Thursday 28 June 2012

Artist Jay Jay Burridge adds a dash of coolness to Holdsworth House

How many restaurants can boast that their menu was designed by uber cool artist Jay Jay Burridge?  He designed for Jamie's Italian and did ours too!

Monday 25 June 2012

Get Shorty!



Holdsworth House has been shortlisted for the Small Hotel category in the 2012 Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Awards. The excited team received confirmation from the judges on 25th June and will attend the glittering awards ceremony in October later this year.

General Manager Shane Williams said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to be in the finals for these prestigious awards. The team works so hard to achieve the high standards of customer service and to help grow the hotel’s reputation across Yorkshire and beyond.  It has been a positive start to the year as we were accredited with four stars – the first hotel in Halifax to achieve this.”

The staff at the hotel were recently presented with a commemorative thank you gift from the hotel’s owners in appreciation of their efforts in helping achieve four stars in the 50th year of private ownership.

Friday 15 June 2012

Small Means Flexible

Everyone seems to be in agreement that when the sun shines, there's simply no better place to be than the gardens of England. There's not a landscape on earth that can appeal more to the senses than our own back yards. The weeks of hot blue skies experienced earlier this year are testament to that.

So when you want to bask in the glorious but unreliable British summer, you need a reliable team who can respond to every eventuality. A great example is the small but perfectly formed Holdsworth House Hotel in the heart of West Yorkshire.

Well-known as a wedding and private dining venue, the Jacobean manor of Holdsworth House nestles in ornate, landscaped walled gardens, complete with sunken box hedge Parterre garden, year-round borders and a lawn fit for croquet.

The 39 bedroom venue is Halifax's first and only four-star hotel and has held 2 AA Rosettes for its dining function for the last 14 consecutive years. Now the team, who occupy the number one position on Tripadvisor, are offering guests the chance to experience outdoor dining under the blue Bronte skies.  Swathed in white linen and with the glassware and cutlery sparkling in the sun, a banqueting table has never looked so pretty and many brides, grooms and party planners are loving the fact that this outdoor option is available without having to jump on a plane or pay through the nose.

So what happens if the sun doesn't last? As there is only one wedding permitted each day at Holdsworth House, brides needn't worry about the function rooms being taken. So if the skies do cloud over, the operations team is geared up move the party indoors. If there was ever an example of 'nothing's too much trouble' then this is it.

For parties and functions up to 120 guests, Holdsworth House in Halifax is simply unique.

Friday 1 June 2012

FOUR!

Feels good to be supporting the NSPCC at the Halifax West End Golf annual charity golf day next Thursday 7th June. Good luck to everyone entering.

To Sauce or Not to Sauce - that is the question.


Every restaurant needs to have a specialty, something they’re known for. At 2 AA Rosette restaurant Holdsworth House in Halifax, it’s the steak – a classic dish that is traditionally served with a sauce.

However in recent years, the hotel has seen a growth in people preferring their steaks without a sauce, so rather than including it within the price, Holdsworth House allows guests to add a sauce - Bearnaise, Yorkshire Blue Cheese, Beurre Maitre d’Hotel, or Pink Peppercorn & Mustard - for a supplement of £3.50, thus maintaining a more competitive price for those who prefer it served plain.

Head Chef of the luxury four-star Yorkshire establishment, Simon Allott, believes the trend has a lot to do with the preparation of the meat in giving the ultimate taste and texture, which increasing numbers of customers appreciate.

Allott says, “We’re careful who we buy from, and buy direct from the producer so we can closely monitor the quality we’re getting. By dry-aging beef on site for at least 28 days, we allow the meat to tenderise and develop a fuller flavour.  Some guests are opting for a more simple presentation and palate without a sauce and let the beef do the talking.  It’s about 50-50, there are still plenty of guests who want the additional texture and taste of a sauce to complement the dish. Our most popular sauce is pink peppercorn and mustard.”

Holdsworth House, which won 2 AA Rosettes for the 14th year in a row in 2012, changes its menus seasonally and sources beef from local farms, keeping Yorkshire provenance high on the agenda and the menu.