Did Covid put the brakes on your wedding preparations this summer? Many couples had their hopes swept aside by uncertainty, however now is the time to get those plans back on track by taking advantage of an amazing North Devon Autumn and Winter wedding offer.
We have heard the phrase ‘new normal’ far too often over the past few months. However, it is the situation that is here to stay for a while and, if this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we have the ability to adapt and make the best of whatever the new normal might be. When it comes to weddings, this is a new appreciation for a different kind of wedding occasion.
Consequently, the champagne may have been on ice, but your wedding plans no longer have to be. Current government guidelines give the green light to wedding gatherings of up to 30 people. In light of this, Autumn/Winter 2020 – 2021 should be embraced as the season of the smaller, more intimate wedding.
The Carlton Hotel in Ilfracombe has adapted its own wedding programme with a North Devon Autumn and Winter Wedding Offer (LINK) that caters for 30 people at £30 per head. So if you’re coming round to thinking that actually an intimate wedding reception may be the way to go, then here are some great reasons to back up those thoughts:
1) More Control
Some people crave the big wedding day, with a guest list as long as a wedding trail. However, the dream, as encapsulated in movies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, rarely goes so smoothly in reality. Big occasions are incredibly demanding and a supporting cast of dozens can bring dozens of problems with them. Keeping things intimate with a tighter control over a guest list that cannot exceed 30 means there’s an oven ready excuse to ensure that you only have the guests you want at your wedding!
2) Less Stress
Let’s face it, a wedding may be one of the biggest days of your life but it can also be one of the most stressful. With the pressure on to make sure that everything goes perfectly it’s a good job the bride and groom have a honeymoon to look forward to – they definitely need it! The wonderful thing about a small wedding is how much more relaxed it is. In many ways 30 is a perfect number – that much bigger than a typical family and friends gathering to feel special, but not too big to stress you out.
3) More Memorable
The curse of the big wedding is that the happy couple spend their whole day ‘catching up’ with everybody through fear of leaving anybody out. This involves a succession of snatched (and repeated) conversations, each one requiring a fixed smile and polite engagement of niceties. No wonder brides and grooms fall victim to wedding fatigue! If the big day flies by as a result then just how memorable can it be? Some of the happiest wedding memories are made when the occasion is relaxed, the guest list is convivial and there is actually time to sit back and enjoy the occasion.
4) Less Money
Ok, so this one is probably reaching out to the bridegroom more than the bride now the tradition of her father footing the bill is increasingly outdated. However, the days of happily yelling ‘money is no object’ at the top of your lungs are gone in these uncertain times and for this reason the current 30 guest limit is also a welcome brake on the budget. Don’t forget, the Carlton is offering 30 people for £30 per head leaving more savings for the honeymoon pot!
5) More Options
The occasion may be smaller but your ambitions don’t necessarily have to be. It’s your wedding day and you can do whatever you want with it so why not get creative? The Carlton is well experienced in managing events, such as weddings and celebrations, with its reputation for being there to help with every stage of the planning. So if you have some unorthodox ideas about how you want your wedding reception to stand out from the crowd then let your imagination wander!
Don’t forget that aside from offering a great North Devon Autumn and Winter Wedding offer as an event space, we also have enough rooms to comfortably accommodate 30 guests. We have a comprehensive Covid plan in place at the hotel and an experienced team to carry out all the necessary procedures and precautions to ensure your stay is as safe as it can be.
Send us an email or a call (01271 862446) to check date availability and tell us about your wedding plans and how we can help you to make the most of an intimate wedding this coming season.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
As part of the Treasury’s Eat Out to Help Out promotion we are offering all diners the opportunity to halve their food bill when they eat in our Brasserie At The Carlton this August. You can save up to a maximum of £10 per customer at breakfast, lunch or dinner when you eat in on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.
You can enjoy this benefit as many times as you like in the month of August. The saving will be calculated automatically and applied to your bill, whether you are simply enjoying a coffee and cake or a three-course dinner.
Just look at these incredible prices
Remember the total maximum saving is £10 per person at any one meal service.
A couple of points to note:
To reserve your table call us on 01271 862446 or email dine@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk today.
