It was a special birthday and my daughter and I returned to Champneys Henlow for a three-night spa break last month to celebrate. Henlow Grange is a health spa located in Bedfordshire which is set in 150 acres of beautiful grounds. Refurbishment of the spa began in 2017 and work is still ongoing. We visit every year so it was with great interest that we noted the changes which have succeeded in blending the old familiar traditional feel of the place with contemporary innovations. Our ultra-stylish Luxe room was on the ground floor opposite the weir so we had a splendid private patio area with terrific views, and we were lucky to have lots of warm sunny weather during our stay too.
Our little piece of heaven at Champneys Henlow!
The lush grounds are the epitome of peace and tranquility.
We started our blissful four days with a substantial Afternoon Tea in the restaurant
With the emphasis being on healthy eating food is always one of the highlights on a Champney’s spa break, and this was an example of a four-course dinner we enjoyed one evening. All the meals are low calorie or light diet and the portion sizes are small but surprisingly tasty and filling.
To start – the Amuse-bouche of the dayFollowed by a delicious home-made soupAnd my favourite dish – a twice-baked cheese SouffléFor dessert – a meringue nest with soft fruit
And my favourite dish – a twice-baked cheese souffle
For dessert – meringue nest with soft fruit
At Champneys Henlow we took advantage of being able to eat outside most lunchtimesThe pool has an adjacent jacuzzi and several seating areas and day beds for lounging aroundWe spent a lot of time relaxing in the stunning pool and spa areaWe particularly liked this new garden area which was a delightful place to sit……and appreciate the beautiful plants and water features
With special thanks to Lucy and Hannah who made our stay special with thoughtful gestures like this cake for my birthday. A lovely surprise at lunchtime on our final day!
Once a historic watermill, Quy Mill Hotel and Spa is a secluded haven of peace and tranquillity only a few miles outside Cambridge city centre. My daughter and I celebrated Mothering Sunday a day early this year by taking Afternoon Tea at this lovely location.
The charming rear view of Quy Mill Hotel from the gardenWe enjoyed the traditional Afternoon Tea which was served on a three-tiered stand
The sandwiches were freshly made with tasty fillings including smoked salmon, chicken, and curried egg, except the Mozzarella and watercress filling which we found rather bland
The scones were exceptionally good and served warm. We chose fruit and cheese from a selection, served with an excellent rhubarb jam and clotted creamMy daughter loved her warm cheese scone served with butter
The sweet tier consisted of crispy hazelnut and cocoa mousse lollipops, baked passion fruit cheesecake, layered sponge and opera chocolate slice, white cafe cappuccino souffle, praline macaroon, and coconut shortbread biscuit.
The traditional Afternoon Tea was reasonably priced at £18.95 per person and was good value. For the man in your life, it’s worth noting that a Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea with a delightful savoury selection is also available at £22 per person.
Minor niggles were that the crockery wasn’t bone china which I always look for when sampling an Afternoon Tea anywhere. The sandwich fillings were an odd twist on the usual selection and the Mozzarella and watercress one was too bland for us. These small criticisms were outweighed by the pleasant and relaxed surroundings, the prompt and friendly service, and the fact that it was altogether an enjoyable experience. Finally, the scones were exceptionally good and the rhubarb jam and baked passion fruit cheesecake were different and delightful additions to the sweet feast.
This is a popular destination so book in advance. Highly recommended.
Quy Mill Hotel and Spa
Church Road Stow-Cum-Quy Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB25 9AF England
Welcome to our latest spa resort experience at Champneys Tring. This month my daughter and I returned to one of our favourite places to celebrate her birthday with one aim, – to indulge in three days of relaxation and pampering and this is the perfect place to do just that!
We enjoyed sampling the new summer menu with the accent very much on healthy eating combined with the Champneys food philosophy of moderation, balance and variety. Dining here is always a pleasure with excellent service and beautifully presented dishes.
These plates of food are typical examples of the starter, main and dessert courses we enjoyed during our stay. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style with an enormous choice available, and dinner is a more formal three course meal from an a la carte menu.
The gardens and extensive grounds are beautifully kept and visiting in June we saw the resort at its best bathed in sunshine. We made the most of the outdoor seating and pool areas, and staying in a Ground Floor Garden room on this visit we also had our own patio with chairs, table and sun loungers.
The Mansion House is an elegant building at the heart of the resort with several lounge rooms designed for rest, relaxation and comfort which are tastefully furnished to a high standard.
