Golf Hotel Whiskey: for pilots and aviation enthusiasts
Nearest town: Andover (6 miles by car), Hampshire
Opening Times: Winter: 0900-1700 and by arrangement; Summer: 0800-1600 and by arrangement
Longest Runway: 770m, Asphalt
Fuel: AVTUR JET A1, AVGAS 100LL
Phone: 01264 772352 (A/G), 01264 772171 (Admin)
Website: www.westernairthruxton.co.uk, Wikipedia entry
AIP: plates and airport diagram
Note: Thruxton is a PPR airfield [Read more…] about Thruxton (EGHO)
Nearest town: Farnborough (7m by car), Hampshire
PPR: Yes
ICAO: EGLF
Phone: 01252 526 701
Website: Tag Aviation. Wikipedia entry
Landing fees:
Runway: 2,440m x 46m, Asphalt/Concrete.
Opening times: Summer – Mon-Fri 0700-2200; Sat, Sun, & Bank Holidays 0800-2000. Winter – Mon-Fri 0600-2100; Sat, Sun, & Bank Holidays 0700-1900.
Fuel: AVGAS 110LL, AVTUR JET A-1
AIP plates and airport diagram
I flew my wife down to Bournemouth last week for lunch at Chewton Glen. It is my second visit there. The first, a couple of years ago, was marred by absent-minded service. Luckily this visit put that ghost to rest.
We flew through low cloud and light rain the whole way, with intermittent IMC becoming solid as we approached the south coast. I had expected to do an instrument approach and so all the plates were ready. However, there was another aircraft on frequency trying to find the airport visually. When this failed he had to prepare for an ILS in the air and it was obviously causing a fair amount of work – you could hear the stress over the radio.
It made me very grateful for the equipment in the Cirrus and all the IR training and practice I’ve had. I called up the approach plates on the MDF (I also had printed copies). I could see where the Class D airspace was and avoided it while I waited to get my call in to Bournemouth. Setting everything up while flying on autopilot and then hand flying the ILS were unstressful, even enjoyable. Such a difference from my first ILS years ago when I was doing my IMC training. I’m not claiming to be a super-pilot (it was hardly challenging) but it’s very satisfying to see the combination of equipment, plane and training turn a stressful situation into a routine one.
Anyhow, back to lunch. I had a Double Baked Emmenthal Soufflé to start and it was decadent and splendid. Aileen had cream of leek and potato soup from the good-value Prix Fixe menu. I had a pasta dish which was tasty but not memorable while Aileen had a delicate portion of fish and chips. No pudding – too full.
The most charming thing about Chewton Glen is the setting. It has lovely gardens and the restaurant looks out onto greenery. The food is pretty good and, thanks to the lunchtime prix fixe menu, good value. It’s easy to get to from Bournemouth by taxi. It took 20m and cost £15-20 each way. The route through the New Forest is more scenic than the faster urban route.
New Milton
Hampshire
BH25 6QS
Tel. 44 (1425) 275341
Fax 44 (1425) 272310
Reservations Direct Line 44 (1425) 282212
US Toll Free Tel. 1 800 344 5087
US Toll Free Fax : 1 800 398 4534
Germany Toll Free Tel. 0800 1 810890
Email: reservations@chewtonglen.com
Website: www.chewtonglen.com
Opening hours: lunch 12.30-1.45, dinner 7-late
Meal for two: £100
Michelin Rating: *
Only eight miles from Bournemouth Airport and surrounded by 900,000 acres of New Forest, Chewton Glen was high on our hit list of Michelin-starred restaurants.
The trip from Denham to Bournemouth took just forty minutes in our plane, a Cirrus SR-22 four-seater. The morning weather was gin-clear – “captain’s weather” – and we had a fine view of the coast as we landed.
A fifteen minute cab ride later and we arrived at The Chewton Glen Hotel and things started to go downhill. We had arrived at the hotel before the restaurant was due to open. A quizzical look and “the lounge is through there,” was all the greeting we got so we carried our coats into the spacious and well-lit room and tried to order some tea.
Our irritation was allayed by the view of manicured grounds bathed in hazy winter sunshine. It is always a relief to swap London life for a moment of Luxe, Calme, et Volupté, even if the “relaxing yuan zhi regenerating body cocoon and massage” offered by the hotel spa didn’t appeal. We prefer calories to callisthenics.
There was an extensive à la carte menu and a three-course prix fixe for reasonable £22.50. Our hundred mile journey demanded something special and both of us chose a cheese soufflé to start. When the soufflés arrived, we caught one another’s eye and grinned as if to say “the journey was worthwhile.” The golden brown top had risen several inches over the rim of the ramekin, and the smell brought to mind Oscar Wilde’s dictum: “I can resist anything, except temptation.”
The main course was less rewarding. Stuart’s Dover sole and Matthew’s grilled sea bass arrived after a noticeable delay. Tidy and properly cooked they were both tasty but the side plate of vegetables looked like something from a school meal. Limp, unappetising and untouched by either of us. On the other hand, the bread was very good, especially one that mixed sweet raisins with sour rosemary and a drop of olive oil.
Matthew was designated pilot for the return journey so Stuart could indulge in a glass of Messieurs Guigal’s light and flowery Condrieu. Matthew thought the bottled mineral water was a fine vintage with a delicate bouquet and a hint of spring meadows.
Turning down a pudding, we were invited to take our coffee in the lounge. It arrived promptly with a choice of truffles. After that we felt like we had been abandoned. In the end Matthew had to order a cab from reception and Stuart went back to the restaurant, credit card in hand to search for the bill. The result was a lengthy delay and a stressful high speed flight back to Denham so that we would land before nightfall.
When reviewing top restaurants, another Wilde quotation seems appropriate: “I have very simple tastes; I am always satisfied with the very best.” Overall, Chewton Glen fell short of this demanding ideal. While the food was good and the soufflé excellent, the overall experience was marred by second-rate service before and after the meal. These lapses are forgivable in the high street but not in a £50-a-head restaurant.
Address: New Milton, Hampshire, BH25 6QS
Tel. (01425) 275341
Fax (01425) 272310
Reservations Direct Line (01425) 282212
US Toll Free Tel. 1 800 344 5087
US Toll Free Fax : 1 800 398 4534
Germany Toll Free Tel. 0800 1 810890
Email: reservations@chewtonglen.com
Website: www.chewtonglen.com
Opening hours: lunch 12.30-1.45, dinner 7-late
Meal for two: £100
Michelin Rating: *
Bournemouth (15m)