November 2019 - Hencote

Members preview night of the Mark I red wine

22 November 2019/in blog

Last night saw the launch of our inaugural estate red wine, the Mark I. The event was a preview for our wine club members and there was excited anticipation with guests wanting to taste the new vintage.

The evening started with an Evolution sparkling wine reception and bar snacks before general manager Mark Stevens and winemaker Gavin Patterson gave a talk on the vinification process and the ethos behind the wine.

Gavin, who has 30-years experience making wine said: “The wine will have a gentle and slow evolution into its life as it ages through the years – whatever maturation happens will happen inside the bottle.”

Mark said: “When it came to choosing the name for our wine we wanted to connect it to our heritage here in Shropshire in particular to our family who has lived on the estate for over 20-years.

“The wine is the first iteration, the Mark I, and we hope that it will set the benchmark for Hencote as a quality wine producer within the industry.”

If you would like to attend our public launch event of the Mark I on November 29th tickets are £15 for the launch which includes a glass of Evolution sparkling wine, bar snacks and of course a taste of the Mark I itself.

Places are limited, so if you love your red wine make sure you don’t miss out. Have a look at some of the photos from the evening.

New Year’s Eve at Hencote Estate

21 November 2019/in blog

This New Year’s Eve Hencote Estate is taking a trip back to the 1920s with our Great Gatsby themed gala.

The 1920s was an era also known as the Roaring 20s or the Jazz Age, where prohibition was being enforced in America and speakeasy bars were common.

We can assure you that our estate wines will be flowing throughout the night – and you won’t need a secret knock or whispered code word to get in. We have put together an amazing evening of entertainment that you won’t want to miss.

It all starts at 7:30 pm with an ‘Evolution’ sparkling wine and canape reception, a chance for you to show off your 1920s attire. This will be followed by a delicious three-course feasting menu.

During the evening local artist Chris from Witty Pics will be circulating the room turning people into wonderful caricatures. Chris is one of Shropshire’s most popular artists so if you get the chance to sit for her make sure you do – her drawings will make a lovely memento of your night.

Prize draw

At 10 pm we will be revealing the lucky winners of our prize draw where everyone attending will get a chance to win some fantastic prizes.

First prize is a 5-star city break for two people at Alma Spa Hotel Barcelona with tasting menu and wines (flights not included). Second prize is dinner for two at The View Restaurant and third prize is a case of six Hencote wines.

After the prize draw Manchester-based band Last Call will commence live music where we hope that everyone will be ready to dance the night away.

Firework display

The evening will finish spectacularly with the countdown to 2020 and a firework display created by Emerald Fireworks that will light up the South Shropshire hills – would you want to be anywhere else in Shropshire to see off 2019 in style?

For more information please get in touch with one of our friendly team at [email protected] or call 01743 298 444. We are able to accept £60 upfront with the remaining £60 to be paid four weeks prior to the event.

Christmas party night giveaways

20 November 2019/in blog

Hencote Estate is the place to be this Christmas as The View Restaurant, Bar and Balcony host our Christmas party nights on December 13th and 20th.

As it is the season of goodwill we thought we’d get into the Christmas spirit by giving away some amazing prizes on both nights to everyone who books a table. Have a look at the prizes below:

First Prize

Two-night midweek stay for two in one of our luxury glamping lodges, including a wine tour and bottle of Hencote Estate ‘Evolution’ sparkling wine – valid until the end of March 2020.

Second Prize

Three-course midweek set lunch for two with a bottle of Hencote Estate ‘Evolution’ sparkling wine – valid until the end of March 2020.

Third Prize

Three bottles of our amazing Lifestyle wines – red, white and rose.

Our festive party nights provide the perfect occasion to spend the festive season with family and friends. Our talented kitchen brigade has put together a banquet of dishes provided from our popular Charcoa grill; including starters such as cured wood pigeon with black pudding crumb and blackberry gel.

For dessert, you can expect such delights as mince pie ‘doughnut’ & Madagascan vanilla ice cream as well as coffee and home-made mince pies.

As well as the great food and of course our great estate wines, entertainment is provided by talented Shropshire vocalist Katie Brisbourne who will be accompanied by her guitarist Katie Williams and band for a performance of classics and modern-day hits.

You’ll be able to dance the night away and capture all your memories with our party photo booth – what more could you ask for?

Tickets are £50 per person and pre-ordered drinks packages are available. Everyone who books onto either one of our Christmas party nights will automatically be entered into the prize draw which we’ll announce on the night itself.

So why not give yourself or someone special an early Christmas present this year.

We can’t wait to see you and reveal the winners. Good luck!

Hencote Estate introduces Katie Brisbourne

18 November 2019/in blog

Christmas party season is upon us and if you haven’t planned anything or are not sure on where to go, we might have just the night lined up for you.

December 13th sees us host the first of two Christmas party nights here at The View Restaurant, Bar and Balcony – with the second on December 20th.

Aside from great food and wine, we are delighted to welcome talented singer Katie Brisbourne who will be accompanied by guitarist Katie Williams and her band for some live music.

Katie’s voice has been described as distinctive while at the same time soulful and powerful. She has travelled the world performing in some of the most exotic destinations – a fantastic achievement.

We caught up with Katie for a chat about her career, who she would love to perform with and experiences of travelling around the world.

Did you always have aspirations to be a singer?

I always wanted to be a singer. From a child my dream was to sing on TV, I wanted to sing on big stages and all over the world and have an original song that would enter the music charts.

Who would be the one person you would most like to perform with?

