Back to reality after a grand weekend — An Elegant Sufficiency

There was no doubt the holiday was over yesterday afternoon when we sat down at the kitchen table for a cup of tea.

We were just back from our weekend away, celebrating Edward’s birthday and the remnants of Christmas were still very much in evidence around the house. He, Amy and Arthur had arrived on Thursday to spend the night here with us, breaking their journey and making it more comfortable for Arthur and for Oliver, the dog, still wearing his cone, sadly. Friends here had brought Arthur a Christmas gift, which was still on the table, together with a small pile of Edward’s favourite books, which are being rediscovered and enjoyed once again by us all. I really ought to have removed the vase of sad and droopy tulips which were still looking ok when we left, but a cup of tea was my priority!

Since the day in 1985 when we took down our Christmas tree before heading to Stroud Maternity hospital that evening, we have usually spent January 6th somewhere interesting. It’s usually a “Mummy Christmas” treat and I try to find somewhere not too far away that will delight us all. This year, however, I didn’t think it fair on Arthur - or his parents - to include a flight, which restricted our choices somewhat. Additionally, it was not only Edward’s 40th, but his two dear friends will soon turn 40 as well so the idea of including them and their partners in the fun was especially appealing.

My thoughts of a fun weekend at Centre Parks were overwritten rather when I read about The Tawny; in particular, Kestrel Cottage. There was no doubt we’d found the right place, as you can see!

It was dark by the time everyone else arrived, but they felt much the same as we did - wow!

The spacious layout meant that, wherever we chose to sit, we were never far from the goings on. No-one could feel excluded or out on a limb and the games room/snug through that little passage in the centre of the photo proved to be a party hub around the bar or a retreat for a quiet read, depending on the time of day. Plus, of course, the smooth wooden floor was ideal for the speed-crawler in the family, who had so much attention from everyone, there was never a dull moment.

Perfect for Oliver too, who had space to get around in spite of that hateful cone on his head, not to mention time to appreciate the underfloor heating!

The coffee machine and the Emma Bridgewater crockery were in constant use.

I had cooked on Friday night because we weren’t sure what time everyone was going to arrive and had booked a romantic table for two in the hotel restaurant on Saturday for Edward and Amy, given the abundance of baby and dog-sitters available. Seeing that a “Family Feast” was an option for the rest of us then, I selected the “chicken pie” option and relaxed, thinking that a hamper would arrive during the afternoon and we’d simply have to put things in the oven and enjoy at our leisure. Imagine our surprise then, when at 6.30pm, a knock at the door signalled the arrival of Jack in chef’s whites and Eve, with her apron and a box of “stuff”. They had come to cook - and serve! - dinner for us.

What luxury was this! Eve went in search of wine (a plentiful supply of which was in the cooler, since everyone had brought far more than we could ever drink in a weekend!) and laid the table whilst Jack was busy in the kitchen. Our starter was smoked trout gravadlax with the most delicious home-baked Japanese milk bread, Jack’s home-made chicken pie was our main course, together with a range of vegetables artfully dressed and a chocolate delice dessert. Not only were we all totally entranced by this new experience of having a chef in “our” kitchen, when we left the table having finished dinner and found they’d done the washing up as well, I think all of us were utterly sold! What’s more, Jack’s parting shot was “See you tomorrow”, for I had booked the Chef-prepared tasting menu for us all on Sunday evening, as Edward’s birthday celebration.

The day was somewhat overcast and the weather forecast none too promising, so making the most of their time before it started to rain (?snow?) the youngsters went off to explore the estate, together with dog and baby buggy, leaving us old things back at the ranch. So Grandma had the pool to herself! Not so crazy either, for it was heated to 34C and when the jets and bubbles were switched on, it was bliss!

Some of us knew what to expect on Sunday evening, then! This time, Jack was accompanied by Lauren, who was up for cuddles with dog and baby in between delivering multiple courses of food and the accompanying wines - I had forgotten we’d chosen a wine pairing with this one too.

Jack had baked another delicious bread, this time drawing on his half-Finnish background and making Setsuuri. I’m not usually a fan of the flavour of caraway, but this was delicate and balanced with anis and other spices and once again, it was glazed with a sweet crisp coating.

One small boy, who had stayed up especially to celebrate his Daddy’s birthday was a particular fan, though had taken off his party hat in order to enjoy it fully!

There followed a series of delicious dishes, every one of which could have come from the kitchen of a high-end restaurant, but here we were, “at home”. (Well, for the weekend, at any rate)

Lauren arranged the delivery of each course to take into account Arthur’s bedtime, and after his “milk course”, at the moment of greatest charm, he said goodnight to everyone and headed upstairs. I don’t think Amy stopped for a minute and he was fast asleep. Gorgeous boy.

We soldiered on, through dessert and petits fours. We said goodnight to Lauren and Jack, thanked them for a fabulous evening and settled down for the last night of our stay.

We woke to this…

Fortunately, the team doing some groundworks nearby cleared the steep and narrow hill out of the estate, so we were able to pack, say our farewells and set off home without too much bother.