THE LOCATION

Tucked away down Tea Garden Lane by the edge of the woods just outside of town, you will find The Beacon. A former family home, set within an elegant Arts & Crafts house, you have the pick of two restaurants, and they have recently added seven stunning individually designed bedrooms. Once you have stepped through its doors and fallen in love with THAT view, there is now no bona fide reason why you should ever leave.

Set within 17 acres of woodland with three beautiful, Victorian spring-fed lakes within the grounds, there are an abundance of walks within the area should you wish to work up an appetite before your meal. Or, like us, you could get completely lured in by the extensive cocktail menu and soak up the great outdoors, safely ensconced within the Garden Bar, with the view right in front of you.

THE LOWDOWN

The Beacon is part of hospitality aficionados, I’ll Be Mother group, renowned for their unique destinations across Kent including, The Swan Wine Kitchen, nestled within the glorious Chapel Down vineyard.

Plus, there is Kingdom, set in a magical 13-acre woodland in Penshurst, where you find a striking wood and glass structure that houses Kingdom café, yoga classes and event space for weddings and parties. These guys sure know how to look after people.

The Beacon is stepped in history having gone through many different reincarnations during its life including a public bath house, a hostel for refugees as well as a pub for the local community but it was more recently, the family home of Pete Cornwell, founder of I’ll Be Mother, and has now been transformed to the stunning restaurant with rooms and wedding venue it is today.

Scott Goss is at the helm, food wise, who trained with Gary Rhodes and has worked at some of the best restaurants in London and Kent, so let’s just say, he knows his way around a kitchen. The team grow many of its own vegetables, herbs and fruit within the grounds and they source everything else as locally as possible, so thankfully, you can be rest assured that the calibre of the food matches the views.

THE VIBE

Yes, we might have mentioned the view, but there is no resting on the laurels here when it comes to the interiors to match that vista. The Beacon have cleverly created two distinctive dining experiences as you have the relaxed Garden Bar downstairs which feels earthy and comfortable, like you are in a Scandi lodge, with cosy nooks and white faux fur rugs thrown over chairs, with a more informal menu to match.

With expansive sweeping views, and the sun pouring through the windows, you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re on holiday. This is still England, so if the weather allows, you can dine out on the terrace and take in those rays in the fresh air. This is where to go in Springtime with swathes of bluebells and foxgloves beneath you.

It’s the kind of place where you could turn up for an impromptu girls’ lunch, a pit-stop coffee during a dog-walk, host a breakfast meeting or just toast the end of the day with one of their cocktails. The team are hugely friendly (special shout out to Chloe who was only a month into the job and super enthusiastic and passionate about her new role) and accommodating so don’t feel that The Beacon is only reserved for those special occasions.

The Hearth dining room upstairs, is a more seductive and glamorous affair with an ornate stained-glass window at the heart of proceedings. There is an element of an old-school gentlemen’s club with Chesterfield chairs dotted around, a roaring fire and wine cellar on display in the sitting area where I can only imagine a few digestifs are taken at the end of the night.

If you are looking for full-on romance, the candlelit dining area, with the view (had we mentioned The Beacon has a nice view?) in front of you is just the ticket. And if you are after a full-on foodie experience, this is where you need to be.

SCOFF AND QUAFF

We could talk you through our seven-course tasting menu or we could just tell you to go and sample if all for yourself as there were so many dishes to marvel over. We opted for the Vegetarian and Meat tasting menus to ensure no stone was left unturned in our sampling and prevent any food envy. Should you wish not to go the whole hog, there is also the A La Carte menu with two courses @ £45 and three courses @ £55, including some of the dishes you would find on the tasting menu so no FOMO.

We loved the foodie theatre of the Afternoon Tea with a tomato consommé served in a very dainty tea cup alongside canapes – the mismatched plates is another nice touch at The Hearth as it feels that you have stepped into someone’s very smart dining room rather than a stiff restaurant environment coupled with the candlelit tables – it’s all hugely homely and atmospheric.

Other foodie highlights included the Romney Lamb with Jerusalem Artichoke, Smoked Potato & Glazed Shoulder and Hispi Cabbage with Miso & King Oyster – the food portions were excellent so you did not leave the table feeling overwhelmed by the experience.

We love the idea of Host a Roast where you can gather friends and family for a group roast in one of their private dining rooms. Prices start from £38.50 per head including lip-smacking dishes like Cotswold White Chicken & Burnt Lemon, Roasted Romney Leg of Lamb & Mint Caper sauce and Roast Orchard Farm Pork Loin & Burnt Apple Sauce plus a seasonal pudding.

Do take children to the Garden Bar as they have a simple but great Kids Menu for £12 to include Sausages, Wedges & Greens or Cod, New Potatoes & Greens with Vanilla Ice Cream & Honeycomb or Chocolate Brownie to follow.

