Milsoms Hotels & Restaurants latest news

The Piers 30th Birthday

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:36:00 +0100

There’s never been a better time to visit The Pier at Harwich, its August, the sun is shining (hopefully!) A warm welcome awaits you from Vreni, Nick and the team and this great hotel on the Quay is celebrating its 30th birthday this year

The Ha’penny Pier bistro is now open all day with the full a la carte menu available from 12 noon until 9.30 in the evening. The Ha’penny is relaxed and informal so perfect for all the family as well as the perennial favourite of Pier fish and chips (haddock, cod and plaice) there is always a large choice on the specials board where Chef John Goff makes full use of fresh local produce in season.

On the first floor The Harbourside Restaurant has its own polished pewter bar set in a superb position to maximise the stunning views over the Stour and Orwell estuaries. The overall style and décor reflect the restaurants fabulous position alongside the quay and harbour; paintings by Jamie Dodds, the acclaimed Brightlingsea artist, underline The Pier’s close proximity to the sea. As does the menu overseen by Head Chef Chris Oakley which takes full advantage of the local seafood that is landed in the harbour opposite The Pier.

Still need tempting?
Then eat out on the terrace and watch the world (and boats) go by!

Weddings Website Development

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:34:34 +0100

Watch this space, not content with completely re-designing our main website we’re now set to launch a brand new wedding website within the next 2 months.

Milsom Hotels has so much to offer future brides and their families from a small intimate wedding at Maison Talbooth to a larger celebration in the marquee at Le Talbooth or a unique wedding at The Pier and then there’s Talbooth Catering which is more a case of have Chefs, will travel. It could be to a marquee beside the reservoir in Ardleigh (for the farmer’s daughter) to Braxted Park or Spains Hall (where we are preferred caterers) or to Trinity Park on the Suffolk Showground.

Putting together a brochure wasn’t easy we have so much to say, it was more a question of where to start. The new wedding website will have all the details available on an easy to navigate site.

We’ll also have details of all the suppliers that we trust and enjoy working with, which will hopefully make life a little easier when you’re planning your special day.

So, as we mentioned at the beginning watch this space!

Annual Golf Day 2008

Wed, 9 Jul 2008 09:21:50 +0100

The annual Milsom Hotels Golf Day took place at Ipswich Golf Club, Purdis Heath on Monday 30th June.

Twenty four teams of various ages, gender and capability enjoyed a competitive 18 holes of golf in somewhat trying conditions at time the golf course not the weather which was glorious not quite flaming June but nearly!

In the evening seventy two golfers and their guests returned to Le Talbooth for the prize giving and a delicious BBQ.

The winning team with 82 points were John Heath, Lester Foreman and Laurence Rutter

Closely followed by Mike Duley, Ewan Dodds and Trevor Cock with 79 points

In third place were Neil Moye, Joe Hills and Stuart Cock with 78 points

Individual Mens was Laurance Rutter with 42 points Individual Ladies was Lynda Thompson with 31 points

Longest Drive for the Ladies Sheena Melrose

Longest Drive for the Men Jaspar Corbett

Nearest the Pin was won by Mick Mills, who was only 20 away and the last person to tee off at the 15th

© milsoms 2008

Triumph International photo shoot at the NEW Maison Talbooth Pool House.

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:02:01 +0100

International lingerie brand, Triumph, selected the newly developed Pool House at Maison Talbooth as the location for their new leisurewear collection photo shoot. The shoot, which took place across two days, took advantage of the stunning lines and contemporary design features of the pool house to enhance the photography of the Summer 2009 range. The images will feature across consumer leaflets, trade brochures and instore Point-of-Sale. Purminder Mondair, Triumph Marketing Manager, commented: the location was perfect, it’s stunning. The space and freedom of movement have allowed us to get exactly the shots we needed. We were up against a very tight deadline with this brochure and it was vital we found the right location. I would especially like to thank Bridget and her team at Maison who were all fantastic, especially under the duress of our constant demands for more coffee and croissants!! You can read more about Triumph International at www.triumph.com

Welcome! Garth Wray - General Manager

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:07:44 +0100

Welcome! We are delighted to welcome Garth Wray as the new General Manager at milsoms Kesgrave Hall. Garth is 32 and married to Maggie, they have two children Amy 6 and Josh 4. Garth comes to us from Greatfosters in Egham, Surrey where he was the food and beverage manager. He is a fellow member of the St Julian’s Alumini which now means we have three within Milsom Hotels – the other two being Stas Anastasiades, our Operations Director and Nick Wildman, restaurant manager at Le Talbooth. At this rate the St Julian’s scholars will soon outnumber the Master Chefs of Great Britain (4)!

New House Wine

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:17:22 +0100

Last year saw the introduction of a joint venture between Milsom Hotels and The Hoste Arms in Burnham Market, Norfolk. Paul Milsom and Paul Whittome decided it would be a great idea to have their own label house wines.

