Here at We The Food Snobs, part of our mission for 2015 is to break out of the capital and sample some of the best foodie retreats in the UK and abroad. It’s all about expanding our horizons and exploring new sights and flavours. With that in mind, we decided to escape the city for the weekend and travel to sleepy Saxmundham, in the heart of Suffolk, to the magnificent 14th century country house named Bruisyard Hall.
Set in 700 acres of beautiful Suffolk countryside and complete with 150 acres of woodland, Bruisyard Hall is perfectly secluded for those special getaways, whether it be a romantic retreat or even a full house-takeover with family and friends. There’s even an on-site catering team to meet all your foodie needs if you fancy hanging up your chef hat for the weekend and indulging in a more gourmet affair.
After a recent refurbishment, the Hall can accommodate up to 20 guests, with an additional 2 rooms available in the adjacent Bruisyard Barn, enabling 24 guests to stay on the estate. With such a grand looking house, it’s only right that the inside be just as luxurious and that’s exactly what we found on entering our room. Spacious and fit for a king with four poster bed and fireplace, it was the perfect spot for a weekend of indulgence.
During our stay we sampled just a snippet of Bruisyard’s offerings, from a wonderful evening of wine tasting, sampling some of the finest bottles that are available for guests, to a gourmet banquet courtesy of the in-house caterers, Heathcote & Hare. Our particular favourite being the delicious Scallops with Black Pudding!
The house and grounds were enough to keep us content for the weekend but we thought we’d venture out into the surrounding area to sample the best of Suffolk. Beer fans will be happy to hear that Adnams is just a short trip down the road. We opted for the full brewery tour, taking in the full brewing process and of course, sampling some of their top tipples! And for the sea-fairing among you, Bruisyard also organised breakfast on the river for us!
So whether you’re looking for a little bit of luxury for two, a retreat for the family or even trying to persuade your boss that you need a team building weekend away, Bruisyard Hall has it all.
Enjoy!
We The Food Snobs x
Fact Box
Bruisyard Hall (www.bruisyardhall.com, 01728 639000) is available to hire exclusively from £3,500 for a x3 night minimum weekend stay (Fri-Sun) or from £1,250 per night for a weekday stay (Mon – Thurs). The Hall sleeps 20 in ten rooms and guests have the use of the entire 600 acre estate. Catering packages are available through Heathcote and Hare (www.heathcoteandhare.com), the estates own catering company with Breakfast packages starting at £10pp (continental) £12.50pp (cooked) and welcome hampers (serve 10) filled with local Suffolk produce £125 and Breakfast hampers £100. Travel to Bruisyard is available with Abellio Greater Anglia (www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk) from London Liverpool St. to Saxmundham.
