The Royal Berkshire Hotel has got some serious heritage: the original house was built in 1705 for Sir Robert Walpole’s daughter, Lady Mary, and her husband, Charles Churchill. At the beginning of the twentieth century it was owned by Colonel Sir James Horlick and after that spent some years as a school for the visually impaired, before becoming a hotel in the 1970s. Just over the road is the famous Tittenhurst Estate, once home to John Lennon and Yoko One, and bought by Ringo Starr and his family in 1973. I like to imagine those first hotel guests amazed to discover they were breathing the same air as a bone fide Beatle.
Today, visitors will find a red-bricked Queen Anne mansion, set in its own beautifully maintained grounds which have been thoughtfully landscaped for the pleasure of all residents (including canine guests). This is a space for enjoyment: within the 15 acres, in addition to a variety of garden games, we discovered a rose garden, a pond (once an open-air swimming pool), woodlands, tennis courts, an intriguing pet cemetery, and even a converted horse box with ice creams on hot days. Further, this summer the hotel is hosting outdoor cinema nights on the glorious green lawns. If you are more spectator than participant, you can take pleasure in people-watching from the large sunny terrace. And, on grey days or cooler nights, the charming wood-panelled Polo Club bar is a grand yet inviting spot for an aperitif, a digestif, or afternoon tea. All of which is perfectly in keeping with the Royal Berkshire’s pledge to be “a place you can make your own”.
We arrived on a Friday evening and were directed to our room on the first floor which had large sash windows on two sides, so our view was green trees and lawn. Blissful. The high-ceilinged space was generous, and tastefully decorated in soft muted pastels and the bed was large and comfortable. There is real thought which has gone into making the rooms homely yet luxurious. We were touched to find a hand-written welcome note and equally delighted by the Ridgeview English sparkling wine which had been left in the ice bucket. Bathroom goodies were by Molton Brown, tea and coffee were freely provided with decaff options and the milk was fresh. Huge ticks all round. They even had gluten-free as well as standard shortbread cookies. Not that these got a look-in, as we headed down to the restaurant for dinner.
The laid-back welcoming feel continued downstairs, with a menu filled with crowd-pleasing, unpretentious options: snacks and starters include sticky pork belly bites, tikka celeriac skewers, smoked duck breast, and gin cured salmon with beetroot tartare. The mains ranged from grilled chicken, sea bass, and braised butternut squash to the naughtily indulgent Royal Berkshire burger (stuffed with cheese, bacon and house relish), a yummy-sounding veggie option, with sweet potato, chickpea, pumpkin and fetta, fish and chips and chicken Caesar salad. Something for everyone. Chips are freshly made and triple cooked, and the presentation is beautiful. The wait staff were friendly, and service was really well paced. Desserts were suitable sinful, as they should be. We opted for a pretty blueberry cheesecake and an indulgent coffee opera, served with salted caramel ice cream.
Having thoroughly stuffed ourselves, we wandered outside for a moon-lit game of draughts on the lawn before heading upstairs for a great night’s sleep.
The following morning we were back at Fork for the buffet-style breakfast and again, attention to detail was apparent. We had the choice of fresh fruit and juices, granola, seeds, cereals, pastries, breads and slices of cheese and ham, but the hot food beckoned. After declaring that neither of us could even think about a cooked breakfast, as soon as we saw the fat, sizzling sausages on their tray, crispy hash browns and creamy scrambled eggs, scattered with fresh chives we started filling out plates. Filter coffee was brought to our table, and the pot was refreshed more than once.
As part of our visit, we were booked in for Afternoon Tea later that day, so we had a few hours to kill (and food to digest). There are plenty of things to do in the local area. It is ideally placed for the races, just a couple of miles from Ascot, and Legoland, Lapland and Chessington are all just a short drive away, as is a choice of golf clubs. Nature enthusiasts should head to The Savill Garden (highly recommended) or even Virgina Water and then, of course, there is Windsor with its busy streets, historic castle and Great Park. We headed there and enjoyed walking off our breakfast by wandering over the river to Windsor to gawp at Eton College.
When we returned to the hotel we were welcomed back as old friends and soon settled in for Afternoon Tea (it deserves capital letters). Although I went with my usual Earl Grey and my plus one opted for the classic English Breakfast, there was an interesting variety of herbal teas on offer plus a wide range of coffee options. We started with a glass of fizz before our teapots arrived, and we went through the pas de deux of rearranging the table to accommodate the magnificent-tiered platter of delicacies. Savouries included a warm slice of sausage roll and finger sandwiches thickly filled with ham and rocket, cheese and onion, smoked salmon with cream cheese and cucumber, and a superb egg mayonnaise.
We were offered a refill of sandwiches, but our eyes had already travelled to the middle layer with its knobbly scones (plain and fruit). These were exemplary. Regular readers will know I have a thing for scones, and these were among the best I’ve ever had. Crisp shells, light fluffy interiors and a good, decent amount of thick clotted cream and jam with which to smother them. Perfection. Normally by this point in the proceedings, I must confess I slightly lose interest as I’m less of a patisserie queen, but this is clearly where the kitchen excels. The treats both looked and tasted exquisite: a bijou ceramic dish of orange infused rice pudding, topped with a raspberry crisp; a cocoa-rich madeleine, covered in nut-speckled chocolate and encasing a blob of passion fruit cream; a pretty flower-topped tart filled with Baileys cream, rather than the usual lemon; and my favourite, a creamy apricot and almond slice of sponge, mousse and confit, topped by whole caramelised almonds. I have to admit, I am still astonished at how much we managed to eat before succumbing to the thoughtful offer of boxes to take the remainder home and this was purely due to the quality of the bakes – we just couldn’t resist them.
That said, I shouldn’t underestimate the charm of spending time at The Royal Berkshire, which, I’m sure, played no small part in our reluctance to leave…
The Royal Berkshire Hotel, Ascot, are offering 20% off summer stays. For more information and bookings, visit exclusive.co.uk/royal-berkshire