There were two obvious advantages –cross marketing between our two companies and a chance to improve the quality and value of the house wines. With the assistance of Johnny Wheeler at Wheeler Cellars a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, terres des ollieres and a 2006 Merlot, terres des olliers were chosen and have proved extremely popular. So much so, earlier this year it was decided to add a rose to the collection.

The Two Paul’s flew out to Carcassonne (on a very wet and windy day in March) for a tour of the winery where they tasted and helped in the final blending of the Rosé wine. They both thought that this predominately Grenache rose benefited from a splash of syrah and mouverde to add to its complexity.

The result is a fabulous wine, perfect for drinking over the summer months – the 2007 Grenache Rose, terres des ollieres is available in all our hotels and restaurants and at The Hoste Arms so do give it a try next time you visit us.

Open all day, so no rush...

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:26:15 +0100

The Pier at Harwich offers two great dining options to suit any appetite... any time of day.

Join us at the Ha’Penny Bistro (on the ground floor) for breakfast from 7:00 to 9:30am and the full Bistro menu from 12noon right through until 9:30pm Or indulge in exquisite dishes complimented by fine wines at the Harbourside Restaurant (upstairs) from 12noon-2:00pm and 6:00-9:30pm Situated on the quay in the heart of ‘old’ Harwich, with splendid views of the Stour and Orwell estuaries, The Pier is the perfect destination, either before, during, or after an enjoyable days sailing. ...

No need to make it a short stay, The Pier also offers 14 fabulous bedrooms for those wishing to weigh anchor and stay the night.

the treatment rooms at Maison Talbooth

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:21:53 +0100

The opening of the treatment rooms at Maison Talbooth in April saw another exciting venture for us at Milsom Hotels, hopefully many of the Dedham staff have now sampled a treatment or two so will be able to fill you in with a few details. As mentioned before our main facial products will come from Dermalogica who give a range of excellent, no fuss facials and body treatments. Launching this month is Age smart - and yes, it is suitable for all ages and we’ve already had some great feedback from our therapists on the products!

So what else can we offer in the treatment rooms?

Jessica prescriptive nail treatments - (basic or luxury using zen spa products).

powerdirect deep tissue massage - all over or targeting specific problem areas of the body.

detoxing massage

indian head massage and reflexology

tanning treatments - fake bake, safer and easier than the real thing!

roadial - the award winning A list celebrity facial.

oxyjet - the revolutionary facial that induces pure oxygen into your skin to smooth away fine lines and wrinkles sounds too good to be true but our treatment room guests are raving about it!

a host of day packages - such as, double trouble

just the two of us...girls chat... chill out... and of course - all the essential treatments, too numerous to mention here! All our day packages include use of the pool and hot tub so you can have lunch in the Garden Room and stay all day! If you need any more information on our treatment menu give the Maison a call on 01206 322367. We are running regular launches and introductory offers, let us know if you’d like to be kept informed.

Milsom Hotels sponsor 2008/9 ITFC Man of the Match

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:20:41 +0100

As a lifelong supporter and season ticket holder; Paul Milsom has long followed the fortunes of ITFC. So he was delighted to be given the opportunity for Milsom Hotels to sponsor the ‘Man of the Match Award’ at Ipswich Town Football Club this coming season (2008-09).

The sponsorship applies to all home games – about 23 in all – starting with a pre-season friendly in late July.

We wish ITFC a successful season!

Maison Talbooth reopens

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:13:57 +0100

Phew... we made it!

Maison Talbooth reopened on 12th April, the new treatment rooms (at Maison Talbooth) on 14th of April and milsoms Kesgrave Hall on the 26th April - all on time and all...

over budget

As you can imagine, the last six months has been an incredible ride and we always knew that running two such large projects at the same time would have its ‘moments’! We are very excited by what has been created which exceeds all our expectations. I must at this point pay tribute to my wife Geraldine, as much of the burden in terms of design, finishes and acting as the principal point of contact with the builders has been borne by her. She has managed it all brilliantly despite all the conflicting pressures, including a very busy home life with Charlie and Jack. The Hills Group, who are our partners at Kesgrave and also the contractors at Maison, have been a pleasure to work with and have completed everything on time to a very high standard. A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words so we have tried to include as many as possible in this Newsletter. However, to use another cliché, ‘seeing is believing’ so do find a reason to visit both Maison Talbooth and Kesgrave Hall. Spending the money is only part of the formula for creating a successful business. The other part is having the right people, both developments have given us great opportunities for both internal promotion and recruiting new blood - at Kesgrave alone we had in excess of 400 applications for 50 jobs. Matched by the treatment rooms who received 60 replies for 5 positions and the net result is we’ve got a superb team of people on board. milsoms Kesgrave Hall will include some familiar faces - full details are overleaf. Our Front of House teams have been bombarded by a stream of questions about both operations and we therefore thought it would be helpful to include a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section. Amidst all this excitement it is easy to forget that 2008 is the 30th birthday of The Pier at Harwich. In our review of The Pier we have taken a trip down memory lane as well as paying tribute to Chris and Vreni Oakley who have been the lynch pins of the business since we started in 1978. Finally, I look forward to seeing you in Dedham, Kesgrave or Harwich very soon to see all the new developments for yourself.