Make sure you linger over a cocktail or two as they are seriously good in this department, and it can be hard to find London-worthy cocktails in Kent. On our visit, their staff were being trained in the art of cocktail making so you can put the team through their paces. Pisco Sours come with our wholehearted recommendation as well their innovative signature cocktails such as the Tortoise & The Hare which is a concoction of homemade three-year Sloe Gin with spiced pear shrub, fresh lemon juice topped with soda. Yes, it seems cocktail sampling is a really good way to spend a wet and windy afternoon.

Wine lovers are also well catered for with a very comprehensive wine list, with lots of price options too so whether you are after an easy-drinking white or a rich and bold Burgundy, you are in safe hands. We would have liked to have seen more Kent wines within the mix especially as we have so many fantastic producers on our doorstep.

PILLOW TALK

We urge you to stay the night. And since all seven of the bedrooms have been individually decorated – you really should stay at least seven times in your lifetime so you can soak up the setting of each room. Local interior agency, SGS Designs, were given the brief to create a unique look for each of the rooms inspired by the beauty of nature which surrounds the house.

Well reader, they nailed it.

Each room is opulent and decadent with its own personality stamp and rich colour details. The bathrooms deserve an Instagram page of their own as they are all eclectic with mixed textures and materials.

Yet it all feels very welcoming (Roberts Radios are playing classical music in each room as you enter), homemade warm mini muffins are there to greet you and no expense has been spared when it comes to the bed linen and soft furnishings. In fact, it made me want to go home and update my bedroom situation immediately.

The inside of the rooms cleverly draws the outside in with canny use of wallpaper and colours, not least helped by the fact that all the rooms are named after the Flower Fairies – a mystical and magical theme that surrounds the wonder of the place.

Our bedroom for the night, Yarrow overlooked the Valley, with a Super King Bed, Private En-Suite and the piece de resistance being a Round Copper Bathtub in the Princess Turret Window. I cannot think of a bath that I have had the pleasure of reclining in that surpasses that view.

For the ultimate love-in and where they send their honeymooners, you should know about The Summer House, perched just below the house on the edge of Happy Valley, providing the most undeniably stunning views across the Kent Countryside. Full of rustic reclaimed texture and cosy furnishings, guests can squirrel themselves away with a walk-in Rainfall shower and bathtub on the terrace.

Make sure you leave room for breakfast with healthy options available such as Porridge with Lam Honey & Mixed Berries or Meadow Honey & Cultured Yoghurt with Granola and Berry Compote) or you can just go for their Beacon Breakfast with Sausage, Pancetta, Black Pudding, Fried Egg, Potato Rosti and Field Mushrooms. As it’s a bijou type of place, there is no breakfast buffet, so it is all individually served and prepared just for you.

WEDDINGS

Not only a picture postcard of whimsical, rustic romance, The Beacon is also the ultimate party house, as you can have exclusive-use wedding of feasting, celebrations, and fun. We saw wedding guests making the most of the private dining room in the house for the rehearsal dinner the night before, which worked well as a more intimate setting, ahead of the big bash the next day. Plus, it also works rather neatly as a prep studio the following morning for the bride and bridesmaids to get ready together.

The big ‘I do’ takes place in the gardens within an amphitheatre so there is tiered seating with everyone having a bird’s eye view of the ceremony, before guests are led onto Grand Pavilion Marquee (high season only) for the wedding reception – capacity for 150 guests we are told. With all the hidden nooks in the gardens and house, there is no shortage of stunning backdrops for your photos.

It comes as no surprise that Muddy readers have voted for The Beacon as Best Wedding Venue in Kent time and time again.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Keep your wits about you here as you never know who your fellow diners might be, as Oscar-winning actress, Cate Blanchett and Lord of the Rings director, Peter Jackson, have been spotted frequenting The Beacon of late so you are in esteemed company.

As you can imagine from such a creative team, they are constantly conjuring up plenty of innovative ideas about how to keep luring their customers back so SUP Yoga on their own private lake at The Beacon has been a recent addition to the event calendar so watch this space for more lake-based activities including wild swimming.

There are also whispers of a massage hut coming to the gardens of The Beacon which would cement another reason for us to sprint back to The Beacon. Slip in a woodland sauna, and we’ll just have to move in.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR? You name it – date night, special birthdays, girls’ lunches, brunch meetings, dog walks, Sunday roasts, and THE place for a party – wedding or a big birthday.

NOT FOR? Overnight family stays – this place screams romance (since there are no twin beds either) so ditch the mates and the ankle-biters, grab your loved one and start running that rolltop bath. NOW.

THE DAMAGE

The Feed Me Menu costs £75 per person or you can opt for the Two-Course meal at £45 or Three-Courses at £55.

Bedrooms at The Beacon starts from £150 per night with prices less during the week so do keep an eye out for their very enticing mid-week Dinner, Bed & Breakfast deals.

Tea Garden Lane, Royal Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9JH, the-beacon.co.uk, hello@the-beacon.co.uk, 01892 524252

Stay, savour and soak in the views! Read our review of The Beacon in Tunbridge Wells

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