I had not been to Leeds for over thirty years and was looking to explore this stunning Yorkshire city with new eyes. I had spent much of the day driving across the county from the north coast and was feeling very tired and stressful when I arrived at Weetwood Hall, so I was eagerly looking forward to spending a couple of days, at this beautiful 4-star hotel and conference centre. I soon started to relax and was looking forward to a glass or two of fine wine, a tasty meal and comfortable room, in which to rest my weary mind & body. I was not going to be disappointed!

Driving in to the city from the north, I had passed through the suburb of Alwoodley, an affluent suburb of the city. Leeds is served by five universities and has the fourth largest student population in the country. it is a fantastic city to visit, study and work, with plenty of vintage shops, smart cafes, trendy jazz bars, cool wine bars and cocktail venues, and a plethora of fine restaurants.

It was a lovely sunny day when my wife & I arrived at Weetwood Hall, so after effortlessly checking into our room, we decided to go down to The Stables Pub: Weetwood Hall’s very own onsite pub. Located at the back of the hotel & facing on to a cobbled courtyard with plenty of outdoor seating, it was the perfect setting for a warm spring afternoon to relax.

The Stables has plenty of character and appeared to be the hub of entertainment, there were several people watching Premier league football on the pubs screens and lots of screaming children, having a great time running around playing, out in the courtyard, whilst their parents enjoyed some light refreshments. The Stables streams all large sporting events live on multiple TVs and organises a variety of seasonal events. I could clearly see that the Stables Pub and outdoor courtyard is ideal for private events including birthday parties, christenings, baby showers and anniversaries. The Stables is a perfect place to hang out with friends over a pint of traditional English beer, a choice of Yorkshire craft ales or a glass of Yorkshire gin. Once rested and refreshed we went back to our room to unpack, shower and prepare for our evening meal in the hotel’s restaurant, Convive.

I would be staying at Weetwood Hall, a beautiful 4-star hotel and conference centre, dating back to 1540, set within nine acres of beautiful woodlands and gardens, a fifteen-minute drive outside of Leeds city centre and a 10-minute drive from Leeds Bradford Airport. The hotel has 114 en-suite bedrooms with six styles of accommodation, including family-friendly rooms, four-poster feature bedrooms, and superior double bedrooms and the stylish feature bedrooms in the 17th Century Jacobean Manor House. All of the contemporary bedrooms feature, a flat-screen TV, a work desk & free Wi-Fi access.

Our Room: Our spacious feature bedroom was a very peaceful and comfortable room with a king-sized bed, two armchairs with a table and dressing table with a chair. The décor was tasteful, traditional, and beautifully appointed. Two of the walls included large bright windows providing an unimpeded view out over the open gardens & woodland. The room included a wide range of tea sachets and coffee making facilities with a smart Nespresso coffee machine, a couple of Yorkshire biscuits, a Hairdryer, Flat screen Television with Sky Sports & Video Cast, a much appreciated safe and most impressive of all, a large state of the art Ensuite bathroom with bath and shower complete with bath robes, large fluffy towels, and luxury toiletries.

There is plenty of complimentary parking at Weetwood Hall, which is not always the case at many hotels in the city and there are two electric vehicle charging points, opposite the main hotel reception entrance & the Woodlands Restaurant serves a hot and cold buffet breakfast each morning.

“My definition of a good hotel is a place I’d stay at.”

Robert De Niro

Convive Restaurant: A modern, elegant yet informal, on -site restaurant specialising in Yorkshire based dishes and a locally sourced modern British menu. The restaurant is open for hotel guests, non – hotel visitors and visiting diners for morning coffee & traditional afternoon tea, right through to dinner and drinks in the evening. The restaurant source local ingredients from within the county, whenever they can, and always provide freshly prepared meals. There are many classic dishes on the extensive menu including Yorkshire Beer Battered Fish & Chips, Double Bacon Cheeseburger, Daube of Yorkshire Beef, Whitby Cod Loin, Masham Pork Belly and Satay Cauliflower Steak.  There are healthy food options too and a choice of sandwich fillings & Pizzas. Starters range from Gressingham Duck Parfait, Home smoked salmon and Glazed Pigs Cheek & a Charcuterie Board with a selection of four Yorkshire cheeses (Wensleydale, Swaledale, Barncliffe Brie & Yorkshire Dama Cheese) a selection of Lishman`s charcuterie meats, pickles, local chutneys & toasted bloomer to a lip-smacking selection of desserts including Yorkshire Parkin, Pistachio & Raspberry Tart or Pear & Yorkshire Tea Mille Feuille.

