We don’t normally like blowing our own trumpet (too  much), but we felt we had to shout about our new food and beverage members club. Societe du Vin launched last month, with an incredible 50% off food throughout January.  Now I don’t normally need an excuse to celebrate, but it’s even easier to make every day special with this fantastic club.  Happy Wednesday! Happy 7^th day in your new house! You got a new mug at work? Great! Happy new mug! In case you haven’t come across it yet, let me explain what all the fuss is about. Societe du Vin is a new members club from Hotel du Vin which entitles you to exclusive deals. Your preferences are recorded when you register so you receive weekly deals from only those hotels you’re interested in.

The menus contain the highest quality produce, locally sourced and expertly cooked. If you’re travelling to London or live thereabouts, our 2 stand alone Bistro du Vin’s have offers on too.  From February the deals will be different for each hotel and I know that’s one email I will actually look forward to receiving.

The vouchers can be printed off from your email or if you’re savvy with a smartphone, downloaded and presented to your server when you dine.  I’m personally looking forward to trying the Duck Rillettes Celeriac Remoulade, and I know the Sommelier will advise me of a suitable wine to pair with it. So thank you Societe du Vin.

In these cold winter months, when everyone seems to be a little more pre-disposed to gloomy moods and punishing themselves for having such an indulgent Christmas, this gives me all the reason I need to celebrate every day of the week, just because. Tomorrow I’m going to take my mother for dinner, to celebrate her new haircut. Then next week I’m going to take my partner for a meal to celebrate the weekend. The week after I think I’ll celebrate it being Tuesday with 3 courses.  What will you be celebrating?

‘Living in East Dorset, my Husband and I are regular visitors to Hotel Du Vin in Winchester so it was with great excitement that on a recent theatre visit to London we decided to try out their newest location – Bistro Du Vin in Dean Street, Soho. We weren’t disappointed!

On arrival you are struck by a freshly decorated large spacious restaurant area and pleasantly distanced tables with sufficient room for diners to stretch out and allow for a comfortable feeling once seated.

Trade mark (for regular Hotel Du Vin guests) large Bread Stick and French Butter with carving knife are promptly bought to the table by friendly staff – only too willing to advise on the menu.

The sommelier soon makes himself known, affording useful but not condescending advice on the extensive wine menu.

My husband had Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Parfait followed by a delicious Galloway Beef Fillet, whilst I tucked into a Salad Nicoise – kindly prepared by the chef on my request (with no fuss) and the fresh fish of the day – which I recall was Halibut. Sharing a superbly prepared side order of Glazed Carrots and Haricot Vert, we ate very well! Due to the impending night at the theatre, we both chose wine by the glass to accompany our meals. A delightful mini taster dish of various ice cream flavours and berries rounded off our superb meal nicely!

With all the best culinary expertise clearly passed down from the highly successful parent business - Bistro Du Vin is easy to recommend. What does stand out is not just the quality of the food, but also the professional friendly staff, who never seem to forget that diners have a choice as to where they spend their money! To sum up, if you want top quality food, friendly staff and good spacious surroundings in central London – Bistro Du Vin comes very highly recommended!’

I remember the feel of my most favourite gift. He was a bit squidgy to the touch and the paper crackled around him. As the wrapping broke free, there he was; A toy pig. Which I named…wait for it…..Pig. He had large, oval eyes and cute little trotters. He became my best friend.

Over the years he has stayed with me, through thick and thin, through different houses, tears and joy. I can’t ever bear to throw him away or give him to a charity shop. He’s lost his fur under one arm and the paint on his eyes has all but scratched off. His remaining fur is dull and bobbled. But I love him. He reminds me of the joy I felt that Christmas morning; A perfect moment in time.

If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the lookout for that perfect gift for those you love. Something they will cherish and remember for years to come. It’s not an easy task re-creating that every year though. Sometimes you need a bit of help. So here’s my selection of a few gifts that might be just what you’re looking for.

Our nation’s capital is a wealth of untold stories. Be amazed and count how many times you say “I never knew that!” with this book.

Vintage is definitely back in vogue. What better way to spend some quality time with your partner, friends or family than an Afternoon Tea at Hotel du Vin.

Treat someone to a short pre or post-Christmas break with our selection box of offers.

If you’re a fan of cheese, why not ask for the experience of a cheese board like no other?  You could even request these tools for your efforts at home.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a celebratory meal with seasonal food. Even better when it’s all cooked for you, you’re waited on with exceptional service, and best of all, no washing up! If you’re looking for a longer lasting offer, try Roast du Vin.

For the keen cycler, a handy “escape route” book gives you plenty of rides to choose from. If you want to go one step further, the Cycling weekend in Bristol provides that added layer of comfort.

