Tag Archives: Summer Lodge Country House Hotel and Spa

A Day of FOSSIL HUNTING … the best way to enjoy the Jurassic Coast

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Bill Verkaik, Founder of Junior Geo loves living on the Jurassic Coast. After 20 years of working in the oil business in London, Bill and his family have returned to Dorset to rekindle the romance with his first passion – fossils!
We asked Bill to share what he loves about… [read more]

Posted in Just for Fun

Well brewed – the gentle art of preparing traditional Afternoon Tea

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The ritual of “Afternoon Tea” began in the 1840s when Anna Maria Russell, 7th Duchess of Bedford, complained that the long gap between breakfast and supper gave one a “sinking feeling” in late afternoon.  She started to take a light meal of tea (usually Darjeeling), cakes and sandwiches alone in… [read more] Continue reading

Posted in Caring touches, Wining and Dining

Top 10 tips to prepare your garden for Spring

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John Eke, Head Gardener at Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, shares the English passion of creating and maintaining beautiful green spaces for guests to enjoy. Within the hotel’s meticulously tended grounds you’ll find a spectacular water feature, the produce garden which provides fresh fruit, herbs and seasonal vegetables for the… [read more]

Posted in Recipes & Tips

Wine Trends for 2013

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As the month of ‘detox’ comes to an end we’ve asked award winning sommelier Eric Zwiebel from Summer Lodge to share his thoughts on what this years wine trends will be:

Whilst not a wine,  i think we will start to see Sake will be much more widely enjoyed. Whereas… [read more]

Posted in News from the Cellar

The art of making your own Christmas Wreath

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John Eke, Head Gardener at Summer Lodge, loves to do that little bit extra to surprise and delight guests, whether that’s creating his legendary Halloween displays or making the Christmas wreaths that festoon the hotel at this festive time of year. He also enjoys sharing his skills and here he… [read more]

Posted in Recipes & Tips

Adventures in food – seafood forage with John Wright

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Some time ago I read about the food foraging adventures being organised by Summer Lodge in Dorset and made a mental note to attend.  Then I caught a few minutes of River Cottage and saw John Wright gathering mushrooms and thought “what an interesting chap”.  So when I was invited… [read more] Continue reading

Posted in Recipes & Tips, Wining and Dining, Your Experience

The art of massage – in a seashell

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We all have things that are stressing us out.  If you’re in London there’s all the extra congestion created by the world’s greatest sporting festival.  And if you’re in the country you’ve had the wettest June and July on record to contend with.  Then there’s all the other stuff in… [read more]

Posted in Wellbeing

A taste for sustainability at Summer Lodge

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For many years I’ve said that people taste a dish with their eyes well before it passes their lips. But the process actually starts even earlier than this – merely reading the menu encourages people to turn the ingredients over in their mind, and savour the flavours in their imagination,… [read more]

Posted in Art and Culture, Caring touches, Wellbeing

Monkeying around in Dorset

Charles Lotter

Monkey World, near Wareham, Dorset, was set up in 1987 by the late Jim Cronin then operated by him and his wife. It was originally intended to provide a home and rescue centre for abused chimpanzees used as props by Spanish beach photographers, but is now home to many different… [read more] Continue reading

Posted in Just for Fun

Top 10 most awesome sights along the Jurassic Coast

The Jurassic Coast ranks with the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon as one of the recognised natural wonders of the world. It provides a fascinating scenic walk through 185 million years of history covering the Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous periods.
Parts of the coast are world famous for… [read more] Continue reading

Posted in Just for Fun