Last month my daughter and I enjoyed a fabulous six-day spa break at Champneys Tring, a health resort and well-being retreat which is set in 170 acres of idyllic Hertfordshire countryside. The once Rothschild family-owned estate complete with a Downton style driveway impressed from the moment we arrived. Outside the front entrance is a dramatic, modern fountain.
Inside, the decor is modern, cool and elegant with an instantly calming sense of light and space.
Britain’s original health spa was established by eccentric naturopath Stanley Lief in 1925 at Tring and it’s the flagship property of the Champneys Group.
A frosty start to a sunny morning at Champneys, Tring. This was the splendid view from the patio of our Ground Floor Garden Room.
We exchanged the routine of work and the stresses and strains of everyday life for a week of healthy eating, exercise classes and treatments in the tranquil bubble of the spa.
One of the fabulous relaxation rooms at TringThe Champneys Plate
The Champneys Plate illustrates what a balanced diet actually looks like, showing how
much should be eaten from each of the three main food groups, with an equal proportion of 33 percent. The Champneys food philosophy relies on the principle of balance, moderation and variety and therefore, all Champney’s cuisine is high in fibre, low in fat and uses complex carbohydrates. For guests who are looking to lose weight, Champneys also has a Light Diet Menu and Plate offering 25 percent complex carbohydrates, 25 percent protein and 50 percent fruit/vegetables.
One of my choices for a typical nutritious breakfast! Champneys soaked muesli with soya milk and added nuts. Half a banana, Orange juice, and for a treat – a mini blueberry muffin.
There was a wide range of hot and cold dishes available at the lunch buffet with lots of different salads and vegetables
Three examples of the yummy desserts which were available at lunchtime
Examples of the desserts which were available every day at the lunchtime buffet
We usually started our lunch with a bowl of delicious soup every day
At all the Champneys resorts the dress code is relaxed during the daytime and most guests wear their signature white towelling robes for breakfast and lunch, although for dinner smart casual wear is requested in the evening. At lunchtime, there is soup, a choice of hot dishes and a selection of colourful superfood salads. Desserts were of the healthy variety and came in small portions including an apple crumble, coconut rice pudding and fruit mousses, with the additional choice of fresh fruit or yoghurts.
The spacious dining room is split-level with upholstered dining chairs and white linen tables, and the large French windows let in lots of light. We helped ourselves from the extensive self-service buffet for breakfast and lunch, and for dinner which is table service in the restaurant, there was a three-course meal with a wide range of healthy eating or light diet choices of starters, mains and desserts.
Dinner is a rather grand affair and on our first evening, a pianist was playing in the restaurant. I particularly enjoyed some excellent fish dishes which were accompanied by flavoursome sauces that certainly didn’t taste low cal but were the epitome of healthy, nutritious cuisine. Game and poultry are on offer and even some red meat dishes. Champneys take food intolerances seriously with plenty of gluten-free and lactose-free choices. There is no bar at Champneys Tring but they do offer wine or Prosecco with meals. We were very good and just drank copious amounts of water and soft drinks for the duration of our stay.
Incidentally, all meals are included in the price of the Champneys spa stay packages which make it excellent value. Guests could spend a whole week here and not pay anything extra unless you want to add treatments or drinks.
Everything you could wish for in a spa is on offer at Champneys Tring: a 25-metre pool, a well-equipped gym, two activity studios with a wide range of classes and a host of thermal experiences.We spent a lot of time in the water during our week at Tring, as we attended Aquafit classes twice every day, and enjoyed using the Thalassotherapy pool and jacuzzi frequently too. One day when the temperatures were barely above freezing we even braved the large outdoor whirlpool for a very short while! A separate area houses the largewarm saltwater thalassotherapypool which has glass windows overlooking the grounds and a wall of slate with a soothing waterfall running down it. The water is enriched with minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium and iron to nourish the skin and aid the detoxification process whilst the pool’s hydrotherapy jets stimulate and tone. It was my daughters’ favourite place at the spa!
The surrounding 170 acres of gardens and woodland make Champneys Tring a peaceful and quiet place to relax and provides the opportunity for a countryside stroll. However, we only ventured out once for a short walk around the beautiful grounds on a cold and frosty morning when the sun was shining.
