The Glasshouse
Now 2021 has drawn to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and what it had in store for us. Despite it being another abnormal and tough year, we’ve managed to regain a relative sense of normality with our wonderful guests returning to stay with us. Join us as we take a look back at 2021 at The Grove…
We made the most of Lockdown 3.0 and used this time to organise the bedroom refurbishments in the West Wing. Interior designer Martin Hulbert, inspired by the nature that surrounds our 300-acre estate, brought the outdoors in with earthy tones and natural textures. For the aspiring interior designers amongst you, you can learn more from Martin by reading his top tips…
In April we were excited to welcome a new face to The Grove. Maarten Geschwindt joined us as Executive Head Chef. He is passionate about sourcing his ingredients from small, local, artisan producers and keen to put an end to unnecessary food wastage. To learn more about Maarten, check out our recent Q&A.
In June, we embraced the sunny season over in the Walled Garden, with Jimmy’s Garden Table offering a quiet spot for guests to dine, estate-to-plate, in the beautiful verdant surroundings of Jemima’s Kitchen Garden…
Image credit: UEFA
‘Excited’ was an understatement when we heard that the England national football team were due to stay with us in the lead up to the UEFA Euro final. They may not have won the title, but their inspiring performance throughout still gave us reason to celebrate!
In July, we introduced tree climbing to our summer holiday schedule for all of our smaller guests who fancied playing as Tarzan for the day! Because it was such a hit, we’ve brought it back for all to enjoy this year in April.
August was a highly anticipated month as we saw the return of the popular buffet at The Glasshouse, which had been temporarily replaced with an a la carte menu due to coronavirus. We were delighted to get back to roaming around the different food stations, making the difficult choice between having sushi to start, or going straight for the flame-grilled steak…
In October, we introduced our winter pop-up, Cinder at The Grove, to the stunning surroundings of The Potting Shed. With every dish carefully cooked over open flames and served in the centre of the table, guests are promised a truly unique and immersive dining experience. Cinder will be with us until 16 January 2022, so if you’ve not experienced the flame-grilled delights yet, we highly recommend you head on down there. Just don’t forget to book!
Also in October we were honoured to be featured in British Vogue, being listed as one of eight British hotels ‘too luxurious to leave’. Come and see for yourself…
Our new grill-based menu over at The Stables launched in November with great success, the menu brimming full of mouth-watering dishes sourced from the land, sea and our very own Jemima’s Kitchen Garden…
The latter half of November saw us assisting with a remarkable tree-planting project. The Grove planted an impressive 140 trees donated by Chris Luff, CEO of Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce. Luff came along with a force of volunteers who helped to plant the trees in one of the fields within the grounds, to help reduce noise pollution from the M25 and support wildlife as advised by Tim Hill from The Wildlife Trust. Mary Ainsley from our gardens team oversaw this event, with her expertise and knowledge of trees. It was a tree-mendous effort by all involved!
What better way to end the year than with a shiny new award to add to our collection! This month, we were named ‘England’s Best Golf Hotel’ by the World Golf Awards. And of course, we have our wonderful greenkeepers to thank, who roam the course before sunrise to ensure all is as it should be, plus the golf operations team, who strive to deliver an unforgettable experience all round. We’re beyond thankful to you all!
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If you’ve spent time at The Grove, you’ll know that we love individual design, unique artwork and quirky features. Ever since we first opened the doors in 2003, the hotel has been brimming with unusual features – from a six-metre-tall giraffe in the Walled Garden, to Perspex tables filled with feathers.
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Or call 01923 296010
Or call 01923 296010
Or call 01923 296010
