We welcome 2023 at the Allanton Inn with open arms and are ready to embrace an exciting year ahead leaving the turbulent times behind us, (here’s hoping anyway!).
The Lonely Planet is recommending the South of Scotland as one of its Best in Travel Guides for 2023 so we are hoping by putting us in the spotlight globally we will welcome back lots of international travellers to the Borders who have been a bit lacking these last few years due to the pandemic.
The South of Scotland Destination Alliance works hard under the hashtag #Scotlandstartshere promoting our beautiful region and we are always keen to support them in any way we can. Late last year, they organized for some media coverage of Berwickshire with the Scotsman’s food & drink section called Scran. Scran visited the Allanton Inn to complete a podcast with us and then continued on to our friends at Giaco pazzi’s, Jarvis Pickle & Gunsgreen House to promote the fantastic food & drink offering Berwickshire has. Have a listen to the 45 minute podcast – Scran Season 6.
We are looking forward to seeing the launch of the new event space in the converted Georgian Style Stables at Manderston House and are excited to start welcoming guests attending events at the estate from Spring onwards.We are curious to see how the space has been updated with thevison for The Stables being high end and Ralph-Lauren inspired, while maintaining the original characteristics of the equestrian past.
Another of Berwickshires’ big country houses that has seen huge tremendous renovations recently, is the Palladian mansion Marchmont House, built in 1750.I remember the house as a Sue Ryder care home from my days as a Brownie but the owners have completed out a six year extensive restoration of Marchmont, maintaining the original features. As well as a stately home, Marchmont now offers guided tours & special events, many of which are craft & design led, inspired by the layers of history & appreciation of the house and is worth a visit.
The Allanton Inn has been listed again this year in the Good Hotel Guide 2023 & Good Beer Guide 2023 and we are very proud of our new award – the Scottish Food Guide Award recognizing us as a provider of good food.
These winter months sees our menu featuring game dishes & hearty, comforting fare such as Pheasant Kiev, Wood Pigeon with Haggis, Neeps & Tatties (warming up the haggis taste buds for Burns Night is the 25th ). Shortly after in February we will offer a Candlelit Valentine Dinner Service then in March Mother’s Day will see us jump like a Spring lamb into Spring flavours. April hosts Easter and our Easter favourites we will back on the menu again.
May sees an extra Bank Holiday this year for King Charles’ Coronation and our Pizza Shack opening up again for the season ahead. The garden marquee has gone but we are building a heated & covered seating area to the right side of the lawn with long tables for larger groups than our pods on the left-hand side can hold.
In June we will be holding our annual Father’s Day Celebrations in the Beer Garden with Live Music from the fantastic local duo, Huffman & Spence and there will be a Pizza & Pint promotion.
We are blessed that The Allanton Inn core Team has stayed pretty much the same for the last three years. The students come and go to help us through the busy times, including our boys Ben, Hamish & Max. We enjoyed a staff day out to Edinburgh for our belated Christmas party, treating ourselves to cocktails, crazy golf & German Beer Hall feasting. Lots of fun and got us on the right foot to face 2023!
