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Celebrations!

Chris Naylor — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:31:23 +0000

Its’ been a busy start to the year here at Peckforton Castle. We’ve had two engagements, a huge 60th birthday celebration, a new baby and lots of new staff join the Castle family. I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy Spring and keep you updated of our Spring program of events. To enquire about any of the below please call 01829 260930.
The Castle doors are always open to the local community so feel free to pop up and visit anytime. We hope to see you all soon!

Spend Easter Sunday at the Castle Sunday 24th April 2011
Meet and greet with our beautiful Snowy Owl
Then move through into our award winning 1851 restaurant where each child will receive a chocolate egg and the whole family can enjoy a 3 course Sunday Lunch.
£25.00 per Adult and £12.50 per child (4- 12 years)
Why not extend your castle experience with our Easter Package of Lunch, Bed and Breakfast at £160.00 per couple and a great deal of £30.00 per child

Gourmet Evening Friday 13th May 2011
Hosted by Simonsig Estate
Exotic South African wine, Quintessentially English Cuisine…
Peckforton Castle’s gourmet evening promises to offer a fine dining experience; complemented by our convivial team, beautiful surroundings and exquisite food.
The evening will be hosted in our award winning 1851 Restaurant by the Simonsig estate, pioneers of South African wine excellence.
The Simonsig estate holds a passionate commitment for quality and innovation in wine production, and will be providing you with the perfect wine to harmonise your five course dining experience; a sure gastronomic delight.
This evening can be enjoyed by all, connoisseur and novice alike.
Tickets for the banquet available at £65.00 per adult
We are offering you the chance to extend your stay with our special package deal of £249.00 per Couple (include event, breakfast and bedroom).

Murder Mystery Evening Saturday 21st May 2011
Presented By NRG Theatre
A Murder has been committed but who did it?? Each table is a team.
The Evening starts in our Wine Cellar at 7pm and then the teams are moved through to the Drawing room for dinner at 8pm
The Teams will View the crime scene, solve the puzzles, Interrogate the suspects, and sort the clues from the red herrings:
Who did it? Why and How?
£45.00 per person
To extend the evening why not take advantage of our Murderous package of £195.00 per couple Event, Bed and Breakfast.

Fathers Day Sunday 19th June 2011
Treat your Father to a wonderful Sunday Lunch at the Castle, receive a glass of Sparkling wine on arrival and a gift for all the Fathers. Followed by a three course lunch in the Castle’s award winning 1851 Restaurant.
£22.00 per Adult and £11.00 per child ( 4-12yrs)

Merry Christmas from Peckforton Castle

Chris Naylor — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:16:11 +0000

Well, I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas and the year’s nearly over. What a great year it’s been here for us at Peckforton Castle. We’ve been so busy; it feels like we just haven’t stopped! There are plenty of highlights for me and here are a few.

The restoration from January to July was a challenging yet rewarding project, which saw the launch of our new facilities including the 10 new bedrooms, the 2010 Brasserie and the beauty treatment rooms, Tranquility. The launch events went really well and the feedback was excellent. The rooms have been fully booked since they opened!

Other highlights include the many beautiful weddings we are privileged to host. We’ve seen as many as 180+ couples tie the knot here this year; from small weddings through to huge ones. Each wedding is unique and very special. We’re expecting next year to be equally busy, especially now that we can stage ceremonies in our delightful grounds from April through October.

Seeing lots of local children at Peckforton Castle is always a highlight. This year we had pupils from Tarporley C. Of. E. Primary School here after they won our competition to help design the Knights and Maidens menu and then we had the 2nd Tarvin Brownies here after they won the competition to name our new baby owls.

We’ve also had lots of journalists come and visit us this year and Peckforton Castle has appeared on television a few times and even starred in the Coronation Street 50th anniversary DVD ‘A Knight’s Tale’, which was released in November.

But, back to Christmas. The Castle is looking very festive and we’re looking forward to a very busy time with lunches and parties. We’re open to non-residents right throughout the holiday period, so if you’re in the area pop in and say hello.

I’d like to take this opportunity on behalf of myself and the Naylor family to thank you all for your continued support and custom. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2011. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Update from Peckforton Castle

Chris Naylor — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 09:26:05 +0000

Well, it’s been a little while since the last instalment. I thought things might quieten down after the launch of the new facilities, but no way! We’ve been extremely busy.

After the new facilities opened at the beginning of July (where did the summer go?) we held two launch events and invited about 300 people in total. We had a fantastic turnout for both and they went really well. The feedback we received was wonderful and after the build up it was lovely just to share everything with our guests. We even had a few celebrities turn up. Has anyone seen the photo of Chris Bisson of Emmerdale Farm holding one of our eagles? Check it out on Facebook.

From a very busy July with the new facilities opening we moved into an even busier August. In fact August was our best month since we took over Peckforton Castle in 2006. As a hotel we expect August to be good, but we weren’t quite expecting just how great it was.