And lastly, a spa treatment is one of my favourite gifts. Just knowing you have that time, just for you, to be pampered and relax, is great.

So I’ve told you my favourite ever gift. What’s been yours?

You may not realise it, but St Andrews Golf Hotel in, you guessed it, St Andrews, Scotland, is part of the Hotel du Vin Group.  The area is synonymous with golf, but there’s much more to it to entice you to visit.

I checked into the hotel on a dreary, windy autumn day. The warmth and friendliness I was greeted with immediately lifted my spirits, as did the fantastic sea views from my room.

Once settled, I decided to explore and the great thing about St Andrews, is that everything you need is nearby. A 5-10 min walk and you’re in the town centre, where a mix of high street favourites and independent boutiques await. It’s those precious one off shops that draw me in. The ones that that stock items you’re not likely to find elsewhere, like Bonkers on Market Street.

There are plenty of cafes and places to rest your feet as you explore. A visit to the place where Kate met Wills (for coffee) is a necessity if you’re a royal fan. If not, how about treating yourself to a haircut, complete with a free whisky?

Or for the ladies, a pot of tea, Scottish style.

St Andrews is steeped in history and nowhere is this more apparent than at the castle ruins, just a couple of minutes from the Golf Hotel. The stories connected with this place are violent and bloody, yet fascinating at the same time. This is where men fought the wars of independence, where the religious wars took place and where power was lost and won many times over. On this particular, windswept, cold and drizzly day, the power of the past was like a blanket that covered me from head to toe.

One battle from centuries ago included an attempt to attack the castle from underground through a tunnel. The defenders dug an opposing tunnel to cut them off. It worked, after several attempts, and the cramped, dark, claustrophobic mines still exist today. You can walk through them, which I tried to do. I failed miserably.

I was glad to get back to the cosy hotel, where I popped myself down in the front room with a pot of tea and took in the panoramic views of the beach in complete comfort.

The beach is stunning and the location from the 1981 film Chariots of Fire.  Already I know your singing the tune. And yes, I did have a slo-mo run across the sands the next day.

That evening I sampled the Number 40 restaurant. I can recommend the mozzarella and tomato starter. The quality of the local produce used is a treat for the taste buds. A whisky in Ma Bells downstairs (where Kate and Wills were frequent guests) and I retreated to my huge bed, Egyptian cotton linen and LCD HD TV.

The next morning I had breakfast in the number 40 bar.

The view again was beautiful and I watched the early morning seagulls dancing for their breakfast.

St Andrews may be known for its golf and the meeting place of our future king and queen, but there is plenty more on offer.  St Andrews Golf hotel is perfectly placed, with stunning views, beautiful architecture and comfortable, relaxed surroundings. I truly felt it was retreat and will definitely be back.

St Andrews are currently gearing up for Christmas.  They are now on Facebook and twitter too, so be sure to follow them for special deals, offers and news.

Ma Bells Facebook

Ma Bells Twitter

St Andrews Golf Hotel Facebook

St Andrews Golf Hotel Twitter

Many of the cities around the country are holding ghost walks or tours, which delve into the murky past of some of Britain’s oldest and supposedly haunted areas. I love a good ghoulish story so I was heartened to find that so many events are happening. Here are some of my favourites.

The Trial of Dr. Knox (from the Burke and Hare story) at Hotel du Vin Edinburgh .

Malloween at the Liverpool Malmaison, complete with monstrous munchies and creepy cocktails.

The Clink Prison, London, is Britian’s oldest prison and was a place of torture and suffering. Tour it if you dare.

Witching hour at Oxford Castle, home to a 900 year old crypt and a curse.

And if you’re slightly more faint of heart or have children in tow, the Halloween Disco and Ghost Tour for kids in Edinburgh may be more your thing?  And if you’re anywhere near Cambridge, pop into Hotel du Vin for some pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon ice cream. The staff have a pumpkin carving contest between themselves and all the pumpkins will be displayed in the library and lit at night.

Perhaps you prefer to stay indoors and scare yourself with a movie.

Here are my top 5 films and top 5 dishes to get you into that Halloween state of mind.

Films

1. Halloween – setting the precedent for many horror films that followed. Still makes you shiver with the feeling that you’re being watched.
2. Nightmare on Elm Street – Making the comfort of sleep horrifying
3. The birds – maybe that’s where my fear of pigeons comes from!
4. Final Destination series – turning every day happenings into terrifying events.
5. Stephen King’s IT – Clowns. Need I say more?

