Colwick Hall is a magnificent hotel in Nottinghamshire right next to the Colwick Racecourse. Colwick Hall dates back to the 11th century when Sir Reginal DeColwick owned it, the estate was then passed on to his daughters husband Sir Richard Byron after he died in 1362. The Byron family lived at Colwick for over 150 years (!!) before they moved to Newstead Abbey in 1660, when it was brought by the Musters family. After the death of Mary Chaworth-Musters the Hall was sold to the Nottingham Racecourse Company and became a public house.
It is the perfect setting for a very traditional and very English afternoon tea. It is worth arriving early, so you can have a quick stroll around the grounds, which are absolutely stunning! I particularly love the fountain around the back of Colwick Hall.
The afternoon tea itself is served in Byron’s Brasserie, just right off the main entrance. It is named after Lord Byron who used to live at Colwick Hall.
Byron's Brasserie's decor is absolutely magnificent it is fitted with a beautiful lace patterned ceiling and large portraits of the Byron family.
There are also various poetry quotes displayed on the walls, which I thought was a nice touch that makes the room look special and adds a unique touch to the room.
On the day that we visited the brasserie was relatively quiet, so the room felt very peaceful and intimate. In such magnificent surroundings I would of accepted the afternoon tea to be pricey, but on the day we visited there was an offer for 2 for £20 - what a bargain!
So what did we get for £20...
- A cherry and orange scone each - an unusual combination, but they somehow worked!
- A selection of three savoury treats - a mini quiche, a ploughman scone and a mini soft cheese bagel (for non-veggies it would be a mini salt beef bagel) > This was a pleasant surprise as not many places offer additional savoury treats other than sandwiches.
- A selection of vegetarian sandwiches, which consisted of the bog standard cheese and onion, egg mayonnaise and just cheese fillings. > These were on the slightly unimaginative side, but considering we already gorged on the other savoury treats I'll have to let them off.
- A separate tray of sweet treats, including a date & walnut cake, strawberry & blackberry tart, macaroons and a violet meringue with strawberries & cream. Although we were stuffed by the time the swet tray arrived, we didn't admit defeat that early, so carried on munching our away through the sweet tray as best as we could. They were all scrumptious, my favourite had to be the macaroons!
Overall, the afternoon tea menu lived up to the magnificent surroundings, it was both unique and delicious. Unfortunately the service didn't live up to the expectations and the staff didn't seem welcoming or very informed about the menu. At the end when we asked the waiter to pack up the left over food he returned 10 minutes later with two GIANT pieces of foil, placed them on our table and walked away, This was a bit shocking as you would expect they would pack up the leftovers for us. Despite the service we did actually have a great time gossiping over a yummy tea in beautiful surroundings.
Has anyone else visited Byron's Brasserie? What was your experience?
See you next time for more of my ramblings!
xx
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