A great British break is wonderful for many reasons – rambling greenery, blustery coast walks, Enid Blyton-esque villages, and delightfully creaky old pubs. But when many of us dash off for a weekend in the country, we do it with one thing on our mind: food.
Think the English aren’t great at food and drink? Think again. From supple, salty oysters served up on the Kent coast; to New Forest asparagus dipped into a smoky, black garlic mayonnaise; to Devon crab wrapped in fresh ravioli and sprinkled with ginger and grapefruit, or to the English sparkling wine poured into glinting flutes all over the country.
For a getaway that isn’t just a simple sleepover but a veritable feast, this is your ultimate hit list – from grand manors with Michelin-starred menus to character-packed inns with rooms serving up pub faves with a posh twist. Go with an appetite and leave with a big smile on your face.
Food at HH & Co restaurant, Lime Wood, New Forest
(Lime Wood)
The forest favourite: Lime Wood, New Forest, Hampshire
For starters
There are fewer lovelier English escapes than the New Forest – a sprawling former royal hunting ground close to the coast, with countless walking trails, grazing wild ponies and heather-topped heathlands. For food fans, its crowning glory is Lime Wood – a building with the bones of a stately home and the grounds of a country pile, but the restaurants and bar of a five-star city hotel.
It’s elegant, playful and packed with well-heeled Country Living details: a boot room with wellies to borrow for tramping about the forest, fireplaces in suites to thaw cold toes, and English country garden scents filling its modern, light-filled Herb House spa (where treatments are inspired by all things green and relaxing, from rosemary to lavender and even cannabis).
Dishy digs
Rooms in a range of sizes are decked out in muted, tasteful Farrow & Ball shades, perked up with gently chintzy cushions and curtains. Forest Hideaway Suites are spread over two floors, with their own living room and terrace, for real home-from-home getaways.
Forest Cottages have enough room for four guests – great for families or group celebrations – plus earthy wood and slate decor, and rustic kitchens of their own.
Peak escapism is in the Lake Cabin, sleeping two and perched on stilts at the lakeside, with its own metallic freestanding tub. Large…
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