The Grand Hotel's News Feed

Grand Christmas Hamper Winner

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

One lucky Torbay local received a terrific Christmas Eve surprise when he discovered that he had won a Christmas Hamper, courtesy of The Grand Hotel.

Mr David Evans of Chelston, Torquay entered the hotel's festive prize draw, which ran from 1st - 23rd December, and was delighted when General Manager, Chris Jones, together with Executive Chef, Richard Hunt, turned up to deliver the seasonal goodies in person. Mr Evans said "My partner, Angela, and I come to The Grand regularly for morning coffees and lunches. I love the friendly, welcoming staff and the food is consistently excellent - a real asset to the hotel."

The hamper contained a number of festive items, including a turkey, christmas pudding, mince pies and wine.

Photo shows Chris Jones (R) and Richard Hunt (2nd from right) presenting hamper to David Evans (2nd from left) and his partner, Angela Bayliss, on Christmas Eve.

Grand Wedding Fair

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A fantastic wedding fair will take place at The Grand Hotel on Sunday, 5th February 2012.

Torquay's landmark hotel provides the perfect venue for that all-important day. Its superb location on the seafront, imposing architecture, award-winning food and dedicated wedding co-ordinators ensure that a 'Grand Day' will be had by couples tying the knot.

The Grand Wedding Fair, which will be held on Sunday, 5th February 2012, will be open from 11am to 4pm and entry is free. A range of specialist stalls will be set up with wedding experts at hand to offer help and advice. Confirmed stall holders, so far, include a dress sale, florists, car hire companies, photographer, cake company and a hair and beauty salon. Also showcased will be wedding decorations, chair covers and table decorations.

The Grand's team of wedding planners and event organisers will also be on hand, to discuss all the available options for wedding packages.

For more information, call our events team on 01803 296677.

NEW Festive Fayre menu launched

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Grand is gearing up for fabulous festive feasting with its new Festive Fayre menu, which will launch in our popular Compass Lounge on 1st December.

A plethora of tempting goodies will be available throughout December, including a fantastic 2 course lunch for just £12 per person! Perfect for ladies who lunch or for work colleagues who want an excuse for a good lunch out together.

Other treats on offer will be homemade mince pies, individual chocolate Yule logs, a choice of seasonal sandwiches (including Devonshire turkey with apricot stuffing and cranberry sauce) and orange and Drambuie trifle. Raise a glass to the occasion with a spiced mulled wine or indulge in a freshly ground coffee laced with Cognac and laced with double cream! Click HERE for more details.

The Festive Fayre menu is available in the Compass Lounge from 9am - 7pm daily with our regular Compass menu available from 11.30am - 9.30pm daily.

Christmas Fair at The Grand

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Find those perfect Christmas gifts at The Grand's Christmas Fair on Sunday, 4th December. Open from 10am - 4pm, you will be able to browse a selection of stalls, selling a range of gift ideas, for family and friends. ENTRY IS FREE.

Wander round stalls offering handmade jewellery, organic beauty products, vintage gifts, home accessories, bags, homemade Christmas cookies, electronic gifts and much more... The Body Shop will also be there, with a selection of fabulous gift ideas and they will be offering a 20% discount throughout the day.

There will be plenty of opportunity to take time out from shopping to enjoy some delicious treats in The Compass Lounge. Our special Festive Fayre menu offers sandwiches, delicious home made cakes (including individual chocolate Yule logs, which can be topped with Devonshire Clotted Cream!), orange and Drambuie trifle, together with deliciously spiced Mulled Wine and freshly ground coffee laced with Cognac and topped with double cream. Click HERE for details!

McFly set to come to Torquay

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Chart topping stars McFly are set to come to Torquay next March! The date was announced as part of their Up Close and Personal UK Tour and will be McFly's first appearance at the town since 2007, when they played to a sell-out audience.

The gig will be hald on 25th March at the English Riviera International Conference Centre. The band has had seven number one hits and 18 consecutive top 20 singles, including Five Colours in her Hair and Obviously.

The Grand Hotel is just a 5 minute stroll along the seafront from the venue.

Grand party held for HMS Bulwark

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Mr and Mrs Keith Richardson sponsored and hosted a cocktail party at The Grand Hotel for the Captain and members of the crew of HMS Bulwark last Saturday, as part of the ship's official visit to The English Riviera.