The Marine and Wellness Spa is a new feature exclusive to the Tring resort with its own Reception area so we were keen to see what was on offer there. We booked in for a guided wellness “journey”, a combination of treatments designed to de-stress, detox, slim or rejuvenate. The full treatment lasts for two-and-a-half hours and costs £125, but we chose the shorter version which was £75 and included a foot spa, a salt scrub, an algae wrap and a session in the salt and oxygen inhalation chamber.
My daughter and I have been guests at many different health resorts and spas over the years but Champneys Tring is the very best we have ever experienced for location, treatments, classes, food, facilities, and customer service. If you are looking to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul and beat the winter blues this place has it all and is highly recommended.
The Tamburlaine hotel is located on Station Road in Cambridge, very close to the railway station
We enjoyed our traditional Afternoon Tea in the plush and luxurious Garden Room
Afternoon Tea was served on pretty bespoke china with linen napkins
Unusually The Tamburlaine Afternoon Tea was served on a floor-standing three tiered stand
The finger sandwiches were freshly made with delicious fillings of egg, smoked salmon, ham and cheese and cucumber
The large freshly baked raisin and plain scones were served warm, and there were two of each
The top tier held a selection of gorgeous miniature cakes and sweet and tangy Mango Panna Cotta mini desserts
The scones were light and fluffy and served with strawberry jam and fresh cream
This brand new four-star hotel is the first UK property from the Irish O’Callaghan group, who own four stylish hotels in Dublin. The Tamburlaine is ideally located on Station Road close to the rail station at the heart of the extensive regeneration of this business and residential area, which has now changed out of all recognition. The 155-room hotel had only been open for three weeks when I visited yesterday, and work is still ongoing inside and out. The staff are very friendly and enthusiastic and they gave us a guided tour after our tea. I noticed that the restaurant has an impressive fine dining menu which I intend to sample sometime.
By the way, the hotel’s name Tamburlaine references a 16th-century play by Christopher Marlowe, who attended Corpus Christi College in the city.
My friend and I were celebrating her birthday and taking Afternoon Tea amid the genteel grandeur of the Colonial-style Garden Room made an excellent start to her celebrations. With ornate Victorian wallpaper and gorgeous silk velvet sofas, this is an exceptionally light and splendid room with a unique style.
The Tamburlaine traditional Afternoon Tea cost £21.50 per person and is priced on the high side for Cambridge, so not the best value for money but the surroundings more than compensate with a strong sense of occasion. One minor quibble though – I was surprised that a selection of loose-leaf tea blends wasn’t available, although we could have unlimited tea or coffee to accompany the food. Highly recommended.
Tamburlaine 27-29 Station Road Cambridge CB1 2FB Tel: 01223 792888
This week Steve and I dined at Cotto in it’s new home at The Gonville Hotel in Cambridge. The reopening of this highly acclaimed restaurant has been long-awaited and much anticipated, so after reading lots of ecstatic reviews we were very keen to see what has been a triumphant return for ourselves. Readers we weren’t disappointed – as the food, the service and the ambiance were all delightful. The perfectly cooked dishes were well-devised with interesting flavour combinations, and the presentation was nothing less than fine art on a plate. This is special occasion fine dining at it’s absolute best!
Cotto is located at the front of The Gonville Hotel on Gonville Place, CambridgeThe splendid and inviting entrance to Cotto can be found on the far sideof the hotel’s bar areaThe tables had fresh flowers and I loved the chairs which were upholstered in crushed velvet
The interior dining area was spacious and classyThe Amuse-bouche featured mini-tartlets of hummus and VenisonwasabiBlack truffle and plain butter accompanied a delicious range of home-made breadThis unusual centre-piece was certainly a talking point!For my starter I chose a piquant Loch Duart salmon and Cromer crab dish which had robust flavours including Soy, Wasabi, Ginger and MisoSteve chose the Gressingham Duck Terrine Parfait, with Spiced Apple and Plum Chutney for his starter ….
and for his main course Steve enjoyed the Rack of Salt Marsh Lamb with Thyme, Rosemary and Natural Jus with seasonal vegetables
For my main course I chose the Halibut with Olive Herb Crumb and Fregula Pearls
I chose ‘Chocolate Time‘ for my dessert – Papouasie Milk, Single Estates Dark and Milk Ice Cream.
The fine detail of this stunning dessert designed by Masterchef and chocolatier Hans Schweitzer was awesome. The plate was covered in a fine chocolate spiral which was so perfect I thought it was actually a design on the china !
