Last weekend Ox Pasture Hall invited Joe and I to stay for the night and enjoy their luxury accommodation for a little pre-Christmas relaxing break. Set in 17 acres of countryside in the North Yorkshire Moors Ox Pasture Hall is a luxury house retreat that sees it’s guests returning year after year and is a prime wedding venue with it’s picturesque setting. It was quite a way away from our home in the midlands so we took a leisurely drive up in the crisp winter sunshine stopping on the way for festive coffee and arriving into the grounds at around 2pm. Ox Pasture Hall is really quite something, even in the winter without leaves on all the trees and we instantly felt right at home. We checked in and were shown around the grounds before being taken to our luxury king sized suite to unpack*.
Our Suite
We spent our weekend in one of Ox Pasture Hall’s luxury suites with flat screen tv’s, lounge area, dining table, vanity and stunning bathroom with a monsoon walk-in shower and large bath tub. It was impeccably clean with solid oak furniture, an impossibly comfy king size bed looking out over stunning views of the hall’s grounds. Ox Pasture Hall is a dog friendly hotel and there were a few lovely pooches frolicking around in the grounds and warming themselves by the fire. As Joe and I are thinking about adopting an old rescue dog we’re starting to look at things like this and in all honestly i didn’t think dog friendly hotels could be this nice, it was a real revelation!
Afternoon Tea
After we’d unpacked we wandered back to the main lodge and settled down by the roaring log fire on plush leather sofas where we were served the Ox Pasture Hall Signature Afternoon Tea (£15 per person). We love a good afternoon tea here at xameliax and this one was lovely in front of a roaring fire. With a perfectly cut selection of well-filled sandwiches – Turkey and Cranberry, Beef and Mustard and Cream Cheese and Cucumber (my favourite!) – served with your tea or coffee of choice, big homemade scones and a selection of adorable cakes it was the perfect way to start our relaxing weekend break.
OK, the scones weren’t the best i’d ever had (sorry Ox Pasture!) and no proper clotted cream but they were enjoyable none-the-less, and i even managed to get through a couple of the cakes too which doesn’t often happen! My favourites were the mini eclairs and lemon cheesecake square which i could eat again right now! We finished our glass of Prosecco by the fire chatting away before retiring back to the room.
In-Room Amenities
I couldn’t have a bathroom as beautiful as this and not run a giant bath! Surprisingly with such a stunning suite there wasn’t any bath foam or oil within the adorable little toiletry holder which was a bit of a shame but i still managed to unwind in the hot water with a magazine. In the mood for a tipple we had a flick through the room service menu, swallowed the £4 tray charge, and got a couple of beers and G&T’s delivered to the room to enjoy on our comfy sofa, wrapped up in the fluffy robes provided in front of the telly before getting ready for dinner. I found our suite a little on the chilly side despite the radiators being turned right up. , so we tended to gravitate towards the log fire in the main lounge with a drink instead of hiding away in the suite…not necessarily a bad thing! There’s free-wifi throughout the resort but we struggled to get any signal or connect in the room. This meant that a lot of the time our phones were left firmly on the side and we managed to have a lovely relaxing break without any distractions, but were able to instagram away once inside the hotel lounge!
Dinner
During our stay at Ox Pasture Hall we were invited to dine in their restaurant located just off the bar and lounge for a stunning three course dinner. With high ceilings, exposed wooden beams wrapped in twinkling lights and fresh flowers on every table it was simply beautiful. We enjoyed another glass of fizz in the lounge (it wouldn’t be a weekend away for us without it!) while we looked through the menus picking out our first two courses. The menu was varied without being too overcomplicated and there were a number of dishes we both really liked the sound of which is always a bonus. We were served an amuse-bouche of tomato soup with bread for the table and it was simply delicious. Thick and bursting with flavour I could have eaten a whole saucepan of the stuff instead of a little teacup – a very welcome addition. To start I chose the Duck Liver Parfait with Melba Toast and Cranberry Compote (£7.50) and Joe went for the Ham Egg & Peas (£8.75) – a mini ham hock, Pea Mousse, Crispy Hens Egg and Pickled vegetables with a Honey Mustard Dressing. I hate to admit that my Parfait really wasn’t one to write home about which was a real shame. The edges were discoloured giving away it’s freshness and (as always) there wasn’t enough paper thin toast for the proportions. Sadly I’ve been served better for half the price in a local pub and it was a little disappointing – i would have preferred another teacup of that yummy soup instead. Joe’s starter however was absolutely delicious! That crispy egg was a masterpiece and the sharp flavours of the pickled vegetables really lifted his traditional ham hock – serious starter envy right there!