HMS Bulwark is the Royal Navy's flaghip 'amphibious' vessel and acts as a carrier for helicopters, landing craft and other equipment - and also carries a contingent of Royal Marine Commandos. She arrived on Friday, 22nd July and was moored up in Torbay for 3 days. During her stay, Captain Alex Burton and his crew hosted various functions on board before attending the cocktail party at The Grand on Saturday evening.

Also attending the cocktail party at The Grand were members of Torbay Council, together with Captain Ricks Polk and 12 crew members from another visiting vessel, USS The Bobo, an 'on readiness' support ship from the United States Royal Navy.

Photo shows (L to R): Mr Keith Richardson, Captain Ricks Polk (US Navy), Captain Alex Burton (RN) and Mrs Keith Richardson.

Grand Chef at Plymouth Flavour Fest

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Grand Hotel's executive chef, Richard Hunt, is to star at this year's Flavour Fest, due to be held in Plymouth on 19th - 21st August 2011.

Richard, who leads the brigade of talented chefs at the Torquay-based hotel's award-winning Gainsborough Restaurant, will be wowing the crowds in the special demo kitchen at 11.15am on Friday, 19th August and at 12 noon on Saturday, 20th August.

Acknowledged as the South West's largest food and drink festival, Plymouth’s local produce extravaganza is returning for its eighth year. A major part of the Plymouth Summer Festival, Flavour Fest takes place in the city centre Piazza and is a highlight of the south west’s food and drink calendar. Running from the Big Screen to Place de Brest, Flavour Fest 2011 will have more than 100 food stalls packed with tasty offerings from fine food producers all across the south west.

For more details on Flavour Fest 2011, click HERE.

Great Rail Journeys Award

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Grand Hotel has been given a coveted Great Rail Journeys award for its accommodation and food.

The tour company presented the award during a recent tour to the English Riviera, which included a stay at the hotel, and it was accepted on behalf of The Grand by Duty Manager, Josh Randall.

Great Rail Journeys are specialists in escorted holidays by train. As the UK's largest rail based holiday company, they offer over 230 individual rail tours to over 40 countries. they have 30 years experience in knowing exactly what makes a holiday by train successful and the Tour Managers have an in-depth knowledge of their specialist region.

Giant scone makes world record attempt

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Grand Hotel's Executive Chef, Richard Hunt, drew fascinated crowds during his attempt to build the world's largest cream tea at the Big Devonshire Crea Tea stand at the Devon County Show this week.

The amazing creation consisted of a 2.5 metre (8 foot) wide scone, topped with 120kg (265lb) Devonshire clotted cream, 90kg (190lb) home made strawberry jam and hundreds of strawberries from the Tamar Valley. Weighing in at a whopping metric tonne, it was capable of feeding 1,000 people. Richard was helped in his endeavours by Paul Winterton of Langage Farm, who provided the cream. Slices were sold to raise money for the Devon Air Ambulence Service. Additional funds were raised for Devon Air Ambulence through a £1 fine being imposed on anyone buying a cream tea at the stand who was subsequently caught using the Cornish method of putting jam on first and then cream!

The scone is being used as part of a campaign to achieve Protected Designation of Origin for the Devonshire Cream Tea, which stipulates that cream must be put on the scone first, before jam.

It is hoped that the scone will be included in next year's Guinness Book of Records and details have been sent to the famous publisher for adjudication.

Geopark Fun

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Get set for action and fun at the English Riviera's stunning Geopark!

The English Riviera and its 22 miles of stunning coastline comprise the world's very first urban UNESCO-designated Global Geopark. Geoparks, like National Parks, are special places that have stunning landscapes and heritage. There are only 77 in the world.

Our Geopark has it all...diving, sailing, kayaking, fishing, cycling, wild food and local crafts, plus plenty of beaches! There are also a range of special events planned throughout the year, including a Geopark Festival in May and June, together with fun activities, such as 'Mussels by Moonlight' (organised by Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust) and 'Geopark Thrill Seekers' (coasteering). You can also visit Kents Cavern, Britain's oldest surviving prehistoric home. Find out more about the Geopark and its activities HERE.

The Grand Hotel offers the perfect base from which to explore the Geopark! We have terrific views of Torbay (the heart of the English Riviera) and are close to many of the activities available. Check our rates and availability in the box opposite.

