Overnight Escape At The Newly Reopened George In Hathersage
Published On Sunday 30 Jun 2024 by Sticky Beak
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Like the proverbial Phoenix-from-the-Flames, The George at Hathersage has risen from the flood waters of Storm Babet! You can throw all the superlatives you like at this historic building, but suffice to say it’s just downright marvellous. Longbow Bars and Restaurants Managing Director, Rob Hattersley, and his team have worked tirelessly to ensure that this popular local venue re-opened even better than before.
In conjunction with the team from Concorde BGW - who worked their transformative magic at sister venue, The Ashford Arms – a lot of effort saw the dream become a reality. As well as over-hauling the completely ruined lower level, the final eight bedrooms got finished at The George (making 24 in total), and The Man and I were invited to stay overnight and see what we thought…
Our check-in was fuss-free and smooth, thanks to the super-friendly ladies on reception. Having sorted out the paperwork and booked our breakfast slot for the following morning, we were given the key to room #19, Nicholls, and headed up the small set of stairs to it.
Opening the door, we feasted our eyes on a spacious, super-stylish interior that exuded a refined calm; instantly, our worldly cares slipped away. A welcome pack with a pamphlet of short, local walks and a box of Handmade Chocolates were in a prominent position on the writing desk; another touch that makes you feel cocooned in The George’s embrace. Whilst it may be subtle and unobtrusive, every mod-con is at your fingertips: large smart TV, pod coffee machine, kettle and selection of tea-bags, large wardrobe (complete with shelves for folded garments), and – oh! be still my beating heart! – a deep bath with rainfall shower over.
To awaken the senses, The White Company’s ‘Lime and Bay’ toiletry range was available: the hand wash, body lotion, shampoo and shower gel were all full-size products, too, not those piffly little travel-size things. My only gripe (as a fully paid-up member of the bath hippo club) was that there was no bubble bath; you can’t have a bath without bubbles, you just can’t! Now don’t laugh, but I tried (and really should have known better) to create a luxurious pit of bubbles by using a heap of the shower gel to create froth – I failed miserably, but crikey did I smell amazing at dinner that night! I am a simple creature, and I like things that don’t tax my brain, so I was very happy to see that the shower and bath had their own separate controls; no faffing about switching from one to the other! The bath filled very speedily and there was a small shower-head attachment that ensured I could simultaneously wallow and wash my hair. As fast as it fills, the bath empties quickly too, so His Nibs was able to freshen up without waiting an age.
Dinner was incredible and you can read the review of it here. With our tummies comfortably filled, we had a post-prandial drink in the lounge before retiring for the night to bed – and what a bed it was! I have slept in some Hotels and Guest-Houses in my time, but this has got to be one the comfiest (if not THE comfiest) beds I’ve had the pleasure of resting my bones in; His Nibs agreed as well, so it’s not just my opinion. Not only was the mattress incredibly comfortable, the pillows were beautifully supportive; the duvet wasn’t overly constrictive and heavy, but if you needed a little more warmth in the small hours, a coverlet from the ‘Secret Linen Store’ was ready to be pulled up.
His Nibs usually takes a glass of water to bed with him and it was nice to see a bottle of chilled Purezza water on a side table with glasses for this need. The main lights in the room were on a dimmer switch, so we turned them low to create a slumber-inducing ambience for a while before we turned them all out and went to the land of nod. I always have to have the windows open because I like a cooler temperature to sleep in, so I got awakened (literally) by the dawn chorus of the birds outside.
We availed ourselves of the hostess tray again, and I relaxed in the comfy chair whilst His Nibs had a shower, then we switched round. Feeling fine-and-dandy after an amazing nights’ sleep, it was time to think about re-fuelling…
Heading down to the same restaurant where we’d dined the previous night, one of the serving team greeted us and bade us to take a seat at one of the tables whilst they brought over the breakfast menu. You don’t have to be resident at The George to indulge in breakfast, members of the public are more than welcome to walk in – this is the case for any of the food service times. We ordered black coffee and tea to drink, then we turned our attention to the dishes on offer. No surprise when I tell you that His Nibs opted for the Full English – does he ever go for anything else?! - and I swung between the light Continental selection and the Smoked Salmon Muffin. Eventually the lure of Salmon won, especially when I read the full description: a toasted muffin spread with Cream Cheese and topped with Scrambled Egg, Smoked Salmon and fresh Dill.
My choice was absolutely delicious, I have to say. The large muffin had been halved and piled high enough to be the gastro version of Mount Everest if you were a borrower! Sweet, oily Salmon slices were buoyed up by buttery, softly scrambled egg, and peeping underneath was a swoosh of cream cheese, which injected a delightfully contrasting, sharp hint. Fresh Pea Shoots added colour and crunch as well as some garnish: #glamforthegram. The combination of carbohydrate, fat and protein made this an extraordinarily satiating choice – the perfect start for a busy day.
The Man Bird’s cooked breakfast was comprised of ‘proper’ farmhouse bacon, both rashers of which were thick and generous in size. As you can imagine, the flavour was just sublime and the meat was juicy and tender. His Nibs had asked for his eggs to be fried and the pair of them had been done so that the whites had set but the sunny-toned yolks were runny but warmed through. For those of you who, like me, hate the thought of Baked Bean ‘juice’ contaminating any other item on their plate, you’ll be pleased to hear that they are confined to a pot. The grilled half of fresh, herb-zhuzhed Tomato was comfortingly softened without being mushy and the meaty Banger/Sausage had a gloriously crisp outer that revealed nicely seasoned pork meat inside. As per usual, I got the sweet, earthy Button Mushrooms passed over to me – no complaints here, sunshine! This was another breakfast that would set you up nicely for a full day, whether that be out walking in the beautiful countryside or at work.
So, to sum The George up: elegance combined with modernity, efficient service with unparalleled friendliness, and mouth-wateringly good, top-notch food without snobbery or pretence. Why wouldn’t you want to come and experience this for yourselves??! Just going to do a humble brag for the ‘Shire, and say that The George is up there with the best.
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