Beer Festival at The Master Builders, Success!
Our beer festival went off with a real bang this year and we’re so pleased that it went smoothly. The team here at the Master Builders did an absolutely brilliant job, with some of the original Hillbrooke Hotel crew helping out and a big way over the weekend in June.
The team (in the photo below) were still smiling at the end of it and due to such popular demand, I’ve been asked to provide our fans with a photo:
The Wonderful Team
Everyone that came said they had a brilliant time and due to such demands, we’re definitely going to run another one next year.
People came from afar (and close by) to experience three days of live music, an art exhibition, a delicious hog roast, face painting (no I didn’t get mind done, maybe next year) a farmers’ market, all day BBQs and of course plenty of beer!
It was such a great weekend and I cannot tell you how hard everyone worked to make it so much fun, so to the team a massive, massive thank you and a big thanks to everyone that came to see us and experience a weekend of real fun!
Please see a few more photos below to see exactly what happened during the Beer Festival of the summer!
Face Painting
Plenty of beer!
Plenty of sunshine!
The Master Builders Welcomes Newbie Charley To The Team
Well after things were hotting up in terms of weather (and our busy kitchens) we were glad to welcome the lovely Charley to the Master Builders. Although the rain is now pouring as I write this, I’m still glad that Charley has joined us because we needed an extra pair of hands and she has fitted right in.
She is currently working in the kitchens to help her gain some important work experience in the industry because she has hotel management in her sites as a future career!
She’s already proving to be a popular addition to our team and she has fitted in brilliantly. The quirky hotel (and its staff) have been pleased with her input so far and we’re really impressed that she chose to work with us to ‘learn the ropes’ as it were.
Looking forward to giving you some more updates as she progresses but for now, say a big hello!
The Master Builder’s House Hotel, set in an idyllic location overlooking the Beaulieu River, is holding a beer festival, celebrating the best of local music, food, drink and art. This is completely free with a real ale beer tent, showcasing beers from five local breweries including the Hogs Back, Ringwood, Triple FFF, Itchen Valley and Gribble plus an an all day barbecue (12 noon onwards) every day….AND Friday hosts a great jazz band from 6 pm. Saturday has all day entertainment with seafood and sea shanties during the day, accompanied by a local producers and crafts market, a hog roast, an art exhibition, plus a cover band in the evening….WOW Celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday so come and enjoy a laid back ‘blues’ brunch from 10am – 4pm plus the art exhibition. The event is free remember but if you want to book a table for lunch or dinner, bearing in mind it is Father’s day then ring 01590 616253. More information on the web site www.themasterbuilders .co.uk
Down load the official Master_Builders_Beer_Festival_A4_Poster[1]
The Summer Has Arrived At The Master Builders Hotel
Hello again
Well this is my second instalment for The Master Builder’s Hotel and I’m just starting to get used to writing about what I do here.
The past couple of weeks have been busy as we entered and got through the wonderful May Bank Holiday weekend. I think the May Day Bank Holiday was made for the New Forest really as although it’s a large area of National Park, there’s always been a bit of a community spirit going on.
I guess the May Day Bank Holiday was the official start of the summer, when things really come to life and now me and my team are preparing ourselves for the busy months ahead.
We get visitors from all over the world here, who want to enjoy the New Forest and all the things it has to offer, from Exbury Gardens or the Beaulieu Motor Museum right through to the famous New Forest Ponies.
Things are set-up nicely for the season now and I can feel a real momentum and I’m looking forward to the summer. Albeit the busy summer, with people coming here for Sunday lunch, or a Saturday lunchtime to enjoy some food in gorgeous surroundings and I do try and meet everyone’s needs. You wouldn’t believe what goes on behind the scenes here when we’re stacked up with visitors who want to enjoy a sunny weekend in Buckler’s Hard.
The demands on us as a team do get harder during the summer months, but when we hear great feedback from people, we really feel like we’re making a difference and that all the hard work is paying off!
I do always like to hear from people who have enjoyed their time with us – whether that’s for an hour, a day or a week, so please feel free to drop me a line anytime to give me your feedback.