Richard and the Devon County Show

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Richard Hunt, our Executive Chef, here at the Grand Hotel is set to be the culinary star of the forthcoming Devon County Show.

NEW at the hugely popular agricultural show, this year, will be a marquee devoted to the iconic Devon cream tea – Ye Olde Devon Cream Tea Shoppe. The scones will be made to a special recipe devised by Richard and they’ll be served with the thick, yellow clotted cream made by Langage Farm in South Devon. And, of course, as this is Devon, the cream is slathered onto the scone first followed by the jam. If you click HERE you'll see how to compile this wickedly indulgent treat!

During the Devon County Show, there will be an unofficial attempt at the world record for the largest scone – chef Richard is getting sacks of flour ready while Langage Farm is preparing huge quantities of clotted cream.

For more details about the Devon County Show, click HERE.

Grand Royal Wedding treats

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Grand Hotel will be offering some very special treats in celebration of the Royal Wedding - to be enjoyed in our relaxing Compass Lounge or on our sun terrace. What could be better than a delicious celebration cocktail or sumptous cream tea overlooking the Bay?

Three special cocktails will be available, including the sophisticated Kir Royale, the refreshing Blushing Bride and fruity Colour Me Royal. For those who want to indulge in a celebratory cream tea or afternoon tea, there's a choice of the Royal Cream Tea (two homemade scones with Devonshire clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam plus tea or coffee and a glass of sparkling wine) or the Royal High Tea (a cream tea plus sandwiches, patisserie, tea or coffee and a glass of sparkling wine). Delicious!

There's also the chance to win an Afternoon Tea for Two, or Sunday Lunch for Two by entering our Royal Quiz.

Grand's chef partners with Tesco

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Richard Hunt, The Grand's Executive Chef, is working with leading supermarket, Tesco, to promote the traditional Devonshire Cream Tea.

Tesco stores throughout Devon will be featuring Richard's delicious Buttermilk Scones receipe, which also promotes Langage Farm's Devon clotted cream, available in the Tesco Finest* range.

Richard, who is a true Devonian born and bred, has headed up the Grand's award-winning team of chefs for 2 1/2 years. He has competed regionally and nationally and is now a culinary judge at the highest level. Richard also appears in food festivals through out the UK and is a regular at the Devon County Show (19th, 20th and 21st May, this year), where he can be seen whipping up wonderful culinary delights in front of a fascinated (and hungry!) audience. Richard's next appearance is at the Torquay Food & Arts Festival (13th & 14th May 2011) in Union Square, Torquay.

You can obtain a copy of the Richard's recipe by visiting any Tesco store in Devon. Guests staying at The Grand can obtain a copy at Reception.

Mr & Mrs Richardson's Grand Wedding

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Celebrations were in full swing at The Grand when Mr Keith Richardson, owner of Richardson Hotels (of which The Grand is the flagship) married Miss Fiona McGregor on 15th January.

The couple pledged their vows at St Mary's Church, Kingskerswell and then held their reception at The Grand Hotel. Emily Rogers (the hotel's general manager) and her team created a stunning backdrop for the celebrations, which were attended by 160 guests (including 22 children) and ended with a fireworks display.

Mr and Mrs Richardson have two children, William (age 2½) and Daisy (age 1).

Photo shows Mr & Mrs Richardson arriving at The Grand Hotel. Image by Ian Worrell/Focus Weddings

Suey wins Employee of the Year

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Grand's staff have chosen Susan Fenn as Employee of the Year for 2010. Susan, affectionately known as ‘Suey’, was selected by a majority vote in recognition of her hard work, team spirit and dedication to looking after the hotel's customers.

Suey, who first moved to Torquay 26 years ago, has worked at The Grand Hotel for over a decade, as a member of the Food and Beverages team. General manager, Emily Rogers, who presented the award at a recent staff event, said: “Suey is always smiling and cheerful, and goes the extra length to ensure our customers feel special. We describe her as ‘The Grand’s sparkle’.”

Mrs Fenn said: “It was a lovely surprise. I am lucky to work with such a great team of people here, at The Grand, and I really enjoy meeting and talking with our customers.”

Photo shows General Manager, Emily Rogers (L), presenting the award to Suey Fenn.