and part of the Marriott Group. It's the perfect romantic hideaway, should you fancy a chilled out break with the love in your life... or it could be the selfishly indulgent solo spa retreat you've been needing for a while. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor Setting The Scene: When I first met my bearded man friend, I told him all about my blog, the superb venues I get to sample afternoon tea within and the luxury hotels & spas I review as Miss Sue Flay. As we got to know each other better, there was a promise of hopefully being able to take him along with me for the odd pamper. And so the day had finally arrived to treat him to a luxury spa break - so exciting. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor This is the perfect location for a mushy, romantic getaway and with Hanbury currently teaming up with Duxiana Beds for the "Ultimate Sleep Experience", this was the recipe for a much needed rest for the both of us. Off we skipped, hopped and jumped, frolicking hand-in-hand up through the trees up the green driveway and into a grand candlelit hallway through to the reception desk where we were greeted by a friendly young lady who addressed me as my real self - I like to stay incognito on a review trip. The Geeky Bit: Duxiana is a brand I'm very fond of, remembering back to the days of the Duxiana showroom on Jesus Lane in Cambridge, I used to pass it on the bus whilst studying at my local Sixth Form college, lusting over a snooze in one of their showroom beds in the window - this weekend retreat saw that mini dream finally come to life. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor Hanbury Manor and Duxiana have also teamed with Lumie Lights and Rajeunir, combining an advanced, luxurious bed with the Lumie Bodyclock Iris to relax & invigorate your senses and a Rajeunir moisture serum to keep your skin healthy and radiant. They believe that sleep should be "engineered" and for everyone that can combine these luxury elements, why shouldn't it be? I'm a firm believer in getting a good sleep, of which I genuinely don't get very often due to a back injury that keeps me from comfort more than I'd like. The Duxiana beds are designed to support your body for optimum pain relief and recovery, of which I didn't realise to start with, it's pure fluke that I was about to put this bed to the back pain test. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor The Lumie light is a type of alarm clock, but instead of an annoying, shrill beeping, you can programme it to send you to sleep or wake you with a mist of aromatherapy oils or mists to relax or awaken your senses. Rajeunir provide you with a container of luxurious moisturiser to use on your face and neck before a good sleep, we ended up calling this our "Eternal Youth Serum" and we are still doing so almost a week later - it's making us feel younger, even if we don't look it. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor The Dux 818 Bed: Duxiana have carried out extensive research to develop a selection of handcrafted beds, all tailored to meet specific needs. Their showroom in London encourages you to try them, but as a brand, they're now working with hotels such as Hanbury Manor to allow you a full night to road test them. The Dux 818 is their most advanced bed and the one I got to try out here, with nearly four times as many springs as an ordinary bed. The lumbar support is individually adjustable for each side of the bed and that's as nerdy as I can get here - if you want to read more about the specifics of this bed, and I suggest you should, you can see more on their website about the intricate details. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor What I found most important is that it passed "the jump test"... Yup, I like to kick off my shoes, have a good old jump on the bed and see if I can swing from the chandeliers - the Dux 818 didn't fail to impress me with its' spring action. In all seriousness, this was literally the comfiest bed I've ever had the pleasure of sleeping in, I'm honestly not just saying that, it's true. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor In fact, not even my own bed compares, that's really saying something as I invested a lot of money in my own personal bedroom. I'm now ready for a serious upgrade, I have a feeling it would do my back pain wonders, so I best get saving my pennies... Or if Duxiana is reading this and have a tatty ol' thing laying around, they're welcome to tap me up. The Room: Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor We stayed in a Prestige Room, within the body of the main house, with access to their spa, golf course and gym facilities throughout our overnight stay. The Prestige Rooms have been recently upgraded, but what I did like about this room for a change was that there was no air conditioning unit within the room. This meant that we didn't have dried out, bloodshot eyes, of which we've suffered on our recent travels elsewhere. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor Our bathroom offered a great sized bathroom, complete with fluffy white robes and slippers of which we made use of in the spa the next morning. The loo roll origami impressed me as a total geek for this stuff and the lounge are had a comfy sofa where we camped with my pre-prepared carpet picnic of scotch eggs, crudités, prosecco and cupcakes on arrival - bliss. This hotel is full of character, complete with a vaulted chapel which was set up for a wedding whilst we were staying, it looked stunning and I couldn't resist a nosey up close before the guests descended, what a grand room. I'm not interested in golf personally, but the golf buggies (even hover board-style buggies) almost tempted me to off-road, had the keys been left in the ignition... Ahem. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor The Spa: You can pre-book beauty and relaxation treatments here, however we didn't have time during our visit to get a massage or manicure which is a real shame, but we did get to use the rest of the spa facilities briefly. We were up very early for a Saturday morning (for us anyway!) and got into the gym for some cardio work before breakfast. There are no mats or free weights here, but plenty of machines to get your heart rate pumping before a full English in the Oakes Grill. After breakfast we enjoyed a quick chill in the steam rooms (they have a separate one for men and for women), a quick sit in the unisex sauna and a few laps of the swimming pool before checking out. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor Even though our visit was simply an overnight stay, we still felt revitalised for using these facilities, so if you don't have time for treatments, you can still get quite a lot out of your visit. The Food: The buffet breakfast was the breakfast of kings, we could opt from a full cooked English breakfast buffet (the sausages were the tastiest I've eaten in a very long time), freshly baked pastries, fresh fruit with yoghurt, a selection of fresh muffins or breads to toast as well as a menu to choose an array of other breakfast options. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor What I did like about the buffet was that if you didn't want the eggs on offer (fried or scrambled) then you could have a fresh omelette made up to go with your breakfast. We enjoyed their afternoon tea before departing, of which we enjoyed with a glass of champagne to keep us going for the rest of the day. There's so much to say about this afternoon tea, it deserves it very own blog post... The Little Extras: The toiletries within our en suite bathroom were L'Occitaine which was a lovely touch, I haven't yet used this brand within a hotel stay before and I was thrilled to find one of my favourite beauty brands awaiting me. And it wasn't just the hand soap and usual hair supplies on offer, I also had access to a shower cap, sewing kit, nail file and even a miniature bottle of mouthwash - we were well catered for. Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor Dux also create luxury bed linen - the lightweight duvet and pillow selection were all contributing factors to one of the best nights' sleep in a very long time for both of us. The pillow selection was superb, with two of the biggest pillows I've ever seen. I could barely hold both of them together, they were almost as tall as me. Breakfast was served between 7am through to 11am, I loved that there's an option to have a lazy start to your day... There's absolutely nothing worse than only being able to grab breakfast until 9:30am whilst staying away. We had ours whilst in our gym gear and felt comfortable sat out on the outside veranda enjoying some sunshine, with such a lovely view! The Little Niggles: We were visiting to try out the Ultimate Sleep Experience, however on realising that our Lumie Bodyclock wasn't set to wake us up naturally the next morning, we found that the chamber for that particular essential oil was empty - *sob*. I called down to reception, but housekeeping had left for the day and we were offered a "normal" wake up call of which we politely declined for a Saturday morning. A real shame, as this is a fairly important element to the experience, so we didn't get to sample being woken up naturally within our stay. My advice would be to check this before you settle in for the night... Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor There were two little packets of biscuits on the tea tray, however one of the biscuits was crushed beyond belief, I still can't quite work out how on earth they would have crumbled so badly, it was if somebody had stood on the pack and popped it back. I could feel this was crushed, so when I opened it, powdered biscuit fell everywhere, oh dear, they certainly weren't dunkers. Final Thoughts: Just two rooms currently house these luxury Dux beds, so if you decide to book an Ultimate Sleep Experience, you will need to specify on booking, a spa stay will cost between £150 - £200 per person, depending on your fancy. Although at full capacity during our stay, with not one, but two weddings this weekend, it felt so peaceful - the perfect snoozy start to our chilled weekend.
Pillow fight anyone.....?

Review: A Romantic Spa Break With Hanbury Manor

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MSF Miss Sue Flay logo Green Brush Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please note - This visit was complimentary following an invitation from the team. I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. The service team that work on the day or duration of my visit are not aware of my reasons for visiting, to enable a fair review. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.