A weekend at the oldest hotel in the UK

Following on from my previous blog, Alice Does Cooking, our annual family weekend reunion also involves finding a suitable place to stay for 20 or so people. The pressure was on to show the best of the fine city of Norwich this year to those traveling from far and wide so I approached the lovely folk at The Maids Head Hotel to see what they could offer. Located on Tombland between the majestic cathedral and historic Elm Hill, the hotel offers great access to lots of local activities and adventures - perfect for our reunion weekend. A tailored package was soon crafted with the group bookings team and the addition of a couple of extra people for dinner on the Saturday night wasn't any trouble at all.

The Maids Head is actually the oldest hotel in the UK, over 800 years old and still looking fabulous. Queen Elizabeth I was once a guest and the recent refurbishment of the foyer has made the hotel look really smart, but still very welcoming and all in fitting with the architecture. The staff were brilliant in sorting out the 2 nights for our group, with all the rooms we booked having great views of Norwich Cathedral. Our stay included breakfast both days and dinner from the Wine Press A la Carte menu on the Saturday night. It all offered excellent value, and with the Wine Press recently being awarded a second AA rosette, dinner on the Saturday evening was a delight too. We were given a whole section of the restaurant on one gigantic table, perfect for catching up with each other and just a small totter to the atmospheric hotel bar when needed. There was a slight mix up in the evening at the restaurant but this was more than made up for by the restaurant manager, who went above and beyond anything I expected.

The staff were really friendly and accommodating over the weekend and nothing was too much trouble. Everyone in our group was really impressed with the food service in the Wine Press, and how we were looked after over the weekend in the hotel lounge too. Umbrellas were even handed out on loan on the rainy Saturday which was thoroughly welcomed.

If you're looking for somewhere lovely to stay in Norwich, or live in the city and have friends coming to visit, I can recommend a stay here.

 

Alice does cooking...

Last weekend, 20 members of my family met for the traditional annual get together. This year the location for the occasion was Norwich, and plans were afoot for a lovely time for those who had traveled from across the UK and Europe. The weekend was a great success and it wouldn't have been nearly so good without a special evening hosted by Alice does Cooking in the wonderful setting of Olive's.

You may have seen my previous blogs about Olive's Supper Club. The popular Supper Club now takes place monthly, and Alys who runs it is diversifying following growing demand for her wonderful food. For this rather special event I therefore turned to the new and exciting venture that is Alice Does Cooking. A specially created best of Norfolk Supper Club was the order of the evening for my dear family at the beautiful, intimate venue of Olives. After a few discussions about requirements in advance, this menu was promptly suggested and was just right - supporting local food and business and showing some of the best Norwich and Norfolk has to offer.

On the menu to start -
Norfolk Tapas (Sharing platters for the table) consisting of
*Marsh Pig chorizo with chickpeas and Banham cider
*Norfolk Black Turkey empanadas
*Celeriac and brown butter purée
*Beetroot and walnut hummus
*Home-made focaccia

Main dishes –
*Confit gressingham duck leg and venison sausage cassoulet served with creamy mashed potato and braised chard
*Thai style Cromer crab cakes served with an Asian style seafood, watercress and rice noodle chowder
*Mr's Temple's cheese and Colman's mustard rarebit tart served with a warm salad of pickled red cabbage and roasted squash

Puddings –
*Norfolk treacle tart with Lakenham creamery ice cream
*Honey and lemon posset with lavender shortbread
*Apple and Norfolk dumpling cobbler with proper custard

Everyone loved the food and the atmosphere on the night, and if I'm putting on an event again where I need something a little special, then I'll be heading straight over to Alice Does Cooking... a welcoming, friendly response leading to tasty food, tailored menus AND all at an affordable budget.

To find out more visit http://www.alicesworldfoods.co.uk/