I freely confess I do not really have that much experience of the whole Bed & Breakfast "scene". This isn't really conscious, it is just an area of the hospitality world I haven't really been exposed to that much, as growing up and even now hotels and the odd tent have been much more prominent (read into that whatever you will).
However, allow me to tell you the tale of Ashfield House, a charming B&B in the equally charming village of Grassington in North Yorkshire. As first (or at least first for a long long time) impressions of a B&B go, for me this could have been a lot worse. As it is, Ashfield House provided a unique, highly hospitable, greatly atmospheric, wonderfully catered evening for me and mine during a recent visit.
Their mantra is heavily publicized as being "There are no strangers here but friends we are yet to meet." This kind of saying immediately sets it apart from the 'bog standard' B&B you might find in a coastal town or tourist-heavy attraction, though not necessarily for the right reasons. To me, seeing something like that leads me to expect, more often than not, people who may try hard but still end up falling into a chasm of predictability and cliched idioms. This time though, how wrong could I have been? Run by Joe and Elizabeth, the former Maltese and the latter American, and with a staff team ranging in origin from Polish to Ecuadorian (again a potential stereotype possibly) their mantra and way of living and working really does hit home when you enter the place.
The results of all their tireless effort and dedication, along with all their obvious and subtle changes and touches, is quite difficult to explain, but I will say it was pretty excellent throughout. As a guest, either of board and lodgings or just dinner as we were, you are welcomed from the start. Throughout our time there, after being welcomed, we were attended to and monitored almost constantly, but not in an annoying obtrusive way, but subtly, helpfully and hospitably. The restaurant area of Ashfield House is a fairly small and modest affair, but again that just adds to its never-ending charm. The perhaps rustic and home-grown/home-made fare is wonderful to read as it is to consume. My selections included a divine onion soup, a perfectly seared steak, and a remarkable home-spun rhubarb and apple crumble. Again; all wonderful to behold, and all presented to us by a team of fastidious, polite and passionate people to a man.
Whether you are a B&B regular, or a newbie to the game, or just simply in search of a welcoming venue for a night, I guarantee that Ashfield House will not disappoint. For me, it is a true gem, glistening brightly in the marvelous county that is Yorkshire.
2 comments:
Congratulations, this is a very objective and comprehensive review. You are so right first impressions are very important. Even more important are the expectations that these impressions build within a guest, and their fulfilment.
The target here is for them to score 5 stars, where could they improve so that they can achieve a 5* score?
Loved it.
Thank you very much! Comments are always appreciated!
Whilst my experience at Ashfield House was rather excellent, as detailed above, I did not experience all it had to offer upon the occasion in question as I was only there for an evening for dinner primarily. I did not get to see first hand what the "Bed and Breakfast" side of Ashfield House had to offer, but from speaking to other guests and observing the publicized materials, the board and lodgings looked very good too. If I were to return, and experience "the full package" as it were, I would like to think that the experience would be just as individually pleasing as my last visit, and perhaps it would go on to garner a 5 * review!
Many thanks again for your comments!
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