ABRM Events at Eynsham Hall
STOP PRESS
We very much regret to report that the cheese tasting lunch has had to be cancelled. All the other events will be taking place as planned.
Say Cheese! - In rural Oxfordshire 5-6th June 2014
With a wine-tasting dinner, and a private tour of a Jacobean Mansion
All members are invited to join us at Grade II listed Eynsham Hall Hotel, nr. Witney, Oxfordshire on Thursday 5th June 2014 for a special series of events to frame the Annual Branch Representatives Meeting.
Starting with a cheese and wine tasting lunch - led by renowned British cheese expert and promoter of artisan cheese, Juliet Harbutt, we will then hold the Annual Branch Representatives Meeting followed by a three course wine tasting dinner with locally sourced produce and wines which we aim will complement and challenge. Staying overnight, we have secured a privileged private guided tour to Jacobean Rousham Hall on the morning of Friday 6th June.
You may choose to join the party for the whole programme or just part of it.
Eynsham Hall is a Grade II listed building set in 47 acres of gardens and parkland. Guest accommodation is available both in the hall itself, on the first and second floors, and in the adjoining modern annexe which is perfect for those with limited mobility. Spa and gym facilities are also available within the grounds. Please book overnight accommodation directly with the hotel on http://www.eynshamhall.com or t: 01993 885 200 but please mention IWFS when doing so.
Eynsham Hall is situated north west of Oxford, just off the A4095 between Witney and North Leigh and close to Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. Please note that the hotel is not in Eynsham Village. It is accessible by rail. The nearest station is Hanborough some 2 miles away which is on the main London (Paddington) to Hereford line. We can give you the telephone number of a local taxi service to bring you from the station, if you prefer to travel by train. For those of you wishing to stay for longer we recommend Trip Advisor's Oxford attractions website. There is plenty to do in the immediate area.
Events kick off at 1200 with a special cheese and wine tasting lunch, led by renowned British cheese expert Juliet Harbutt. In 1994 Juliet founded the British Cheese Awards, a competition with which she is still associated, to promote British Artisan Cheese. Over lunch, which will be served with a variety of salads and breads, she will introduce us to some of her favourite cheeses and explore the relationship between wine and cheese. A fruity dessert and tea or coffee will round off the meal.
Following lunch, the Annual Branch Representatives Meeting will take place at 1500 hrs. All members are welcome to attend this meeting although only Branch Representatives (up to two per branch) may vote. We hope that many of you will take this opportunity to find out more about what IWFS does beyond your Branch and help us set priorities for the future. Formal notice for this event will be sent out, as usual, later in the year. To encourage more Branches to attend this meeting we are offering a rebate of £20.00 for any Branch Chairman and/or Branch Representative attending. This will be paid to the Branch after the event.
At 1900 hrs we will meet for a three-course wine-tasting dinner prepared by Eynsham's staff who pride themselves on working with locally sourced ingredients to create menus offering a real taste of Oxfordshire. The wines will be chosen by us to complement the meal and, perhaps, challenge your preconceptions.
Our third event takes place the following morning on Friday 6th June. We have arranged a private guided tour ofthe Jacobean mansion Rousham Hall, just 12 miles from Eynsham, at 10.45. The garden’s were designed in the 1700s by William Kent and remain intact. The hall is still occupied by descendents of its original builders and is not normally open to the public. The Hall is very much a family home and not commercial - with no shop or café, although there are publicly accessible loos!
We have not arranged a lunch on the 6th. Rousham Hall is very close to the motorway and being Friday it was felt that many people will want to get away before the traffic became too heavy. However, the award winning Holt Hotel, nr. Steeple Aston OX25 5QQ (01869 340259) is only two miles away and is recommended for those who wish to have lunch before travelling on. They do bar snacks as well as full lunches and even afternoon tea if Rousham's gardens have detained you. If you are travelling to Eynsham by train and would like to join the visit to Rousham, transport can be arranged at additional cost, please let us know when you book if this option would interest you.
Costs for this event are as follows:
Overnight accommodation including breakfast at Eynsham Hall Hotel, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 6PN, telephone 01993 885200:
- Double Rooms in the Main Hall £50.00 per head, in the Annexe £40.00 per head
- Single Rooms in the Main Hall £80.00 in the Annexe £70.00.
Please book direct with the hotel, mentioning IWFS. NB if using a SATNAV for directions on the day enter postcode OX29 6SL.
IWFS Events:
- The whole package, i.e. lunch, ABRM, dinner and the visit to Rousham, £165.00 per head.
- Wine and cheese tasting lunch with Juliet Harbutt £75.00 per head
- 3-course wine tasting dinner £85.00 per head
- ABRM is free
- Visit to Rousham Hall £15.00 per head.
To book IWFS events, please email the EAC Treasurer John Nicholas at johnsnicholas@aol.com with the following information:
- Your full name, address, phone number and the name of your Branch and indicating whether you are the Branch Chairman or a Branch Representative
- The event or events you wish to book.
- The full names of others in your party.
We would prefer payment by electronic bank transfer in GBP (£ sterling). If you wish to pay by credit card please contact John either by email or telephone: (00) 41 79 753 68 81. Payments by credit card will incur a 3% surcharge. If you would like to pay in Euros, please contact John for appropriate bank details
For payments in GBP:
Bank: NatWest Branch: Norwich City Office Sort Code: 60-15-31
Account Number: 68005652 Account Name: IWFS-EAC
IBAN: GB 33 NWBK 6015 3168 0056 52 BIC: NWBK GB2L
Please include the reference: your surname plus ABRM Lunch, ABRM Dinner, ABRM Rousham or ABRM Package as appropriate (eg ShepherdABRMPackage).
If you prefer to book by post, please send the same information with your cheque to the address below:
Mr. J. S. Nicholas (for IWFS EAC), c/o Mrs G S Moore, 2 Stevenson Close, East Hanney, Oxfordshire, OX12 0FF
Cancellation Policy:
Members will have a 14 day cooling off period from receipt of their payment during which they can cancel and receive a full refund.
After the 14 day cooling off period, payments will not be refunded unless a replacement registration is received.
You are advised to have full insurance to cover cancellation.