Unquestionably one of the standout events in the North East's music calendar is the Hardwick Festival. The two day music festival takes place annually on the site of the sprawling 120 acre Hardwick Hall estate and in recent years has hosted the likes of Stereophonics, The Specials and Nile Rodgers & Chic.
We had the pleasure of attending this year and vowed to return to sample the hotel itself, which operates as a four star luxury retreat all year round.
My girlfriend Rosie’s birthday presented the perfect opportunity to do just that, so we booked in for all Hardwick Hall has to offer, namely 50 deluxe bedrooms and a flagship inhouse eatery ‘The Rib Room’.
Located just off the A1 at Sedgefield, the hotel is easily accessible. Its meandering driveway stirs a real sense of expectation, whilst on-site the hotel overlooking lake and surrounding parkland creates a stunning pastoral scene. We were checked in cheerily on arrival and directed to our premier room. This was a picture of contemporary elegance by way of Ancient Greece, with a show-stopping, pillared fourposter bed the centrepiece of the room.
Elsewhere, the individually designed room was decked out in the boutique style with modern amenities including a 50” plasma screen TV will Sky box, tea & coffee making facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi. The only real conundrum proved to be whether to have a blast in the room’s walk-in jet shower or a soak in the deep, free-standing bath before changing for dinner. Dining is a top priority at Hardwick Hall with dedicated restaurant ‘The Rib Room’ offering a comprehensive steakhouse style menu with many modern inflections. Readers may be familiar with the Rib Room concept from sistervenue Ramside Hall and this is similarly open to guests and day visitors alike.
Set down in the cellar, the restaurant packs character in abundance and we were seated in a cosy alcove lined with wine bottles. Speaking of the good stuff, the Rib Room offers a pleasing selection of libations with a steak-friendly Malbec catching our eye from an impressive wine list. We sipped on this whilst tucking into some doorstep sourdough and verdant green olives whilst looking over an enticing menu. Kicking off, Rosie chose the blue cheese and leek tart, presented with real panache with an artful slick of beetroot. I chose the garlic & chilli king prawns, singing with sweet lemon zest. Following on, Rosie opted for the wild mushroom & truffle gnocchi which she declared one of the best she’d had in recent times whilst I tucked into the house speciality 8oz fillet steak with all the trimmings.
Hellbent on squeezing the last drops out of Rosie’s birthday, we lingered into the night over coffee and liquors in the Hardwick Lounge, a sumptuous space all polished oak and chrome. The following morning, we rose early for a bracing walk around the grounds before breakfasting regally on eggs benedict and eggs Florentine respectively. Heading for the hills, we reflected on a fantastic stay entirely befitting of the special occasion.
On this visit, it would be the hotel assuming centre stage!