What they say
Discover this renowned country house spa hotel in Kent. An idyllic rural retreat spanning 12 acres of glorious parkland and gardens, Brandshatch Place Hotel & Spa offers a boutique home-from-home. With its proximity to the capital, it is the perfect blend of convenience for both business and leisure travellers for a romantic weekend away in Kent, offering the best of both worlds.
Hand Picked restaurants have an enviable reputation for offering an honest and authentic dining experience where seasonality and provenance take centre stage. At Brandshatch, Chef Darren Collins takes great pride in curating traditional British dishes furnished with a contemporary flair that showcases the very best seasonal and regional ingredients. To match, the extensive wine menus have been carefully created to offer the perfect pairing for your meal, with in-house expertise on hand with recommendations for every dish.
Reflecting Kent’s proud status as the Garden of England, the hotel’s dishes are influenced by regional ingredients to curate a menu of traditional and classic dishes with a modern twist and Hand Picked signature dishes reflecting the county.
Sleep
We arrive at Brandshatch a little later than expected due to the bulk of our journey being along the M25… The hotel is a welcome sight of gardens and greenery, even on a rainy day. Though it’s conveniently located near the city, I’d advise building in some extra travel time to avoid losing any of your precious spa experience!
We’re immediately taken to our room, which is regally decorated, with purples and mauves that match well with the dark wood furniture, including a four-poster effect bed. A modern bathroom with both a bath and shower, a large TV mounted to the wall and a coffee machine. Our bed is ginormous and incredibly comfortable, which we will need with the long, hard day of spa trips and three-course meals ahead of us…
The Spa
The first thing we do when we arrive at the spa is meet Beatrice, our masseuse for the afternoon. I tell her I have some huge knots in my upper back that I want to rid myself of and she curates the treatment to that effect. I can really feel the difference after just 25 minutes in the room, which isn’t always the case when visiting a spa, as the focus is always on relaxation and not de-knotting. Impressed, I exit for the spa but not before trying the Elemis cooling gel on my back – this stuff packs a punch! I can still feel a light tingle cooling my muscles half an hour later! I’d highly recommend this to anyone with muscle aches and pains.
Next, to the spa, which consists of a sauna, hot tub, steam room (sans aromatherapy, which I much prefer as getting the oils in your eye is a lesson I learnt the hard way!) and a small pool and lounge area. It’s simple but has everything you need to decompress.
There’s a strong interest in fitness here and the club is full of regulars from the local area. No surprise it’s busy, as what’s on offer includes myriad classes (which hotel guests can also book through the reception). They even have a large Spin classroom and an on-hand personal trainer!
Dine
The restaurant is the peak of our visit by far. Our brilliant server, Fallon, is sharp and attentive throughout the night. As we enter, she runs us through some of the quirks of the traditional-feeling restaurant. Fun fact, the hotel makes its own honey, which they use for their afternoon teas or, if you’d prefer, you can purchase it from reception as a little souvenir from your stay.
To drink, we go with a lovely Tuscan red and a glass of English Sparkling wine, respectively. The fizz hails from Worthing, Sussex (not too far from where this writer grew up), so it’s a lovely little “local” touch.
To start, we both enjoy the Rye-Bay scallops and the Cornish Crab Cannelloni. The cannelloni is wonderful. The salty prosciutto wrapping contrasts with the delicate sweet crab meat and provides a hearty and impressive start to proceedings. The opposition continues with the Scallops – a delightful and subtle play on the “surf and turf” profile; the pork crackling texturing the smooth and lightly braised scallop. The umami jus & puree tops it off perfectly – I want to order the entire first course again.
The following course doesn’t disappoint either. We order the Lamb Nicoise and the 30-Day Hung Scottish sirloin Steak. The Lamb is soft and rich – beautifully prepared and cooked. I can’t find a more fitting description than utterly succulent. The confit potatoes are a tad divisive. I love them, but my dinner guest finds them a tad watery. Yet we both agreed that the quail’s egg and tapenade topping are a delight to the taste buds. Then the steak – beautifully presented and juicily flavourful – is almost overshadowed by the chips, which are nothing short of a triumph. They present rich and comforting flavours whilst being light and crispy, providing a subtle joy with a side that is oft-maligned. The entire dish is beautifully presented; full of colour and warmth.
As far as dessert goes, (and I’m not being hyperbolic here) the Creme Brûlée is probably the best I’ve ever had: complex in its textures, delicious and rich, the ice cream atop the crunchy and sweetly nutty brûlée and the cookie strip – moist yet with a firm crunch. It’s just excellent. The Pannacotta, whilst not hitting the highs of the former dessert, is definitely one for those who enjoy a more understated taste. The light touch of berries adds a soft summer vibe to the plate and is very like the previous courses; subtle and delicious.
Back the next morning for breakfast and a wonderful array of options welcomes us into the dining room; fresh orange juice, smoothies, carrot juice (with a lovely note about the nutritional benefits), and coffees freshly made to order with an assortment of milks. I find a lot of hotels don’t do that, so it’s such a delight to get a proper espresso-based coffee in the morning. We follow up with fresh bread and a delicious continental plate of meats, cheeses, and olives. We even leave space for a sample of freshly prepared compote and granola with creamy thick yoghurt. Delightfully, it wasn’t too sweet and didn’t feel too heavy, as granola can often do.
We’re full already but the menu hails their local hen eggs and implores us to order a dish with some, cooked any way we like. So we obey. I go for the smashed avocado, salty spinach and a poached egg. My guest orders a dish of succulent mackerel and creamy scrambled egg. Both of these are solid choices.
Out & About
Brands Hatch races are naturally very close, making the hotel a first port of call for anyone on their way to or from. An enticing-looking vineyard, Squerryes, is also a short drive away, plus a Golf Club and multiple National Trust sites. The hotel offers seasonal wellness retreats (£170 per person) alongside the spa. They also have an exclusive 1-2-1 flying experience courtesy Biggin Hill Airport, where you can (guided by a pilot) fly a plane!
The Best Thing
The restaurant was a cut above everything! The food from Darren Collins and team was divine and the staff across the hotel were knowledgeable, down to earth and eager to please.
The Worst Thing
The interiors felt out of sync with the general standard of the hotel, perhaps a little dated or, more likely, just not to my personal taste. However, none of it detracted from how relaxed we’d been made to feel, the great food or the general peaceful energy of the place.
The Details
Rooms start from £175 for a classic double in low season.
Brandshatch Place Hotel & Spa, Brands Hatch Road, Fawkham, Longfield, Kent, DA3 8NQ
