Review - Posh picnic at The Newt in Somerset
Approaching the threshing barn, I could hear the sound of jazz floating softly on the early evening woodland scented air. At the barn, we were greeted and shown to the ‘Cyder’ Bar where we were attended to by a server and escorted us to our picnic spot. I surveyed the area and wanted to cry. This was our first trip out to eat since March and it was all a bit overwhelming.
We had been toying with the idea of going to a restaurant for a couple of weeks now but like many people, we were still apprehensive. Living in Dorset is a mixed blessing - during summer all of the best places tend to be overwhelmed with crowds and it can be hard to park if it is near a beach, more so this year. I just happened to be on the website for The Newt - a hotel, garden and spa property that opened just last year and still on my list to check out. They had an event on that same day called ‘Garden Lates’, where you can go and have a picnic at sunset. It was a beautiful day and I booked the tickets there and then.
We are just 28 miles away, but rarely do we go over the ‘border’ into Somerset. So it felt like a big trip out.
We did not have the opportunity to go to inside the hotel this time, which occupies the Palladian fronted red-gold limestone Hadspen House, first built in 1687 and home for two centuries to the Hobhouse family. Koos Bekker and Karen Roos now own the property and have lovingly created a beautiful venue which has been in the making for more than 6 years. Overall the venue is a large working estate located between Castle Cary and Bruton and its famous gardens have been completed replanted and redesigned. The centre is the ‘Parabola’ walled garden, now planted with a comprehensive collection of British apple trees, all arranged in a Baroque style maze. There is a cider press, bottling plant, bar, mushroom house, museum, farm shop, treetop walk, gelateria and ponds. There is a colony of newts after which the hotel is named.
We were greeted warmly - it felt like the team were genuinely pleased to see us. Our spot was laid out with a picnic blanket, a box with cutlery, glasses and bottled water, and a candle in a storm lantern (jar).
Comfortably socially distanced and enjoying the ambience, we opened our picnic:
Aged beef fillet seared over winter savoury with spring herb, caper & fresh horseradish dressing
Apple waste sourdough bread, spelt crackers
Wild garlic & nigella seed butter
Summer beans, garden carrots, Sharpham Park spelt, black onion seed, preserved lemon & tarragon
Estate radishes with Dorset sea salt
Garden salad leaves, Kingston Black dressing
English tomatoes with capers, fresh Brittany onion & basil
Selection of Somerset cheeses with homemade plum membrillo
Lemon & thyme posset with strawberries
This was certainly nutritionist approved! Most of the ingredients were sourced locally or from the kitchen garden. I guess the exception was the posset - but a sweet treat from time to time doesn’t hurt. The spelt grains tasted chewy and delicious. An ancient grain part of the wheat family, it is nutritionally similar. It is particularly rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, and niacin (vitamin B-3) and of course, fibre.
We ate first and then walked around the magnificent gardens. I’m afraid it was sunset and my iphone is old so it did not capture the beauty of the venue. We will certainly be back, and I hope to have a spa day there once things get back to ‘normal’ - whatever that is.