The three course Sunday lunch is very popular with hotel guests, friends & family groups. Their Afternoon Tea includes a selection of finger sandwiches filled with Yorkshire smoked salmon, Roast Yorkshire beef, Wensleydale Mature Cheddar and traditional Free range Coronation chicken. The afternoon tea is rounded off with freshly baked fruit scones, clotted cream & strawberry jam, Pork & Fennell sausage rolls, macaroni & cheese croquette, Shepherd’s Pie Bon Bons, raspberry mini trifles, chocolate mousse, Yorkshire parkin, churros with a rich chocolate sauce and lashings of as much Hebden loose leaf Tea or freshly ground coffee, as you can drink! Convive also offers a full vegan, vegetarian & gluten free options, on request! What a way to spend the afternoon!

Convive is open to members of the public as well as guests of the hotel. The All-Day Menu is served Monday to Saturday from 12pm. The three course Sunday lunch is served every Sunday from 12pm until 9.30pm. Chefs at the restaurant focus on creating diverse, flavour driven menus to cater for all tastes and occasions, using local sourced ingredients.

The waiting staff at the reception, bar & restaurant were superb. Not only were they extremely professional & patient when we were contemplating the menu or had questions to ask of them, but they also engaged my wife & I in genuine conversation and offered suggestions on which wine to choose to complement our meal & even had the courtesy to laugh at my jokes!

Convive = noun: a fellow banqueter or feaster : a comrade at table

Our Food:

Starters:

  1. Ribblesdale Goats Cheese Crostini garnished with grapes & Autumn truffle. A tasty bitesize starter with a crustini bread base topped with creamy Goats Cheese & small cut pieces of grapes & Autumn truffle. Delicious!
  2. Harewood Estate Venison Faggot with Beef Fat Braised Cabbage & Red Wine Jus.

Mains:

  1. Twelve Hour Leeds Beef Bourguignon: Slow cooked with local Yorkshire Ale, bacon, carrots, onions and mushrooms, topped off with a succulent crunchy Thyme Dumpling! This classic French stew was served with a separate bowl of fresh seasonal vegetables & potato mash. The rich red wine sauce completed a stunning main course.
  2. Nidderdale Lamb Rump: Spiced with cumin & coriander,  served with potato fondant & small florets of cauliflower. Beautifully cooked & presented pieces of succulent lamb and delicately spiced cauliflower, giving the vegetable a hint of the east. The fondant potato was simply delicious too with a rich sauce blending the whole dish together, perfectly!

Desserts:

  • Traditional Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice Cream & Raspberries.
  • Pear & Yorkshire Tea Feuille with Vanilla & Pear Ice Cream.

Both desserts hit the spot and looked terrific, the perfect conclusion to a wonderful meal. I am a great believer that we eat with our eyes and the beautiful presentation of all dishes, only reinforced that belief. Our dining experience in the Convive restaurant was very good, not least because of the staff who were all exceptionally welcoming and helpful with humour & genuine conversation. The Award-winning food combined with the personal and attentive service helped create a superb dining experience. I must admit to trying some of my wife’s meal too and I thought both were beautifully cooked and presented to the table.

Wine: The wine list was extensive, but we soon settled on a bottle La Colonia: Malbec – Argentinian – Red being our wine of choice. A sweet & spicy aroma of black pepper & a lingering taste of ripe red fruit, smooth texture, and a harmonious finish. Just perfect! Interest in Argentinian Malbec is at an all-time high at the present time and this bottle did not disappoint. Malbec has become synonymous with delivering the Argentinian soul straight to your glass. Vibrant red in colour, it presents smooth, ripe, succulent fresh aromas to the palate, when drinking. The label describes it as the perfect partner in which to dance the night away! My wife and I were not quite ready to do that, but I am quite sure there are many places in Leeds for those who wish to do so!

