The Hotel TerraVina Blog

Hotel TerraVina has a hectic week…..

May 10, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

Following the news of our hotel merger with 10in8 Fine Dining Group and the announcement of my new role as Managing Director for the group, I would just like to say many thanks to all who have sent such lovely messages of congratulations, kind words and enthusiasm on hearing the news.

Suzi, all the team and both Gerard and I are very excited, as this merger will enhance our strategy, as we intend to develop the TerraVina concept wherever 10 in 8 has a fine dining restaurant. We will also create a world-class Cookery and Wine School based in the New Forest, at Hotel TerraVina, that will further strengthen the already established 10in8  Fine Dining Academy…. Thus please do follow developments both on our websites and here on the blog as the group develops.

This week we have missed Sophie, or assistant manager, as she has been in hospital… no doubt she is whipping the doctors and nurses into shape and charming them with her infectious laugh- Get well soon Sophie. We all miss you and want you back very soon, well and healthy.

Malmsey, our new puppy has settled at home brilliantly… she is sleeping through the night, is almost completely house trained and can already sit, hold out her paw and walk very nicely on her lead (I sound like a new mother!)… in fact, I am sure she is a “Mensa” dog and one thing is for sure she has completely thrown our lives into disarray, caused turmoil at home and we have all fallen hopelessly, truly, madly, deeply in love her.

Off to puppy training soon, armed with treats, scoop bags and ear plugs- puppies are very noisy when they are socializing!

Till next week and don’t forget to watch this space and the group’s websites for up to date news of what else is developing soon

Nx

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Exciting News from Hotel TerraVina- Mergers and New Arrivals…

May 2, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

At last we can divulge some very exciting news which has been very hard to keep a secret. We are delighted to tell all of our blog followers that we have merged the hotel with 10in8, The Fine Dining Group, (comprising The 10in8 Collection of restaurants: L’Ortolan, La Bécasse, Paris House and The Angel) founded by famous Michelin star chef Alan Murchison.

Alan Murchison and Gerard have been friends for a number of years.  We all feel that there is great synergy between both companies.  Our aim is to continue the expansion plans of 10in8 together, with the exciting development of The Fine Dining Academy, as well as the creation of a world class Cookery and Wine School.

I will now officially become Gerard’s boss, (most people already knew I was anyway!), as I am becoming the Managing Director of the Group- a busy and fulfilling role for me to take on board and I am relishing the challenge.

Gerard and I and the whole TerraVina team are delighted to join forces with Alan, Richard and their team. This merger will open up many great opportunities for the talented teams that already exist in both businesses. They will all play a vital role in the development of the group and we are delighted for them as well as for us.

As some of you may remember, we have already worked with 10in8 informally on a couple of joint projects, (Our Michelin “pop-up” being the most recent one) and it was clear that the mix of Gerard’s wine skills when combined with Alan’s culinary expertise created a potent mix of talent and of course it means that Suzi, Chris and Sophie will be able to take charge without me interfering quite so often, (at long last I hear them say!)

In addition to all of that excitement, Gerard, Romané and I have become the new family for the most adorable puppy…. We were supposed to go on Sunday to choose a puppy, which would be ready for us to have at home with us in 5 weeks time. However, when we got there, although the pups were lovely, we fell in love with a slightly older one, who was 12 weeks old and she ended up coming home with us then and there, (after an interview and at least 2 hours of being observed with her). Of course, I had nothing ready for a new pup as everything had been ordered and planned for an arrival 5 weeks hence….

However we are managing very well and she has settled in beautifully. She is a Boxer and her name is Malmsey and whilst she will never replace our gorgeous dog, Merlot, who we lost 2 years ago, at 12 years old, she will be a very welcome addition to the family and we are all completely in love with her- she is simply adorable and the house feels right once more with a dog living with us.

Malmsey has already proved she is a well behaved pup and a people friendly dog as on the first day we had her she sat in on the final merger meeting and behaved beautifully

Till next week

Nx

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The Votes are in at Hotel TerraVina….