“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat,” said the author Laura Ingalls Wilder. For anyone over a certain age her most famous work, Little House on the Prairie, which was a stalwart of 1970s TV, epitomises an era of innocent wholesomeness.
At times when the whole world feels challenged we often develop a nostalgia for times gone by, regardless of the fact that each era in history has faced (and always overcome) its own challenges. Unfortunately for today’s generations, the 24 hour lens of media and social media attention and our addiction to hype means that we are permanently consumed by a crisis such as the current Coronavirus scare.
While there is of course good reason to take this virus very seriously indeed the statistics, nonetheless, do not spell the imminent end of the world. Panic in all its forms – from emptying supermarket shelves to rocketing levels of personal anxiety and mental health effects – has us gripped and right now it seems like there is no escape….
But of course life goes on and locking yourself inside your home – until told otherwise – can have implications for your state of mind and your mental health. Now is the time you need a fresh air break and The Carlton has the perfect Spring Break deal to take advantage of!
Spring is here, the sun is (at last) beginning to shine. Identified as one of the healthiest places in the UK according to a study last year all around North Devon the air is filling with birdsong – from cliff tops to dunes, woodlands, fields and wide open moorland. The town of Ilfracombe itself came to prominence in the Nineteenth century, discovered by the Victorians to be the perfect tonic to the pollution of cities and the stresses of working life – a perfect antidote that is as true today as it was back then.
Reports suggest that higher temperatures are the natural enemy of Corona Virus, and it’s this time of year when crispy mornings give way to sunny Spring days filled with the increasing intensity of the sun’s warmth. Of course this isn’t always the picture on the English Adventure Coast but a day of being buffeted around in stiff coastal breezes brings a certain charm of its own too – gulps of fresh air, the taste of brine on the lips and cheeks that flush ruddy from a day of open air exercise.
The Carlton offers the perfect base from which to launch a break filled with the kind of outdoor activity which benefits the body and clears the mind of those racing thoughts; a step away from the intensity of home and work places where the stress is constantly simmering. We all know that stress is bad for the health and a recognised factor which can affect our immunity. Often the only way to break the cycle is to step back and get away from it all for a while and reap the health benefits.
One of the consequences of the current situation is that we are all going through a period of reappraisal in relation to our daily habits, routines and social interactions. Many of us are taking a step back and appreciating the benefits of simple pleasures. On a North Devon break that’s a hike along a coastal path or down a long sandy beach, taking the plunge with some surf lessons or rambling along an Exmoor circular walk.
With The Carlton as base camp, the health and wellness aspect extends to the in-house Brasserie restaurant, with its simple wholesome menu dishes offering nutritious goodness thanks to fresh ingredients, most of them sourced with local Devon provenance.
Of course we follow Government and industry guidelines, but at The Carlton we go further still. To be honest the measures we take are more like tweaks to our existing standard practices. As a hotel with a reputation for high class quality and comfort throughout all our rooms we already have very high standards when it comes to servicing and cleaning (we’re big fans of the old fashioned way – plenty of soap and detergent – with the recent addition of sanitising surfaces and door handles).
The same rigorous attention to sanitation applies to the restaurant – which is open to guests and locals (don’t forget our special Mother’s Day treat package). There is no buffet to worry about, all our dishes are plated up separately, as they always have been, and if our guests still have concerns then we are quite happy to provide meals in the room.
Our team are up to date on training, have been practising good standards for years and recognise the importance of being seen to be confident in the face of the current situation. The benefit of having a full time team all year round ensures continuity throughout any difficult time. You can read full details of our extensive Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines and safety procedures here to give you peace of mind.
As for the health benefits of a fresh air break in North Devon – there’s not much more to be said than the fact that the air is plentiful and is feeling more Spring-like by the day!
Our Easter Family Break sleeps 4 for £46pppn, breakfast and one-night dinner inclusive. Plus get free admission to our local Chocolate Emporium and Museum!
This deal must be booked directly on 01271 862446 or email stay@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk.