Our dining experience was one to remember, not least because of the staff who were all exceptionally welcoming and helpful. The Award-winning food combined with personal and attentive service helped create a superb dining experience.

Breakfast: The 5* Breakfast was well worth getting up for too as there was a wide selection of cereal, fresh fruit, various conserves, pain au chocolate, toasts and smoked salmon as well as the traditional full English cooked breakfast or other cooked options. I opted for the Cooked Yorkshire Breakfast: Dry Cured Grilled Back Bacon, Pork Sausages, Black Pudding, Heinz Baked Beans, Local Button Mushrooms & Hash Brown’s. We also enjoyed lashings of as much Hot Tea as we could handle which ensured it was a great way to start our day.

I still enjoy travelling a lot. I mean, it amazes me that I still get excited in hotel rooms just to see what kind of shampoo they’ve left me.

Bill Bryson

With arts, family attractions, delicious local cuisine, thriving markets and much, much more, there’s plenty more to do for everyone when staying at Weetwood Hall Estate in Headingley.

So, what can you expect when you visit Weetwood Hall Hotel ?

I would not hesitate to recommend Weetwood Hall Hotel if you are planning to visit Leeds and/or the Yorkshire Dales or simply passing through Leeds. Why not stop and experience their superb food and hospitality. The overall Weetwood Hall Hotel experience was extremely enjoyable and satisfying. All of the staff whether on reception, serving at table or in the Stables Pub presented a smart, professional, and efficient service. The pub offers excellent overnight accommodation options, superb restaurant meals and excellent table service in a glorious city location.

The best of Leeds can’t be seen in a day so why not stay over in the city for a few days, which is exactly what I did by staying at the stunning Weetwood Hall. The hotel was the perfect base from which to explore and enjoy the history, culture, and entertainment that the city offers.

I would urge you to check out Weetwood Hall Hotel at the earliest opportunity. You will not be disappointed!

Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of Weetwood Hall. The views and comments expressed are as usual my own.

Did You Know?

Loiner is a demonym, describing the citizens of Leeds.

In the 19th century, Leeds became a powerhouse of industry, particularly known for its textile mills, factories, and warehouses, which drove economic growth and earned it the moniker “The Workshop of the World”. Today, Leeds is the third largest City in England, after London and Birmingham.

Leeds is a popular retail destination, where big brands meet Victorian arcades, a shopper’s paradise, with a range of shopping destinations, from high-end boutiques to bustling markets, the elegant Victoria Quarter, Victoria Gate & Trinity Leeds, the city’s largest shopping centre. The historic Kirkgate Market, which includes hundreds of indoor and outdoor stalls, is a particular favourite of mine, is a testament to its industrial past, designed by Joseph Paxton, who was also responsible for the iconic Crystal Palace in London.

The city is a host to many international sporting events, colourful carnivals, and a packed calendar of festivals and events such as the Leeds International Film Festival and the Leeds Festival, a major music event which attracts thousands of visitors, and its West Indian Carnival, a celebration of Caribbean culture, music, and heritage.

A skyline is filled with breathtaking architecture, and is easily accessible by road, rail, and air.  Situated on the south bank of the River Aire, the Royal Armouries houses the national collection of arms and artillery and across the river, the redeveloped industrial area around Call Lane is famed for modern lively bars and live music venues, under converted railway arches.

Leeds has a strong sporting heritage, Leeds United F. C at Elland Road, Headingley Stadium, home to Yorkshire County Cricket and England Test matches & Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club, Leeds Tykes Rugby Union at The Sycamores, Bramhope and the HQ of the Rugby Football League is also based in Leeds. For those visitors wanting to explore outside of the city, attractions include Harewood House, one of our finest country estates, Temple Newsam, a Grade 1 listed Tudor – Jacobean Historic House & estate, Headingley Stadium,  the spa town of Harrogate, RHS Garden Harlow Carr and the historic city of York. For the more adventurous guests, you will find easy access to The North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales, which are ideal for walking or cycling.