April 25, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

A huge thank you to all of our very kind supporters who voted for us in the Venus Awards, Employer and Employee categories. The public vote closed at midnight on Monday 23rd and votes have now been counted…. The competition was tough and whilst we did very well, sadly we did not manage to garner quite enough votes to be in the top three, although apparently it was close run.

However, we were inundated with messages of support, lovely comments from people telling us how deserving Pearl was of the Employee of the Year award and just generally telling us how much they love the team and Hotel TerraVina- thus we are not disappointed, how could we be, knowing that there is so much loyalty, enthusiasm and support for us all…. Gerard and I think that Pearl, along with everyone else who works with us are super special and we are very lucky to have them all with us. They make us feel very proud and we don’t need to win an award to know that they are fantastic.

Congratulations to all those who are now through to the final three in the various categories; we wish them all well in the final judging. In the meantime, Pearl and Suzi are looking forward to the awards night, when they will go as guests in posh party frocks.

On a different note, Laura is on a wine trip to Australia and is back next week. We are looking forward to having her “home” as we have missed her, but in her absence, Tanguy, Anna- Maria, Anna and Marcello have been doing a sterling job and they have grown in confidence over the past few weeks- well done to them all for “holding the fort” so well.

‘Till next week and as always thank you for reading the blog and also for casting votes, we greatly appreciate it.

Nx

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Deep Snow, the power of the public and a plea for votes. Hotel TerraVina puts in a request…

April 18, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

We recently arrived back from a short trip to Sweden, where Gerard was a guest speaker at a highly regarded Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Meal Science University in Grythyttan, (part of the Orebro University).

Apparently Grythyttan, which is a tiny village, (population approx 900, of which many are students) was the most popular place in Sweden during the 70’s and 80’s when it was the mecca of the rich and famous and Abba were often seen there. Nowadays it is rather more sleepy, but charming and picture postcard pretty…. The day we arrived it looked eerily like we had stepped into a film set, so still and quiet was the place.

We were warmly welcomed and Gerard’s presentation went very well. Many thanks to Mischa Billing and Tobias Nygren for organizing the event and for their fantastic hospitality. It was great to meet so many passionate and enthusiastic students and the university is a very smart and a very forward thinking place for the students to learn their skills.

We had a few days in Stockholm whilst in Sweden, a city that I personally much enjoy and have visited often as one of my very dearest friends live there. As it was mid April and Stockholm had been enjoying early Spring sunshine and relatively mild weather, we didn’t imagine that there would be any snow left, but we were surprised (and Romané was thrilled) that on the Saturday morning we awoke to deep snow! A good excuse for shopping for snow boots and warm clothes- as if an excuse were needed! We had a lovely time exploring the Old Town and the Palace in the snowy conditions and afternoon tea was a very welcome respite from the cold, snowy and windy conditions.

Now back in England, via Paris for GB, we are busy asking all who know and love us to vote for us in the Venus Awards. (predominantly awards that celebrate women in business, although there are a token few males in some categories). I am not keen on soliciting people to vote for us, but we are being encouraged to do so as all of the other nominees will be too, so whilst I am not very competitive, it would be nice to at least give ourselves a chance to do well and garner a few votes along the way. We have been included in two semi finalist categories, Employer of the Year for myself and Hotel TerraVina and Employee of the Year, for our fantastic breakfast supervisor, the very special Pearl Gifford. Voting opened on 16th April and is live for one week only so please, if you feel inclined, please do cast a vote for us in one or both of the categories….. I have also been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award (I was in the top three last year, so hopefully I can gain a similar place or even better this year), but this is not via public vote, but a panel of judges instead… not sure which is preferred. The results will be announced on 22nd May, so watch this space.

In the meantime, the links for voting are below:

http://venusawards.co.uk/Southampton/semi#employer

and

http://venusawards.co.uk/Southampton/semi#employee

Many thanks again and ‘till next week

Nx

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Star signs, colours and being “invisible”…… Hotel TerraVina muses on them all

April 11, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

I don’t read my star signs avidly. Occasionally, just for fun, I will read the horoscope forecast at the start of a New Year and now and then I catch an astrologer chatting about star signs on Steve Wright’s brilliant Radio 2 show as I do the school pick up, but generally horoscopes aren’t my “thing”. However, I do think there is some actuality in the fact that the month you were born, the time of day and the alignment with the sun or moon does somehow play a part in your personality, albeit that I’m not quite sure how or why and of course there are lots of other factors that make up a persona.

