One thing that we will be doing more of in 2014, is staying at ‘off the radar’ hotels that offer some mouthwatering gourmet delights.
A hotel that we have marked out as a must try is the historic Black Swan at Helmsley in England. People that decide to stay at the Black Swan will be in for a treat, especially if they opt for the special gourmet currently stay on offer. The hotel stands on a site where an inn is believed to have been situated for over five centuries and the property still preserves a lot of the historically important areas of the original building which enhance the hotels character.
We believe that history and character are very important to the overall ambiance to any travel or dining experience and this short stay English destination seems to have it all.
So let’s look at the checklist, it’s an award winning hotel and restaurant, has a rich history and did we mention the art? The Gallery is also home to ‘Helmsley Galleries’, the most important commercial collection of art in the North of England which showcases many original pieces of artwork.
Back to the food, the hotels 2AA fine dining restaurant is called ‘The Gallery’ and is where Chef Paul Peters will be creating a ten-course Signature menu for you to indulge in. This exciting menu infuses the best of Yorkshire ingredients with creative food combinations, exciting taste bud-popping flavours and modern simplicity. It is the creation of Australian-born Chef, ‘Gastro-artist’, Paul Peters.
Chef Paul, commented: ‘My passion for food arose as a child. My joy as a Chef especially comes from delighting my diners at The Black Swan. I bring a unique creativity to the abundance of fresh Yorkshire produce that we are blessed with. Exciting combinations of flavours in the menu include Lime, Elderflower, Matcha green tea and Lemongrass and Popcorn, Caramel, Malt and Sea salt.’
The Gallery is a superb setting for Peters’ artistically inspired menu, a place where diners can enjoy the ambiance of the stylish modern décor and starlit ceiling, highlighted with original works of art. During the day time, the restaurant is full of natural light and also enjoys view of the pretty walled gardens, its verdant shades complementing the surroundings.
The hotel has forty five beautifully designed and individually inspired bedrooms. All of the bedrooms are en suite and come with thick snug duvets, warm homely furnishings, soft fluffy towels, luxury Molton Brown toiletries, Freeview flat screen televisions and Sky sports channels, and your own tea and coffee making facilities.
The iconic Black Swan stands proudly at the head of Helmsley’s market place and has been enjoyed its reputation as a place with a warm welcome and fine hospitality for well over 500 years now ~ a reputation that we will very much be looking forward to checking. And once you have satisfied your appetites, you can always try to burn off some of those extra calories in the nearby North York Moors.