Dishes

1. Pumpkin soup. After spending hours carving out a pumpkin, the least you can do with it is make a superb soup for those chilly nights.
2. Spicy batwings. Chicken wings with a twist.
3. Apple pie. All those bobbed apples have to go somewhere, right?
4. Spaghetti. A worm inspired pasta main – not for the faint hearted.
5. Risotto. A maggot like dish can easily be created here.

Do you agree? What’s your favourite scary movie and what will you be eating while watching it?

Whatever you choose to do, whether it’s dressing up as a pumpkin and dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, or hiding in darkened room with a scary film, be sure to have a stupendously spooky time.

I should begin by saying that I am a complete novice at this, and if you are too, you should definitely invest in a short course or informative book, as the varying types of mushroom mean that some are poisonous and should be left well alone.   Mushrooms by Roger Phillips is a good choice if you do find a paper guide is the way to go.

When I decided to go mushroom picking, my first thought was, “Where?” Searching on the internet and using the seemingly limitless accumulated knowledge of Twitter users, I discovered there were quite a few places near my home where one could forage for fungi.  My adventure took me to a nearby wooded area; dark, humid, earthy. I brought with me a traditional wicker basket and yes, I also wore a red coat, although it had no hood.

With my guidebook in hand I enjoyed a pleasant stroll through nature.  Looking for mushrooms and checking my book meant that I was far more focussed and in tune with all that surrounded me. I noticed things I’d never noticed before, and luckily I had also brought my camera to capture the moments I felt were quite beautiful. The light falling a certain way through the trees, the fine detail of wild flowers close up. That to me was the beauty of mushroom picking. We seem to get further away from nature in our everyday lives, constantly barraged with new technology as we are. This brought me pleasantly back down to earth.

I collected my mushrooms very carefully and as I left the area I got one of the very helpful staff at the Tyne Riverside Country Park, or the “woodland folk” as I liked to call them, to help me double check my pickings. They were all good to eat, so off I went to cook up a mushroom extravaganza. And here it is. The fruits (or mushrooms) of my labour, and my goodness they were delicious. They tasted better than any shop bought mushroom. “Did you not fancy using the tin out the cupboard?” asked my fiancé. “Tinned!” I scoffed. Never again.

Mushroom picking is not something I would have thought of doing myself. The idea was planted, no pun intended by an upcoming event at Hotel du Vin Poole. It is however, something I will definately be doing again. At the risk of sounding a bit “hippy dippy” as my dad would say, the act of taking food from the earth is pretty therapeutic and satisfying.  And spending a day in the picturesque surroundings that are so close to me, yet I’d never explored them before certainly made me feel like a bit of an adventurer. On the “silent hunt” as it is sometimes called. For a few hours, I forgot about the housework, the daytime job, the gasmen digging up pipes outside my home, and just relaxed. It was quiet, peaceful and I felt very content at the end of the day. In fact, with all the fresh air, I slept like a log.

So if you get the chance to go Mushroom picking, I thoroughly recommend it. Paradise Found package is available on the 11^th and 12^th November at Hotel du Vin Poole. http://www.hotelduvin.com/hdv-hotel-events.aspx?id=6944

If you were a little disappointed with the summer and missed out on that holiday feeling, think of this as a stroke of good fortune. Steal a moment at lunch to sit in the warm air. Take the opportunity after work to dine alfresco with friends over a bottle of chilled sparkling wine recommended by the sommelier. Set your alarm clock a little earlier to catch the most stunning sunrise to inspire you for the day ahead and grab a coffee and some you-time before nine.

It’s not often we get a second chance, so let’s grab this one with both hands and have a most wonderful Indian summer. After all, autumn is just around the corner.

Ross Bootland. Head Chef at Hotel du Vin & Bistro Newcastle

Ross trained at the prestigious Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh for 2 years, winning Scottish Junior Seafood Chef of the Year, before moving down to London to add to his experience at the Manderin Oriental for a year. It was after this that he joined the Malmaison group in 1997 for 5 years – beginning in Edinburgh opening Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds and returning to Edinburgh.

He has also previously held position of Head Chef for Dakota Hotels in Glasgow and then for Forth Bridge Edinburgh achieving several awards in a short space of time including:

Hotel Restaurant of the Year 2008
Restaurant of the Year Scotland 2008
Seafood Restaurant of the Year 2008
and nominated as one of the top ten in Scotland.

Ross has been inspired over the years in particular by Keith Shearer, Executive Head Chef of Hotel du Vin and Malmaison and by award winning Roy Brett, Head Chef of Ondine Restaurant.

Ross is now Head Chef at Hotel du Vin Newcastle. Take a look at his favourite dishes and take part in the Northern Face-off on Facebook Hotel du Vin Newcastle.