Before our main we were treated to a palette cleanser in a shot glass with Bourbon Ice and Passionfruit Frozen Foam – it was amazing! So much so it’s inspired me to try and create a cocktail along the same lines, so keep your eyes peeled for that on the blog soon! For main I went for The Pork (£18.95) – Slow Cooked Pork Belly, Tender Loin stuffed with Apricot and Sage Stuffing, Savoy Cabbage, Sautéed Potatoes, Homemade Black Pudding and Red Onion Marmalade. It seems i’m on a big pork kick at the moment and if you’ve read a few of my restaurant reviews before you’ll know this is THE plate for me and it really didn’t disappoint. The pork belly was perfectly cooked and the tender loin was bursting with flavour, the black pudding was incredible and it was all complimented perfectly with the red onion marmalade and cabbage. Joe chose The Lamb (£21.50) – A 2 Bone Rack of Lamb, Braised Lamb Boulanger Potato, Curly kale and Roast Vegetables – which was perfectly cooked and very hearty although possibly a little overpriced. The wine list was good with a nice range of bottles – we went for a medium bodied Rioja which complimented both of our mains and fell around the £25 mark.
For dessert we chose the Assiette of Desserts (£12.95) which had a selection of the chef’s favourite desserts of the moment including, Mango Rice Pudding, Apple & Pear Crumble and a Strawberries & Cream Milkshake! It was delicious, and despite seeing two cakes we’d tasted earlier with afternoon tea it was the perfect dessert to share giving a taste of everything without leaving you too full. To finish we took two Irish Coffees (£5.90) into the lounge and enjoyed them there on the large leather sofas. Our bill came to around £100 (£50 a head) which for an in-hotel restaurant with great quality food was a bill we probably would pay again. After our coffees we ordered a few drinks from the bar and spent the rest of our evening chatting away in the lounge. Sadly the bar is only open until 11pm and there’s no room service after this time either so we took a walk back to our room and had an early night with a cup of tea instead!
Breakfast
After a lovely night’s sleep in a very comfortable bed we made our way to the main restaurant again for breakfast. After helping ourselves to cereal and fresh pastries we ordered two Full Yorkshire breakfasts and a pot of tea from the hot breakfast menu. The breakfast was excellent quality with scrumptious black pudding, grilled bacon, runny eggs and hearty sausages and although continental and cooked choice was limited it was exactly what we needed to fill us up ready for a day at the seaside!
We had such a relaxing stay at Ox Pasture Hall and with it’s beautiful courtyards and grounds it’s clear why people come back year on year. In-between a luxury B&B and a Hotel it’s ideal for those looking for a quality and quiet night’s stay with places to visit nearby and great food on site without the hustle and bustle of a mainstream resort. A luxury suite like ours with breakfast included will set you back around £265 per room which isn’t the cheapest, but it certainly makes for a picturesque and relaxing special weekend away, perfect for shutting yourself off from the world and getting a good dose of fresh country air too! We would certainly visit again, probably in the summer and would love to bring a little doggy along for the fun too!
You can read more about Ox Pasture Hall and book a room on their webiste here.
Have you been to Ox Pasture Hall? What did you think?
Tweet me @xameliax #oxpasturehall
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