Steve chose to complete his meal with this splendid Cotto British Cheese selection with crackers and fruit. The cheeseboard included Vintage Barber Cheddar from Berks, Organic Meadow Brie from Bath, Wobbly Bottom Goat from Herts, and the Duke of Cambridge Blue from Cambs. As it was a special occasion hetreated himself to a glass of Baros Port too !
Fine dining at Cotto
Sublime, superb, and supreme are just three of the superlatives I could use to describe the Cotto dining experience. This is an inspirational partnership between The Gonville Hotel and the restaurant. Now in the perfect location overlooking Parker’s Piece with the welcome additions of the hotel’s bar and car park Cotto can only go from strength to strength. We loved the design of the new restaurant which has been purpose built and is light, bright and welcoming, with décor which oozes taste and class. The attention to detail is obvious and the service is exemplary from a young, well-trained team who are professional, friendly and attentive without being intrusive.
The Bar at The Gonville Hotel
We started our evening with a Gin and Tonic at the hotel bar and with dinner Steve chose a dry white wine from Germany – Schloss Johannesburg Yellow Seal, and I drank Prosecco.
Booking in advance is essential and prices are £65 for three courses (minimum) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and £70 on Fridays and Saturdays. Expensive yes, but well worth it for a special dining experience which never disappoints.
Last month my daughter and I stayed at Champneys Premier health sparesortat Tring for a birthday treat for me. We were very fortunate to enjoy two days of pampering, and rest and relaxation whilst basking in glorious hot sunshine. Having skipped lunch on the day we arrived we decided to sample the Champneys Healthy Afternoon Tea, which was an interesting and different take on the usual fare.
The view of the rear of the spa resort showing the Mansion House and the Terrace café
Our Healthy Afternoon Tea was served al fresco on the café terrace on a classic three tiered stand, in brilliant sunshineA sweet and savoury tierAnd a second tier of cakesAnother view of our healthy afternoon tea!
The Champneys Healthy Afternoon Tea menu included sandwiches made with Granary bread, filled with Coronation Chicken and Free Range Egg and Watercress, with an Oat biscuit topped with Smoked Scottish Salmon and Cottage Cheese for the savoury tier. A homemade Wholemeal and Cranberry Scone with Strawberry Jam and Fromage Frais, and a selection of mini tartletts of lemon curd and raspberry, chocolate and orange mouse, vanilla cream and blueberry, with a square of carob and beetroot cake, and a square of carrot cake. Also included were a pot of tea or coffee or a choice of herbal infusions. Very good value at £25.00 for two people.
Freshly made and simply delicious!
A selection of beautiful flowering plants adorned the terrace and patio of the cafeThe view from our patio as we lay on the sun loungers soaking up the heat of the day ‘Granny Apples’ reclining on a bed of green velvet cushions in her favourite spot, a pagoda in the grounds of the spaWe stayed in a ground floor garden room with patio in the new low rise block behind the glass pool to the far right of this picThe impressive rear view of the Mansion House, and adjoining Terrace Cafe, which are set in spectacular gardensA perfect summer’s day and Champneys Tring provided the perfect setting to enjoy our al fresco healthy afternoon tea
Other Champneys resorts are available at Henlow, Forest Mere and Springs for day spas and spa breaks.
Top tip – it’s well worth signing up to Champneys mailing list for offers, as we do. The ‘Bring a friend for free’ deal makes a spa stay an affordable treat when it becomes half price and you can split the cost.
The sandwiches were freshly made with tasty fillings including smoked salmon, chicken, and curried egg, except the Mozzarella and watercress filling which we found rather bland
The sweet tier consisted of crispy hazelnut and cocoa mousse lollipops, baked passion fruit cheesecake, layered sponge and opera chocolate slice, white cafe cappuccino souffle, praline macaroon, and coconut shortbread biscuit.
We enjoyed sampling the new summer menu with the accent very much on healthy eating combined with the Champneys food philosophy of moderation, balance and variety. Dining here is always a pleasure with excellent service and beautifully presented dishes.
A separate area houses the large warm saltwater thalassotherapy pool which has glass windows overlooking the grounds and a wall of slate with a soothing waterfall running down it. The water is enriched with minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium and iron to nourish the skin and aid the detoxification process whilst the pool’s hydrotherapy jets stimulate and tone. It was my daughters’ favourite place at the spa!
I chose ‘Chocolate Time‘ for my dessert – Papouasie Milk, Single Estates Dark and Milk Ice Cream.
Taste with Granny Apples 