We’ve picked six hotels that are really leading the way when it comes to forging local partnerships…
You can leave your tartan and bagpipes at home – this is what Scotland is really all about. Gleddoch works with local suppliers to stock real Scotch whisky, uses ishga spa products in its Imperia Spa, and has even employed local outfitters Purple Willow to kit out its wedding venue. Heck, even the hotel’s business cards are locally-sourced. But it’s in the kitchen that the Scottish experience really comes to life Head Chef Gary and his team start each day by foraging for their own ingredients in the Scottish countryside and along the coast. So, whether it’s herbs, berries, vegetables, or a rare taste of sea buckthorn, you can be sure everything on your plate is as Scottish as Sean Connery.
With 235 years’ of collective history, Best Western Lothersdale Hotel and Althams Butchers are staples of the Morecambe community. And, thanks to their long-running partnership, guests in our beach-front resort get to enjoy Althams’ juicy, tender and top-grade meats in the Lothersdale’s sea-view restaurant. As champions of a field-to-fork service, guests can even feel reassured that their dinners from Althams have a relatively low carbon impact. The Lothersdale is also proud to use regional suppliers across the rest of its supply chain, with local Morecambe Bay shrimps gracing its seafood platters and freshly-roasted beans from Atkinsons Coffee helping guests get their caffeine fixes.
Enjoy real (and dog-friendly) West Country ice cream at the Best Western The Compass Inn
Whether it’s meat from Trents, free-range eggs from Sherston, ales from Bath Ales, Flying Monk and Hop Union, or vegetables from Eades greengrocers, the Compass Inn is proud to work with a wide spectrum of local businesses to ensure guests enjoy an authentic taste of Gloucestershire. But perhaps the most striking thing on their menu is Marshfield Ice Cream, made just four miles from the hotel. “Not only do they make absolutely fabulous flavours for humans,” explains Hotel Manager Rupert Monyard, “we also stock their dog-friendly ice cream – which they made as a special treat with Longleat Safari Park during a heatwave a couple of years ago!”
As the first UK distillery to win double-gold in the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Best Western Fowey Valley is very proud to have struck a partnership with Cornwall’s Colwith Farm Distillery. Guests at this charming hotel in Lostwithiel will delight in sampling Colwith Farm’s crisp vodkas and punchy gins at the hotel bar. Or, for a truly special victual, they can even take part in a special gin-making package offered by the hotel, which offers the chance to visit the distillery and blend one’s own botanicals.
Celebrate your special occasion with freshly-picked Blackpool flowers at the Best Western Carlton Hotel
Ahh, Blackpool. With its world-famous illuminations, beautiful beach and revered party atmosphere, it’s no wonder this seaside town has become a magnet for people with something to celebrate – from weddings to honeymoons, birthdays to Bat Mitzvahs. And, at the Best Western Carlton Hotel, perched right on the beachfront, you can enjoy all of this and much more the ‘Blackpool way’, with the help of local supplier Flower Scentsations. The experienced team is on-hand to supply your any party need, whether it’s a garland of freshly-cut flowers, balloons and banners, or perhaps even a tasteful bunch of red roses for a romantic night in.
You can’t visit Dorset without trying a cool, crisp pint of real apple scrumpy, and that’s exactly what you can find behind the bar at The Grange at Oborne, Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western.
This charming country house, set within verdant green pastures, boasts of rich relationships with many local suppliers. One of these is Lawrence’s, who brew their cider the traditional way – in their garage! So passionate was founder John about his beloved craft, that he even got rid of his beloved Porsche so that he could fit more of his oak cider barrels in the thing. Now, using only apples from orchards in the region, he brews some of the West Country’s richest and tangiest ciders. Okay, full disclosure, the garage is technically across the county border in Somerset, but don’t worry, we won’t tell.