That’s a tricky one, but I would have loved to perform with the great legend Whitney Houston who was my idol growing up.

What have been some of your favourite singing highlights?

One highlight that stands out was performing a duet with Sir Cliff Richard, that was an amazing experience. Also seeing myself on national TV when I was 14, singing in a talent competition called ‘Let Me Entertain You’ hosted by Brian Conley.

Another career highlight was entering the US dance chart at number 5 with an original song entitled ‘It’s Over Now‘ with co-writing team Truu Colours. The song received an established and official blue tick on Spotify, with over two million plays on several media platforms.

I’ve also been very lucky to have travelled to every continent as a vocalist on luxury 5-star cruise liners and yachts.

What songs do you think you’ll perform at Hencote?

A good mixture of pop, rock and soul, something for everyone to enjoy and dance to.

Katie will be performing Dec 13th 6pm-8pm with guitarist Katie Williams as the entertainment for our first Christmas party night.

You can book your tickets here and experience her amazing vocal talents – a night not to be missed.

End of the harvest

14 November 2019/in blog, VINEYARD

As the estate basks in the early morning autumn sunshine our dedicated vineyard and winery team pick the final few grapes of the harvest.

It’s been a season full of challenges, often dictated by mother nature. But through a late spring frost, inclement summer and reduced daylight we have been able to harvest an abundance of high-quality grapes which are vintage focussed and that will play an integral part in producing the very best Hencote Estate wines.

Harvesting is a busy time of the year for all concerned and we are extremely grateful for the support we received from our volunteer pickers. They braved the elements to select only the finest grapes, sorting them by hand in our winery to eventually moving them onto pressing and maturation.

We began harvesting on October 4th, two weeks later than our 2018 vintage and also ended two weeks later. The fruit has benefited from an extended period of hangtime on the vines enabling us to optimise their maturity that has led to the production of healthy grapes.

The climate always plays a part and despite the challenges faced we are very pleased with the purity and elegance of the fruit supported by a fine acid structure. Now we get ready for the winter months and work doesn’t stop just because the harvest has ended.

We are already planning for 2020 where we will have several new wine launches which we are very excited about and cannot wait to share with our guests and diners.

First Birthday and New Menu Launch a Huge Success

8 November 2019/in blog

Last night we celebrated our first birthday and new menu launch in style at The View Restaurant, Bar and Balcony.

Guests were treated to an Evolution Sparkling wine reception with delicious light bites provided by two exceptional local companies – Shropshire Salumi and Moyden’s Hand Made Cheese.

Will and Martin showcase their homemade Shropshire cheese and salumi

The cocktail bar had a calm and relaxed atmosphere as people chatted and perused over a selection of sumptuous dishes from our new menu.

Starters including Line Caught Mackerel and Chicken Liver Parfait with Hencote Chutney was followed by main courses featuring 28 Day Aged Beef Ribeye, Potato Gnocchi with Charcoal Roast Beetroot and Pan Seared Stone Bass.

Pianist Steve Parry elegantly played for diners with an array of romantic classics and familiar modern-day hits – he even took a few unusual requests.

Dessert arrived and for those with a sweet tooth, the decision was particularly hard. The Sticky Toffee Pudding provided comfort in a bowl, perfect for these cold winter nights, while the Tiramisu Baked Alaska capped a delicate finish to a stunning culinary evening.

Our Tiramisu Baked Alaska

We had some wonderful feedback about the food and the evening itself. Our brigade of chefs worked tirelessly throughout the day to make sure that guests left happy and wanting to come back for more.

If you missed out last night, don’t worry, our new menus are available here. Our next major event is happening November 29th when we launch our first Estate Red Wine – the Mark I.

You can book your table or for more information contact [email protected] – we would love to see you.

5 Tips for Planning Your Corporate Event

4 November 2019/in blog

Organising an event can be a tough task. Whether you are planning a Christmas party, team building event or you need a venue to host clients, there are lots of things to think about to make it a success. Below are five tips for planning your corporate event.

The venue

To make your event a huge success, you are going to want to plan. Finding a venue is always difficult as you have to make sure that it is going to fit your proposed number of guests as well as have all the necessities for it to run smoothly.

Set a budget

Deciding on how much you have to spend on your corporate event is key. Everyone wants to put on a great event but be careful not to overspend. Creating a detailed spreadsheet of all your potential outgoings will give you a clear picture of what you can and cannot afford.

Consider your guests

Your guests are the main reason that you are planning your corporate event. It could be the end of year Christmas party, a team-building away day or business product launch. Whatever the event make sure you consider your guests. Are they looking to let their hair down or do you want them to learn something?

Catering

People’s lasting impression of a successful event aside from the venue and general ambience will be the catering. This can be difficult to plan as your guests will have various likes and dislike as well as dietary requirements. Ideally, you need to make sure that the menu offers a choice that will suit everyone. Don’t be afraid to ask the venue for help in creating a menu.

Accommodation

Depending on the style of event you might wish to offer accommodation to your guests particularly if some have to travel. The Christmas party is the ideal time to help organise accommodation as it will allow people to have a drink and enjoy the occasion without having to worry about travel arrangements afterwards.

It’s not too late

At Hencote we have the perfect location (and view to match) to host your next corporate event. With Christmas just around the corner, we have space for our party nights on Friday, December 13th and 20th – with amazing food and estate wines as well as great entertainment.

If you are looking to celebrate New Year in style our Great Gatsby Gala is the perfect place to see in 2020. To book your table or to enquire further about how we can help you plan your next corporate event get in touch with us at [email protected] or call 01743 298 444.