We know we’re a popular wedding venue, but we’ve also got fantastic facilities for business events and conferences and we’ve been keen to grow this market and we have! We noticed a very healthy growth in this market, which is wonderful and shows we’re giving businesses what they need.

It’s also been wonderful to see the number of non-residents around the Castle. More and more people from all over Cheshire and further afield are popping in for a meal in the 2010 Brasserie and for a beauty treatment at Tranquility. We’re so pleased that the local community is visiting us far more often.

We’ve had quite a few well-known Coronation Street characters filming at Peckforton Castle. That’s been wonderful. They’ve been filming their 50^th anniversary DVD ‘A Knight’s Tale’ with us. It’s due out in November and it going to be great. If you’re a fan of Coronation Street and Peckforton Castle you’ll be in heaven!

Well now summer has truly been and gone and we’re settling into autumn. I hope everyone had a lovely summer and a nice holiday somewhere. I got to go to France to find a new champagne for the hotel. All work, of course! We found a gorgeous house champagne from the Joseph Perrier House in Châlons-en-Champagne, which has been producing fine champagnes since 1825. You’ll have to come along and sample it, providing you’re over 18, of course.

We’ve got a few events coming up for you. There’s a gourmet night this weekend and then of course there’s Halloween; that’s going to be a lot of fun as we really get into the ‘spirit’ of things!! Check our website for details.

We’ll be announcing the winner of our competition to fins some names for the new baby owls. Have you entered? You could win a meal for two people in the 2010 Brasserie. The details are on Facebook. If you have some names to suggest send them to Jessica at jjohnson@peckfortoncastle.co.uk. The competition ends on 30 September.

I know Christmas is still a little while off, but if you’re looking for ideas how about some gift vouchers for Peckforton Castle? We’ve also got some cracking menus from 1 December and of course everywhere will be beautifully decorated for you.

Well that’s all from me until next time, hopefully I’ll post something before Christmas!

Hope to see you soon.

Time to celebrate!

Chris Naylor — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:44:30 +0000

Last time I posted a blog it seemed like we still had loads of renovation work to do and now it’s all done! It was great fun but I’m glad it’s all over. Talk about stress…

It’s certainly been a challenging project. Working with a Grade I listed building with a rare breeding colony of bats is no easy task, but we all pulled together and opened on schedule (don’t mention budget!).

We launched 10 new stunning bedrooms and the 2010 Brasserie on 2 July. All rooms sold out straight away and have been fully booked since, which is great.

There’s a real buzz about the 2010 Brasserie and its secluded courtyard. The menus have gone down really well and everyone’s commented on the quality of the finish and all the original features of the new facilities.

In the 2010 Brasserie there are two original ranges and many of the new bedrooms have original fireplaces, amazing vaulted ceilings, fully restored windows with amazing views of the Castle grounds or the Cheshire Plains.

Then there’s the beauty treatment facility, Tranquility. Tranquility’s got a double treatment room and a single treatment room, plus a spray tan booth and nail bar area in the reception. Tranquility uses all the best products, like Elemis, and offers everything you’d expect to find in a first class venue.

So now you can pop in for a light lunch, manicure and spray tan!

We’ve also launched a new website. If you take a look you’ll see some photos of the new bedrooms, the 2010 Brasserie and soon we’ll post some for Tranquility. You’ll also be able to check out our special offers and if you leave us your contact details so we can send you information in the future you’ll be entered into a competition to win a 2-night stay with us.

So much new news! What else? Oh yes, we’re now using event company G3 for lots of our activities and team building events. Check out the Muddy Good Fun bit of the new website.

I’ll be seeing lots of you very soon for our launch events. I’m really looking forward to that. If you’re not coming for some reason, be sure to drop in soon and tell us what you think of the 2010 Brasserie, the menus, the new rooms, Tranquility, everything!

Cheshire children have talent

Chris Naylor — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:51:51 +0000

It seems the time between these blogs is getting wider! No wonder, given everything we’ve got going on. I’ve been spending so much time overseeing our £1.7 million renovation project and every day now I can see how it’s all really coming together and I just can’t wait until we launch everything in July! It’s going to be amazing.

One of the really nice things that’s come about as part of this project is the new children’s menu. As a business we’re really keen to work closely with the local community and local schools and we thought that asking local school children what they would like to see on a children’s menu would be a fun way to do it and a good way to listen to our customers. So, we invited children from the Key Stage 2 age group to design their own menu.

We put a competition together asking for 3 starters and 3 main courses with emphasis on using local, seasonal produce, because that’s what Peckforton Castle’s all about, and we sent it to schools within about a 10-mile radius.

The response was fantastic. Teachers told us they thought it was a great idea and the children were really enthusiastic about it. Our Head Chef Mark Ellis went to a few schools and talked to the children about the competition, Peckforton Castle and how we work with local producers.

