The Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa – a Destination Defined by Experience

Food & Drink, Travel

Posted on November 8, 2022

I do love my job! Never more so when the editor calls to ask if I would like to check out a new dining experience that is almost on my doorstep.

Last night I found myself pulling into the car park of The Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa, north of Skipton in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

For me and my family this route takes us to Settle, Giggleswick (where I once worked), Kendal, the Lake District and beyond so not only have I driven passed this spot on many occasions we have often called in and occasionally stayed over! For clarity this is the Coniston Estate in Yorkshire and is not in Coniston in the Lake District.

In the mid to late 1990’s the hotel was just a dream and a work in progress for owners, the Bannister family, who bought the estate in 1969. We used to stop off to have tea and a homemade scone and shop in the estate farm shop which stocked locally sourced and farmed produce. As one example we bought the most incredible Venison steaks from here way back in 1999 and entertained friends and family at home as one millennium ended and another one began. The shop no longer exists, although I believe plans may be afoot (she said hopefully) to bring it back. What does exist is an incredible success story of vision, big thinking and a large slice of heaven in the Yorkshire Dales.

The Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa — Deana

The hotel opened its doors in the late 1990s and has grown to become a tour de force in the hospitality industry. There’s a beautiful, state of the art spa, fine dining, wedding and conferencing facilities, bars, lounges, restaurants and a very warm welcome. With walking, fishing, archery, shooting and the Land Rover experience all within the estate boundaries, there’s lots to do once you’ve parked up. Of course, you can choose to simply cosy up by one of many fireplaces and read, snooze or just while away the hours.

It has been heart-warming to see the progress this place has made in the last thirty years and personally, we have attended family weddings, getaways, spa days and just a quick stop for a cuppa or a bite en route to the Lakes. Every time we visit there are yet more developments and improvements, in fact The Coniston emerged from lockdown with a seven-figure development plan in place, works underway and the final stages of the refurbished banquet suite take place before Christmas 2022. Owner/Director Nick Bannister has not pulled his punches and it’s fair to say The Coniston is a force to be reckoned with.

Part of Nick’s vision is to signpost the newly refurbished ‘The View’restaurant as a destination fine dining experience and so myself and husband Graham went along to a sumptuous preview of what’s on offer. Seated with Nick last night I witnessed a man who is on first name terms with the entire staff at The Coniston and to him they are like family. He’s justly proud of his staff retention records and this feeling of togetherness and ‘team’ came across so strong. The service was relaxed, efficient, not overly fussy, unobtrusive and struck a perfect balance which brings us very conveniently to the food.

Head chef, Thomas Robertson, has been promoted from within, having previously headed up the food offering in the spa which stands independently from the hotel. With seventeen years in the industry and a fair chunk of that in one and two Michelin star eateries in London, this young man is relishing (pun intended) his newfound headship in The Coniston’s kitchens. The food was – one word – sublime. I could dissect every dish for you, but I won’t. Trust me, every dish delivered what it said on the tin and just when we thought we were replete Thomas brought out petit fours to have with coffee and we happily made room for more. Two choices; White Chocolate Ganache, with toffee popcorn and/or Hazelnut Praline on a biscuity crumb . . . heavenly! We had both.

So, I’m going to list the menu below and we sampled accompanying wines selected by Food & Beverage Manager, Katherine Renhard Buckley-Wood, whoassembled a wonderful wine complement to the food choices, and I must give special mention to mixologist Cameronwho served our pre-dinner cocktail ‘Coniston’s Autumn Apple’. He chatted away to us and added to the warm welcome. The cocktail is made with Winter Cotton Gin from a distillery just a stone’s throw from the estate called Otterbeck Distillery, located in the village of Bell Busk. This delicious gin was teamed with apple purée and a spicey, cinnamon kick. Sitting by the fire in the lounge, this got us off to a terrific start.

The favourite dish of the evening was Ox Cheekand apparently that is Thomas’ favourite too but without exception everyone loved every single thing!

It is fair to say we really did not want to leave. How I wish we had booked a room. It would have been our third stay here even though we only live a 30-minute drive away. Other guests were talking of an early wake up call to see the daybreak from a much sought-after spot in the brand new, heated, outdoor infinity pool in the Nädarra Spa, which also overlooks the fishing lake and a fair chunk of the estate itself. So now I am tasked with organising a family trip back to The Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa in the Spring. Mother’s Day here will be glorious. I know the family friendly staff will be more than ready for ‘family Morgan’ to descend and we cannot wait.

In conclusion, I can only imagine the conversation with the agent who handled the purchase of the estate in 1969 “well, it has enormous potential . . . ” and over a half century later the full potential is nearing completion. Well, that is until Mr Bannister sets his sights on the next development, restoring the former walled garden to its full Victorian splendour. This man is unstoppable and long may that continue.

What we had:

Starters