It always amuses me when people ask what star sign you are born under and then nod sagely at you when you tell them your sign, as if it was of course completely obvious…… well I am a Scorpio and from what I have read over the years about the traits of the sign, I probably fit the profile, some of the time and I quite like the fact that of all the star signs it is perhaps the one that seems to be the most mysterious, the most passionate and the one that can be the trickiest to understand- it’s not that I like being difficult, (Gerard will probably disagree), just that I am intrigued at the thought that I might be a little complex! But then again most people are complex; that is the challenge of getting along with people, building friendships and relationships and then nurturing them enough to keep them healthy and into longevity. All in all, I suppose I am in a somewhat reflective mood and that led me onto another subject:

The Importance of Colour…..

I have already written in my blog about why I chose orange as the colour for TerraVina. I love bright colours and one of my favorite colours is red as it appeals to my nature- I love the mystery, the fieriness and passion that the colour suggests. Whenever I wear read people compliment me on how well I look and that the colour suits me… the TerraVina team tease me that if I’m wearing red it means that I am in a “don’t mess with me mood!” and I have to admit that when I do wear red I feel confident and able to “face the world easily”.

Which brings me onto the importance of colour….. and I got to wondering, why do we feel differently when wearing various colours?  Gerard has a wardrobe full of pale blue shirts- he loves blue shirts and if he had his way would only ever wear blue, yet so many other colours suit him just as well. I feel invisible when I wear black, “fluffy” and girly if I wear pink and matronly if I’m in navy blue. I can’t wear orange if I’m at TerraVina as I blend into the colour scheme and get lost at the front door, yet red empowers me. Thus beware if you see me in a red dress, as it will mean I expect to be noticed and mean business.

I’m off to Sweden for a few days… apparently it’s minus 10 degrees currently at night time- I will pack my thermals but they aren’t red ones!

Till next week

Nx

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Spring is here, or did it come and go already? Hotel TerraVina basks in the glorious sunshine…

April 4, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

Excited at the prospect that Spring has arrived and with four weeks of Easter holidays looming ahead, I am juggling being at the hotel with managing to spend some days with Romané and thus part of the forthcoming weeks I am working from home some of the time. This week I have managed to be home on Monday and Tuesday, albeit that I was multi tasking and in a moment of (stupidity!), I agreed to go on an afternoon cycle ride to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine…… I haven’t cycled for at least 5 years, but I was brave in the knowledge that you never forget how to cycle. Indeed I haven’t forgotten how to ride, (I didn’t fall off), BUT I had forgotten how painful the saddle is and how bruised you end up! Before I go for another ride I’m investing in a gel saddle.

On Tuesday, Gerard was invited to officially open the Wessex Culinaire Show, held at Brockenhurst College- an impressive 440 entries in all sorts of cookery, patisserie and restaurant classes were in attendance over 2 days and with approx 20 colleges from across the country involved. The show is a great way for the students to show off their talents and it was very well organized and attended, thus bravo to all involved in the organization of the event. One of the most interesting and topical parts of the competition was I thought the Armed Forces section, where students were asked to cook a meal for soldiers, operating in a war zone and so the chefs had very limited equipment and supplies and were cooking from a field kitchen…..they all managed admirably and it was fascinating to have a flavour of what conditions are like for our troops on the frontline.

Next week I hope that perhaps it may even rain, (just some drizzle would be fine), as then I will have an excuse not to go cycling again and perhaps I can convince Romané that the cinema is a great choice to opt for instead… it’s not that I’m allergic to exercise, but I need time to recover, before I choose to sit on the saddle again!