Maison Talbooth - too good to leave.

The thinking behind the Maison Talbooth development was to create an environment which guests really did not want to leave. Now with the treatment rooms, Garden Room, Pool House, swimming pool and tennis court as well as the lovely gardens there are plenty of good reasons to just relax in Dedham.

The Maison’s experienced team of Bridget Stanley (General Manager), Mariann Read and Claire Maund have been boosted by new recruits Tracey Allen, Janine Buitenhofftencate and Nicky Hyland on reception. Rachel Anderson, the hotel’s new chef has joined us from Le Talbooth and is supported by Jo Burr. Some of you may remember Jo from her days at Le Talbooth, Paul was about 6 when she started there! More recently she has been heading up Lay & Wheeler’s kitchen at the Wine Market. The treatment rooms staff are headed by Emma Mallet with full time senior therapists Clare Shaw, Hayley Charles not forgetting Anna Taylor and Lisa Sutton who work part time. If we have not answered all your questions in the column opposite then feel free to call the team! Tel: 01206 322367

12 luxurious bedrooms.

In 1969 Gerald had the highly innovative idea of not using room numbers but naming the rooms after British poets an idea that has subsequently been widely adopted across the country house hotel sector. Each room has at least one of their most recognised poems on display. Three new rooms, means three new names and the selection has been hotly debated including by the Milsom family over their annual Christmas lunch. The results of these very sober and academic deliberations were as follows:

John Betjeman - Trebetherick and Greenaway
Henry Newbolt- Drake’s Drum and Vitai Lampada (Torch of life)
TS Eliot- McCavity The Mystery Cat and Preludes

We are taking the opportunity to revisit all the poems currently displayed in the rooms and updating the books on each poet. We’ll be testing guests when they arrive for dinner at Le Talbooth!

With 12 bedrooms in total the hotel will be ideal for our House Parties and we are seeing this as a significant area of growth. There will, we are sure, be some spectacular parties held in the Pool House too!

FAQ’s

How many rooms are there?
12 – the three new rooms are on the second floor and have amazing views.
Do I still have to have breakfast in my suite?
With the addition of the new Garden Room we envisage that most guests will have their breakfast in there.
What dining / menus will be available?
We will be extending the menu options in the Garden Room with an emphasis on light healthy eating throughout the day.
How many Treatment Rooms are there?
Three - the largest has 2 treatment beds which will be great for sharing - mother and daughter days for example.
When will the Treatment Rooms open?
Now - we have three fully qualified full time therapists plus 2 part time.
What treatments will be available?
Everything! Dermalogica facials, pedicures, manicures, body treatments, oxyjet and much much more - there is more information on the back cover and you can also phone for a treatment brochure.
Are treatments available to people not staying at the hotel?
Yes - very much so; Just call the hotel and book a session or a Spa package - see below.
Are there Spa packages?
Yes - these will offer a number of treatments, a light lunch and use of the pool / tennis court.
What are the hours of opening?
The Treatment Rooms are open 7 days a week from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm so there’s a time to suit everyone.
Are there any other products that will be used?
Oxyjet, Jessica for nails, Fake Bake for tanning, Jinny lashes... The list goes on.
Will there be a membership system?
No. Although we plan to offer benefits for Talbooth Club members at a later date.
Can I use the pool / tennis court if I am not staying at the hotel? Yes, if you are on a Day Spa package. Unfortunately we are not able to accommodate people wanting to just drop in for a swim.
Can I just go and have lunch in the Garden Room?
Yes you can - it’s a light menu and you need to book.
Is the pool complex available for private parties?
No - but if you book the hotel for a house party you get the use of all the facilities.
What meeting facilities are there?
The Garden Room and the Dining Area in the Pool House can both be used for meetings on either a daily or 24 hour delegate rate.
Are you still offering wedding services?
Yes - we still have a Civil Wedding license and we think with the new facilities that we have even more to offer in this area.
Can I come and see for myself?
Feel free to call in when you’re passing, the team will be delighted to show you around and offer you a glass of Champagne!

milsoms Kesgrave Hall Open

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:06:58 +0100

Our initial enthusiasm for Kesgrave Hall as the next milsoms has been truly vindicated as the project has developed and the new internal spaces created are even better than we first thought! Particular highlights include the bar / dining area with great views over the terrace and gardens as well as into the ‘Engine Room’ and the three signature suites with baths located in the middle of the bedroom - stunning! As the pictures show the project has successfully created a contemporary feel whilst retaining the important period features.