That’s it for now – I’m about to meet and greet some new guests, who have never been here before, so I’m going to enjoy showing them what I consider the quirkiest place in the New Forest and direct them to our bar for a nice glass of wine and a Master Builder’s Hotel welcome.
Mike
A message from The Master Builder’s Manager, Mike
Hi readers of the Master Builder’s Blog.
I’m Mike, the hotel manager and I spend my days working in what I consider one of the most beautiful places in the New Forest, but also with a wonderful team of people. We did win the coveted fish (see our website for more on this mysterious award) and I think it’s because as a team we work really hard to maintain standards and, for the most part, enjoy creating an atmosphere that is genuine, friendly and welcoming.
The Master Builders as a hotel is a great place to work, because as we say, it really is quirky. There’s something very earthy about where we are and any place that’s got the history this hotel does deserves to be called quirky. As a team, my staff work really hard on making sure that we offer guests and visitors a really good time and we spend many hours bashing about ideas that will inspire people to come out and support the hotel in style.
From our quizzes (no I don’t do the questions so don’t ask me for the answers) to our music nights and events, I think we really push ourselves to create genuine community styled events that say something about who we are as New Forest folks – I also think this is something that people coming from all over the country like too.
One of my favourite offerings is our conference room – that’s not just for parties! I encourage people to book it for film nights with a difference. Kind of a film festival weekend for movie lovers who want to stay over and enjoy some nice cool beer and company with friends! At the moment we’re still planning ahead for our beer festival and I’m really hoping this batch of fantastic weather stays with us so that everyone coming can really enjoy the summer in beautiful surroundings.
We thought for anyone travelling to the area, they might like to know what we feel are the top then things to do while you’re here!
1. Horseback riding is without doubt a fantastic way to see the New Forest. There are plenty of bridle paths and options for the horse lover through to the curious novice and nothing quite beats a nice sunny day and the peace and tranquility of a ride through the forest.
2. Take a trip in to Burley and get yourself a wagon ride. If you don’t fancy being on the horse, why not choose this option, especially if you’re in a group or want something to keep the children amused.
3. Take to the water! We’re right by the river her at Buckler’s Hard and we can arrange a must have boat trip for visitors to the hotel. What you see from the water are all the places you can’t get to on foot so it’s well worth a trip out!
4. See Europes largest gathering of otters and owls at the New Forest Owl Sanctuary. This is a fantastic way to see some beautiful wildlife up close.
5. A trip to Bolderwood will take you to the deer sanctuary, where you can see from the look out some beautiful animals in their natural habitat. On occasion there has even been albino deers here, so it’s well worth a visit.
6. Get on yer bike! Literally, the New Forest has some of the best cycle trails anywhere and so it’s ideal for families or couples who want a peaceful trip through the heart of the New Forest. Cycles can be hired very easily in the New Forest and on a sunny day, take a picnic and stop off at one of the many public picnic areas.
7. If you want a bit of shopping, pop down the road to Lymington where you’ll find a host of wonderful boutique shops to browse and on Saturday you can really go for it at Lymington market.
8. Beaulieu Motor Museum is a must visit site in the New Forest and features some of the world’s most famous cars and cars through the ages. There’s plenty to do at Beaulieu and if you’ll easily spend the best part of a day there with so much to see. Remember that if you’re staying at the hotel, you can also get a special admission rate!
9. Hurst Castle – If you like your history you’ll want to visit Hurst Castle. Charles the First was imprisoned here before being taken to London for his execution! However, in such a beautiful location, you can easily go there to have a picnic and take in the truly stunning views.
10. Exbury Gardens has some of the world’s largest collections of flowers and sits right in the heart of the New Forest. It has absolutely every type of flower you can imagine and deserves its award winning reputation. If you’re looking for an idyllic day out, then this is a place you shouldn’t miss.
So that’s our top ten. There’s actually a lot more than ten things to do in the New Forest, but we thought we’d share some of the major highlights and save the others for our next post!
Happy holidays!
The Master Builders isn’t just a quirky hotel – working at the hotel is like being in a family. Every person has a place and everyone works really hard to make sure that anyone staying at the hotel enjoys themselves in the way they want to.
We do our very best to accommodate requests – whether that’s children who need a colouring book while they’re in the restaurant to information about the area – and what an area!