Our very special Mothers Day Treat combines a Spring Weekend Break with Mothering Sunday lunch and FREE Devon Cream Afternoon Tea for just £69 /person/night. Plus dinner inclusive (one night) leaving you time to explore the rest of Ilfracombe. This deal is based on two sharing a twin or double room over the weekend of 21/22/23 March. Call 01271 862446 to book this offer or email stay@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk.
Our Spring break offer is a relaxing two-night weekend stay in North Devon, which includes one evening meal in our Brasserie, two nights room and full English breakfast. And pricing is from £54 /person/night based on two sharing a twin or double room*.
T&C’s include – prepayment and if you book before March 20th we’ll offer you a FREE upgrade during April (excludes Easter weekend). Call 01271 862446 to book or email stay@ilfracombecarlton.co.uk.
We have colourful winter food on our mind at The Carlton this month; celebrating the great tastes available in the region is something of an obsession at the Carlton Hotel, whether that be in-house or great places to eat around us.
At this time of year, with grey skies, and general signs of January gloom in each direction, it’s the perfect time to seek a splash of colour, sensory fulfilment and solace in good food. Gone is the excess of Christmas and the New Year is a time to nourish the body while the short days lengthen on the journey to spring.
If this sounds like the perfect recipe for you as you wade through the murky months of winter then let us fill you in with a concise North Devon food guide on how to treat your palate. The Carlton is a great supporter of the food festivals which light up the region and embrace the culinary strengths of North Devon.
Before we begin to explore the area, let’s start this North Devon food guide a little closer to home – at the Carlton’s very own Brasserie restaurant which sates the appetites and enriches the taste buds of residents and non-residents alike. The Brasserie has recently been approved as a member of Food Drink Devon – the essential guide to all things delicious in the UK’s fourth largest county.
So what does our Brasserie bring to the (dining) table? Diners shouldn’t expect fancy flourishes or pretentious combinations. What Ilfracombe’s Brasserie serves is simple food, prepared with the best of local and seasonal ingredients. It’s our opinion that with the West Country’s superb offerings in terms of local meat, fish and vegetables there is little need to dress up for show.
The winter months are also a time to revel in the great British tradition of the Sunday roast and the Carlton has a fine reputation in delivering this most comforting of meals with a high quality twist.
These are served every Sunday in the Brasserie from 12.30pm. The hotel also has stepped up its regular Foodie Friday events to a new weekly fixture. The Brasserie is currently offering hot deals on weekly rotation of mussels and wine, burger and beer, fish and fizz, steak with wine and spice night.
The Brasserie is also earmarked by diners seeking a North Devon food guide to restaurants which brings creativity and imagination to its menu choices for vegetarians and vegans. Aside from a well endorsed Gluten Free menu, the kitchen’s willingness to adapt dishes for specific dietary requirements has made it a go to destination for those seeking menu alternatives.
And just over the foodie horizon for 2020 is the Exmoor Food Fest which takes place in February. The Carlton Hotel is very pleased to be joining the cast of gastronomic sights and tastes to savour for the first time. We will be lining up with restaurants and hotels from across the area to provide gastronomy fans with our exclusive Exmoor Food Fest 2020 tasting menu, meet the supplier evenings and other culinary deals. As well as extolling the diversity of tastes available across the Exmoor area, Exmoor Food Fest urges foodies to get out there and eat their way across the region between February 1st and 28th.
The Exmoor Food Fest kicks off a calendar of food related festivals and events that run throughout the year. Highlights include the Exeter Food and Drink Festival in April and a clutch of events that celebrate the natural riches of Devon’s coastal areas. North Devon, in particular, excels in this respect and another festival that The Carlton is involved in is the popular Sea Ilfracombe Maritime Festival in early September, which includes a focus on what the area has to offer in terms of seafood.
A little way ahead we have the Devon Street Food Festival which takes place on the town’s seafront every August and in October Barnstaple hosts North Devon Food fest centred in its pannier market hall.
Winter blues? Blow them away by focusing on food to bring the colour into your life this winter season. The Brasserie at The Carlton is a great place to start brushing up on your palate![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Enjoy delicious food cooked by our own talented chef in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
As a thank you for being loyal customers within our community we would like to give you 20% off all food and drink every day of the week.