When we started going through all the entries we were literally blown away by the effort made by the children – and no doubt some helpful parents – and the talent they’ve got! We had originally decided to award the winner a prize of a meal for 4 in the new Twenty10 Brasserie when it opens in July, plus a trip to Peckforton Castle with a tour, falconry display and picnic for the winner’s class, but when it came to judging it turned out differently because of the high standard of entries.

In the end we decided to have 2 joint first winners, both from Tarporley CofE Primary School. We’re using one for the actual design of the menu and the other for the starters and main course suggestions and there’ll be 2 classes that come for a trip to the Castle.

We can’t wait to see the menu all printed up and in action in the Twenty10 Brasserie and of course the 1851 Restaurant. So, when you see it you’ll now know the lovely story behind it!

Huge thanks to everyone who took part; teachers, parents and children.

See you soon, have a lovely bank holiday.

No doubt the next instalment will be all about the new facilities! Can’t wait for you to see them.

It’s all go go go!

Chris Naylor — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:00:16 +0000

Well it’s been longer than I was expecting to this blog. It’s just been so busy, but all good. We’ve hosted loads of weddings already this year and work on the new brasserie, bedrooms and beauty treatment rooms is coming on nicely. It’s a tricky business renovating a Grade I listed building as everything has to be just so. We’re preserving everything possible and adding all mod cons. We’ve also been busy with the finer details such as the interior design, menus and other bits. One thing we’re really excited about is a competition we’re running with local schools.

We’ve been considering what to put on the brasserie menu and when it came to the children’s menu we thought it might be nice for local children to decide what they want to see on their menu, so we’re running a competition with local schools. It’s for 7 to 11 year olds and from the feedback we’ve received, it’s gone down really well and the children are all geared up for it. It’s great to be working with the local community in this way and we want as many of you from our local community to get involved with your local castle.

So, if you know of a child in Key Stage 2 from a local school, please make sure they and their teacher know about it. We’re pretty sure we’ve contacted everyone, but you never know.

We’re asking the children to suggest their ideal menu – a choice from 3 starters and 3 mains.

The winner will receive a great prize. We’ll invite the winner’s class to the Castle for a trip including transport to and from their school, a tour of the Castle, a nice picnic and a falconry session. Plus, the winner plus 3 people will be invited for a meal in the brasserie to east something from his or her menu!

As you might know, our 1851 Restaurant has won some awards for the quality of its dining experience, which covers everything from field to plate to stomach. We like to use the best local produce as far as possible. It’s the best thing to do for so many reasons. We figured on that basis we’d like to get children involved in putting their own menu together.

So, if you wouldn’t mind, if you know any local Key Stage 2 pupils and teachers please mention it to them
Thanks.

It’s all go at the Castle!

Chris Naylor — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:38:04 +0000

Goodness me! Talk about all go. I can’t believe how busy it is for us here at Peckforton Castle. The year’s off to a great start. As you may have seen from the photos posted on Facebook, we had a great Burns Night last month. We did Robbie proud and a fun time was had by all. We’ve also had the privilege of hosting a few weddings already this year (check out the great feedback!) and our corporate events calendar has be jam packed too!

What you may not know a lot about is our renovation project. That’s right folks; we’re getting even bigger and better. We currently only use 60% of the castle for the hotel and we’re in the process of renovating a further 20%. Worked started last month, so it’s hard hats and toe steel capped boots all the way. Amazingly, you can hardly tell there’s any renovation work going on as it’s all taking place ticked well behind where our birds of prey sit outside.
We’re bringing you a brand new brasserie, 10 new en-suite bedrooms and a couple of beauty treatment rooms. The brasserie will allow us to offer some stylish, informal dining. Those of you who’ve eaten in our 1851 Restaurant – holder of 2 AA Rosettes, don’t you know – will be aware that it’s a real fine dining experience and it’s certainly very special, but there are times when you just want a bacon sandwich and watch Sky Sports. Well, as from about May you’ll be able to do that. How exciting!!!
The bedrooms and beauty treatment rooms will be ready in about July and once everything is done and dusted we’ll be holding a couple of launch events and we’d seriously love you to come, so watch this space in the future for dates and RSVP details. We’re investing heavily in this renovation and we want to make it the best it can be, so your support for the launch will be greatly appreciated.
Before I go, just an update on our Valentine’s Weekend, which is almost here. Bookings have gone really well and we’re practically sold out of accommodation. Chef is busy flexing his culinary muscles getting ready to wow all you romantic diners. It’s going to be great. Thanks to those of you who’ve booked…and to those who haven’t for whatever reason, don’t forget it’s Mother’s Day next month (details on our website and Facebook page) and you’re still in time to book for that.
By the way, just in case you didn’t know we offer a loyalty card whereby you get 10% off in the restaurant. Ask us about it next time you’re in.

More soon! Enjoy the rest of the week and Happy Valentine’s!
PS: We had a great time on Sunday night at Wes Brown’s charity poker night. Thanks to our special guests for joining us. We managed to raise a decent amount of money for a great cause.