With such beautiful views of the river and a location that really is idyllic, we feel that the hotel is an ideal place for everyone.
We do our hardest to provide wonderful food and we like to think that we offer a reasonably priced selection of rooms, that will fit any budget.
There are a number of things to do in the New Forest, which is a national park.
You can see the famous New Forest ponies virtually anywhere and remarkably, a drive ten minutes in one direction will take you to the heart of the New Forest and if you go the opposite way you can find the river.
If you want a bit of activity, then you can go in to Lymington and try the outdoor pool or pick up some wonderful clothes from the many boutique styled shops in the town, walk on down to the marina areas, go to the market, take a ferry to the Isle of Wight for the day, visit a farm and take in some truly stunning scenery.
The New Forest also has places where you can hire bicycles – something which we’d recommend to people as the New Forest has so many great places to ride to and through and if you want something for the children, the Beaulieu Motor Museum isn’t far away.
So what else can you do?
Fishing – there are lots of places we can recommend for those that want some peace during their stay.
Walking – there are plenty of walks in the New Forest suitable for the young and the more mature visitor
Boating – take a nice boat trip to see Buckler’s Hard from a completely different view
Buckler’s Hard Visitors’ Centre – is a wonderful place to find out about the history of the hidden gem that is Buckler’s Hard. If you are interested in Maritime history, then you can find out how significant the area is to boating history. And for those of us that just want to experience it – you can visit the small cottages (and when we say small we mean small) that people in days past lived in. It’s almost as if you’re there as the cottages seem like they’ve been frozen in time.
Tiny doors, tiny windows – it’s the closest you can get to living in the time we’re sure!
Horse Riding – there are a number of places to go if you’d like to get on a horse and see the New Forest . Beautiful bridle pathways, stunning views, amazing wild life, deer, birds – if you can name it, it’s probably here.
If you’re in to photography, the New Forest offers some of the most amazing photo opportunities. Early morning and dusk are fabulous times to go out with your camera, as the light hits the trees differently. Get a good morning mist in the summer and you’ll find yourself taking hundreds of pictures.
If you like your star gazing, then the New Forest is perfect for viewing the night sky. Because it’s farther away from the town and city lights, on a clear night you will literally see everything from Orion through to Andromeda in the sky.
Oh and if you think winter is not the time for being outside, think again. A night sky in the New Forest during meteor season means you can get a beautiful view of one of nature’s wonders. Do not underestimate the beauty of a meteor shower in a clear sky. From the New Forest you get the best seats in the house and when it’s time to get inside, what better than The Master Builder’s roaring fires!
There are so many things to do, you’ll probably have to visit again to fit them all in, but whatever you choose to do, if you’re staying at The Master Builders, you will experience real hospitality from people who care.
If you’ve ever stayed at the hotel, please do write on our blog – we’d love to hear what you did while you were here and how much you enjoyed your stay.
Oh and if you’ve any other ideas for wonderful days out in the New Forest let us know!
Beaulieu Boat Jumble – Come to the Master Builders
If you love your boats then you no doubt already know about the Beaulieu Boat Jumble on the 25th April.
You’ll also maybe know that Buckler’s Hard where our beautiful hotel is situated, is a boat lovers dream, and to some degree is still undiscovered by many.
So if you’re planning to visit the Beaulieu Boat Jumble, why not secure your accommodation by staying at the hotel?
It’ll give you the chance to see the stunning scenery at Buckler’s Hard, so you can combine a relaxing night’s stay with the ‘bargains galore’ you’ll find at the Beaulieu Boat Jumble.
Book now to avoid disappointment!
Take Part In The Master Builder’s Photo Competition
Enter what will be a New Forest photo extravaganza!
Through January, February and March the Master Builders is inviting you to participate in our New Forest photo competition which will culminate with the winner receiving a free weekend stay at the Master Builders Hotel. The winner and two runner-up photos will be judged by Chris Packham and awarded in person at The Master Builders. The categories for the New Forest competition are: 1) Landscapes 2) Animals 3) Water. Please send all photos with a maximum 50 word blurb to michael@themasterbuilders.co.uk. please note that one picture for each category can be entered per person. (making 3 pictures in total per person) and we would like the pictures to be as natural as possible!
Have fun!
