What To Book Around The UK This Season

Old Gore Barn, Cotswolds

Old Gore Barn is the latest space to be launched at Yardspace Events, a Cotswolds venture run by Brixton pizza pros Baz & Fred. This month, the venue is teaming up with Giffords Circus to create an immersive experience. Winter Sauce will take place on select evenings throughout November, December and January. Guests can expect a five-course banquet dinner and three-course Sunday lunch of seasonal produce created by Giffords Circus executive chef Ols Halas, with dishes served banquet style on Emma Bridgewater platters.

Old Gore Barn, Cotswolds, GL54 4NW; from 12th November

Visit GiffordsCircus.com

Barletta, Margate

Margate’s much-loved Dreamland pop-up Barletta now has a permanent home in art gallery Turner Contemporary. Co-founders Natalia Ribbe (Ladies of Restaurants) and chef Jackson Berg (Kettner’s) have turned their restaurant into a celebration of their travels and favourite places to eat, taking inspiration from Sicily, LA, Berlin and Marseille. Communal dining by day is followed by a more intimate affair by night, with each occasion offering sea views. Whether it’s for a pre or post-gallery coffee, working lunch or destination dinner, diners can expect dishes that showcase some of the area’s finest farmers, brewers, wine merchants, coffee roasters and fishermen. We’ve got our eye on the confit cod cheek with sweetcorn and brown butter, followed by ‘Emma’s Ice-Cream Sundae’.

Turner Contemporary, Margate, Kent, CT9 1HG

Visit Barletta.co.uk

Heckfield Place, Hampshire

With Christmas around the corner, hot hotel Heckfield Place has shared its series of activities and events taking place over the festive period. First up, there’s wreath-making with Heckfield’s resident florist April, on 1st and 8th December, when guests will use preserved materials and dried flowers from Heckfield’s farm. For Winter Solstice on 18th December, visitors can join renowned artist Carolyn Quartermaine for a masterclass on painting and drawing collage from nature, followed by stargazing with astronomer Paul Hill. Throughout December, there will be plenty of screenings of Christmas classics in the hotel’s small cinema.

Heckfield, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 0LD

Visit HeckfieldPlace.com

Thursford Christmas Spectacular, Norfolk 

Over the last 40 years, the tiny Norfolk village of Thursford has drawn more than 6m visitors to its festive extravaganza. Set in the middle of the world’s largest collection of steam engines, mechanical organs and fairground rides, Thursford’s Christmas show is performed by a cast of 130 professional performers, many of whom have come direct from the West End for a three-hour show featuring a wide range of music, dance and comedy. Following a hiatus last year, the team is going even bigger this year with the launch of a fresh light show.

Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 0AS; until 23rd December
 
Visit Thursford.com

Due South, Brighton

From the same stable as famed Brighton seafood restaurant Riddle & Finns, Due South is an excellent new spot on the seafront. Led by head chef Mark Wadsworth, the restaurant focuses on wild food cooked over fire. From nose-to-tail to root-to-stalk, Mark uses every part of his ingredients, which are sourced from independent Sussex farms and fisherman. On the menu, you’ll find wood-charred sourdough with wild mushroom, truffle and chervil; oysters with seaweed butter; steak tartare with brioche, almonds and smoked mayo; and – best of all – wood-fired cheesecake with seasonal fruit.

Arch 139, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2FN

Visit DueSouthRestaurant.co.uk

The Snowman, Birmingham

Returning on stage for its 24th year is timeless tale The Snowman, based on the much-loved picture book by Raymond Briggs. Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s Christmas treat will be hosted at London’s Sadler’s Wells from 20th November until 2nd January following last year’s cancelled performances, before landing back in Birmingham at the start of January. Featuring choreography by Robert North, direction by Bill Alexander, design by Ruari Murchison, lighting by Tim Mitchell and timeless music and lyrics by Howard Blake, the production has been seen by audiences of over half a million at the Peacock Theatre. A poignant story of magic, love and loss, the beloved stage adaption features dance and music, including Christmas classic ‘Walking in the Air’.

Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EP; 6th-9th January

Visit Birmingham-Rep.co.uk

Lucy McKenzie at Tate Liverpool, Liverpool

This season, Tate Liverpool will present the first UK retrospective of Glasgow-born, Brussels-based artist Lucy McKenzie. The exhibition brings together 80 works dating from 1997 to the present, including large-scale architectural paintings, illusionistic tromp l’oeil works, as well as fashion and design. Over the past two decades, McKenzie has revealed and transformed images, objects, and motifs from a wide range of historical moments and contexts; from early works exploring the iconography of international sport to her fascination with fashion and music subcultures.

Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4BB; until 13th March

Visit Tate.org.uk

Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh

Gleneagles Townhouse is the forthcoming sister property to the five-star Gleneagles country estate. In the former Royal Bank of Scotland building on Andrew Square, the hotel will feature 33 stylish bedrooms, each designed with a nod to the heritage of the building. A great option for a long weekend in Edinburgh, the townhouse has an all-day restaurant plus two bars, one of which will have a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the city. The hotel will also house a members club, offering access to private spaces and a gym – great news for locals.

St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2AD; opens winter 2021

Visit Gleneagles.com