Have a very Happy Easter and we hope to welcome you back again very soon

Till next week

Nx

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Hotel TerraVina shares a special moment at The Rose Road Association, celebrating their Diamond Jubilee with HRH Earl of Wessex

March 28, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

Gerard, myself and all at Hotel TerraVina have been supporters of The Rose Road Association since 2008, when we were introduced to this very special place and determined to make it the hotel’s adopted charity. We have subsequently held fund raising wine dinners, (we have another planned on Sunday 17th June, with Anthony Hanson, MW, the famous auctioneer at Christies, so please do look at the website for further details www.hotelteravina.co.uk/winevents ), hosted wine tastings and generally tried to support them as much as we can. They have become great friends of the hotel and the work they do is very necessary and absolutely incredible in terms of the care they offer and their dedication to the children and families they support.

Thus we were very proud, in this their Diamond Jubilee celebratory year, to be invited to attend a very special morning, on Friday 23rd March, at Rose Road, in the company of HRH Earl of Wessex. We were thrilled to share in the childrens’ assembly, to see a video of how they learn and experience sensations that we all take completely for granted in our daily lives and to join in with their morning routine, in the presence of a special guest, Prince Edward. The Prince was very friendly, charming and had a lovely, natural way when talking to the children, many of whom are very profoundly disabled and their dedicated carers.

It is always a pleasure to visit Rose Road and see the amazing care, love and attention that each child is given. They are cherished by very special people and the children themselves are exceptionally special.

The event gave Rose Road yet another opportunity to shine and indeed it did- it is an exceptional charity and Gerard and I feel very privileged to be involved with them, albeit in our small way.

For those who aren’t aware of the fantastic work that Rose Road does, please do have a look at their website, www.roseroad.org.uk

Till next week

Nx

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Spring is here and Easter is on it’s way… Hotel TerraVina plans the Easter decorations and we are all excited at the prospect of Easter eggs

March 21, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

I have a confession to make….. here at TerraVina, with very few exceptions, (our assistant manager Sophie being the main one) we are all chocoholics. We love chocolate and whilst we mostly all prefer dark, cocoa rich delights, to be honest after a busy lunch or restaurant service, or a stressful day, any type of chocolate will suffice. Many of our suppliers treat us at Christmas time to chocolate, we have a chocolate fund to ensure there is a constant supply on hand and so of course at Easter time we are in chocolate heaven!

In fact, Easter is one of my favourite times of the year; not just because of the chocolate Easter eggs, but also because it gives us another excuse to decorate with pretty Easter themed decorations…… we decorate at Christmas, New Year and Valentines, so Easter is a lovely Springtime treat when we all have fun hanging pretty, pastel painted, miniature display eggs,  door wreaths and bunnies and chicks are scattered here and there. It is a little bit of fun and the hotel looks very pretty…..there is a waft of cinnamon in the air from baking hot cross buns and the promise of Summer being just around the corner makes everyone feel bright and breezy; if the weather is kind enough and the sun shines we even serve out on the terrace- we have warm wraps to hand just in case the breeze is brisk.

With the Spring sunshine now peeking through the clouds, the forest is looking lovely and is shaking off it’s winter coat and there are daffodils and snowdrops blooming in the hedgerow. The area is looking very pretty and we are watching intently for the early Magnolia buds to bloom and the rhodies (I can’t spell the full word!) and azaleas to become a riot of colour at Exbury Gardens.

Thus, if you haven’t visited us for a while why not think of coming to see us soon…. In the meantime I’m off to stock up on chocolate as we have a busy week ahead and we will only get through with plentiful supplies!

Till next week

Nx

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Hotel TerraVina enjoys a Scottish adventure and some wildlife…

March 15, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

Gerard and I have just arrived back from a short trip to the Scottish Highlands… apologies therefore that this week’s blog is a day late. I was so busy enjoying the delights of the Cairngorms, Aviemore and Kingussie, that I didn’t have time to write this week’s installment until our return to Hampshire on Wednesday evening.

One of our reasons for a Highland “fling” was that our great friends, David and Katie Young, who own the charming restaurant with rooms, The Cross at Kingussie, http://www.thecross.co.uk/ , have been inviting us and we have been promising, for so many years to visit them and for various reasons and pressures of time, we have never managed to until now, thus we organized a trip way back last year and as an added incentive to ensure we were able to be there, Gerard hosted an intimate, informal wine event with them too.

We had a super couple of days with them and were so well looked after and one of the highlights of the trip, besides just spending a fun time with Katie, David and family was a wildlife adventure that they had thoughtfully organized for us all…..an expert guide, Malcolm O’Reilly of ARC Guiding, http://www.arcguiding.com/ ,took us all on a half day outing across and beside the Lochs and we saw a variety of wild life at close proximity and coupled with his expertise, his passion and his love for all things wild, we had a great time.

We were hoping to see ptarmigan, mountain hare, snow bunting, capercaillie, (I think they look a bit like a turkey with a peacock type tail) crested tits, (we heard them, but they were too shy to show themselves) crossbill and eagles, to name just a few. We didn’t manage to see some of those, but we did find Hooper swans, all sorts of varieties of ducks, including Golden Eye, (sounds like they should be extras in a James Bond film) and a pair of red squirrels who happily entertained us for a number of moments peeling pine cones to eat the seeds which are hidden inside. All in all it was a fascinating morning followed by a very tasty lunch in Aviemore.

In the evening we were all back at The Cross and enjoying natural, organic and bio-dynamic wines which accompanied a delicious dinner of local Scottish fare, the highlight of which was the braised ox cheeks and Black Isle mash with buttered greens- simply delicious.

I had never visited Scotland before, but I will definitely be back there soon- we didn’t have chance to explore Edinburgh, so we will ensure we do next time and whilst we enjoyed a number of tipples of Speyside whiskies, there are many

more whiskies to sample, so the whisky distilleries will be a must on the next visit also. Gerard is very excited at the prospect!

In the meantime, huge thanks to David, Katie and their lovely daughter Marieanne for being such charming, warm and friendly hosts. It was a pleasure to share a few special moments with you all and we loved The Cross and its super friendly, warm and welcoming atmosphere and for sure it serves the best breakfast we have enjoyed in ages- simply delicious! Thank you too to Becca, Susan and all the team for looking after us so well.

Till next week

Nx

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A step back in time and memories from the past- Hotel TerraVina explains…

March 7, 2012
by Hotel Terravina

100 years ago, well maybe a slight exaggeration, but a lot of years ago none the less, in fact, 22 years ago, I was a hotel and restaurant inspector, (I know I don’t look old enough for it to have been so many years ago, but sadly it’s true). Whilst I was training with the formidable and fantastic Jayne Wyatt, in fact she wasn’t formidable at all and was actually a real sweetie, I spent many happy weeks in beautiful Devon, in and around Salcombe, Torquay, Paignton and Dartmouth. Once a fully fledged inspector, one of my patches for a while was Devon and I grew to love the area and the people.

Thus it was a real thrill to re-visit Dartmouth this week. The 20 odd miles of narrow and winding lanes are worth the effort as when you enter the town the view of the boats bobbing on the water, the candy floss colours of the houses twinkling like jewels and the beautiful blooms and gardens throughout the town make the journey worthwhile.

The sun was shining and the water was as calm as a mill pond- I wandered around the town happily and reminisced… the sea gulls were noisy background music, but even they seemed to have happy expressions in their beady eyes. The day seemed to fly by and no sooner had I arrived then it was time to bide a fond farewell to Dartmouth, but I promise I won’t leave it so long next time.

Talking of hotel inspectors, next week Gerard and I are travelling to Scotland (I have never been to Scotland before) so I am very excited. We are visiting our dear friends, David and Katie Young and their hotel The Cross at Kingussie. Gerard is the guest speaker at a wine event at the hotel. David used to be my boss and was the AA’s Chief Hotel and Restaurant Inspector for a number of years- I think he is probably the nicest, fairest boss I have ever had- he was a joy to work with and we all felt very privileged to be part of his team. Now he and Katie personally welcome guests to The Cross and both Gerard and I can’t wait to see them both and sample Scotland and all of it’s delights.

Meanwhile, I am thrilled to say that our “pop up” Michelin event, in conjunction with Alan Murchison and the 10in8 Fine Dining group was a great success and we had many positive comments from guests. Our team enjoyed the challenge and rose to the occasion spectacularly and Gerard and I were very proud of them all. It was good fun working with Alan, Ian, Sammy, Ania and Stephen and whilst my feet hurt (Michelin joint events demand high heels!), the pain was worth it!

Till next week

Nx

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