A dream come true UK Staycation at Soho Farmhouse!

Hey guys I am so honoured to have been included in this months travel link up with the fabulous bloggers Emma, Angie and Binny. Earlier this year I had the time of my life at Soho Farmhouse and I can’t wait to tell you all about it below.  I would honestly go as far as saying that I enjoyed my time on the farm as much as I have enjoyed mini breaks abroad. And this got me thinking that we don’t always need to jump on a plane to have a holiday of dreams.

So with that in mind, I have decided that this months travel link up topic will be based on fabulous UK staycations. I want to hear all about your favourite mini breaks that you have had here in our lovely home. Pop your link in the widget at the bottom of this blog and hopefully we can all discover some new gems to visit….

Lots of love

Sammy xxxx

MY DREAM HOLIDAY AT SOHO FARMHOUSE!!!!!

Me and Arya Stark have a lot in common. She has her hit list, I have my holiday list. She constantly repeats the names of her kill list out loud, and I do the same with hotels that I want to visit. So just like Arya, for the last five years I have gone to bed muttering ‘Soho Farmhouse, Soho Farmhouse, Soho Farmhouse’ out loud, until my wish came true.

Okay I’m joking. Kind of.

But for reals, I have fantasised about going to this DREAM country retreat for absolute years. And never quite believed it would ever happen.

Especially after last year when the hubs revealed that he had tried to book it for us, however was told that they were stopping non members from booking. My heart sank at the news and I was beyond gutted.  But little did I know this was a total rouse and he was calling my bluff….

Lets fast forward a bit to Christmas 2018, my 29th birthday, and now can you all please try and imagine this next scene in slow mo to add dramatic effect…..Andddddd cue music!

So I get handed over a box from the hubs… and when I open said box, I receive a box of Cow Shed toiletries. Oh lovelyyy, my hands always get quite sore in the cold… But oh wait there’s more…..theres vouchers to get a massage at a Cowshed spa, oh woweeeee I am feeling quite tired this will be amazing. When are we going? And where??….Ohhh there’s another envelope in the box too…let me quickly open that….. OHHHH MYYYY BLOOODY GODDDDD ITS A SOHO FARMHOUSE BOOKING CONFIRMATION. WE ARE OFF TO THE FARM IN MARCH FOR TWO NIGHTS FOR OUR ANNI AND THE SPA IS AT THE FARM, ALL OF MY DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE AHHHH!!!! Cue screams, cue hugs, cue lots of cuddles, oh and there goes my voice. Girl byeee.

Christmas Day 2018, the day Sammy Summers officially lost her voice.

It’s finally time….

Now you lot all know that I spent most of March and April working on location in Bristol for my telly job. And this holiday was booked for smack bang in the middle of the run, soz team oops! However because I had been doing long distance with the hubs this was the perfect time for us to reunite, and having this to look forward to got us through the fact we were not seeing each other for basically all of March.

We woke up bright and early on the Monday morning to pure blue skies and sunshine and set off on the road. Was this actually happening or was I still dreaming?

As we pulled into the carpark of the farm my heart started banging in excitement, I felt like I had been waiting my whole life for this day to come. In fact my excitement levels were on par with the feelings I had before honeymoon. Is that weird? Maybe it was because we had been apart for a while and it was us being together again with a full three days of fun ahead of us that made this feel extra special.

We quickly checked in and was told to wait for our milk float to collect us. MILK FLOAT! Oh I was in heaven already. We piled onto the float and during the journey I was squeezing his hand in excitement the whole time because I was just so happy to be there. What seemed liked minutes later we had arrived and the whole of Soho Farmhouse awaited us!!!

We had A LOT of exploring to do. But first things first, we had to fill our tummies!

Our first stop was the Main Barn. The barn is the most stunning building I have ever laid my eyes on, with ridiculously tall ceilings, beams, crackling fires and cosy comfy furniture that you will instantly want to put in your own home. However we were having such luck with the weather that we chose a table outside on the courtyard, put our sunnies on and counted our lucky stars that we were at our dream hotel. We sat and watched the world go by as we tucked into delicious sourdough pizza and felt the buzz of the farm as all the people around us were enjoying the sunshine too. It was a Monday lunch time but the vibes were on par with a Saturday afternoon. I was already having the time of my life!

Next up, as a birthday surprise Wayney had booked me into Horse Riding. I used to go with my sister when we were younger and I just adore horses. Who else used to read The Saddle Club on repeat? But it has definitely been about twenty years since then, so I was ridiculously excited for this activity.

Firstly lets all just take a minute to appreciate my sexy helmet head. This should be the front cover for Horses and Hounds magazine next month no?

The horse riding session was for sixty minutes and in that time we rode out of the farm, into acres and acres of woods and countryside. It was such a beautiful day and the sun was beaming down as we explored the Cotswolds.

Right lets all be real for a moment. Can we please just talk about how painful and HARD horse riding is, and for those who make it look effortless and easy I salute you. I left the stables feeling serene and in control, and by the time the hour was over my hair was on par with Hagrid, make up was all over my face and the pain down there, well lets not get into that. There were times during that hour when my sweet little horse decided to trot (run) through the countryside and I was so genuinely scared that I was going to fall off I had to tell myself to pretend I was on Game of Thrones and to pull myself together. I was putting Daenerys to shame.

But despite the fact I was terribly rusty, it was such an incredible experience and a memory for a life time. I reckon Gismo went back to all his horse friends and had a right old laugh at how rubbish I was.

So it was now late afternoon and I was looking a little worse for wear. It was time to check into our room and relax. Ohhh don’t you just love checking into a room at the start of a holiday, it’s always one of my favourite parts.

PIGGIES ON THE FARM

As an incredible surprise, Wayney had booked us into the farm for two nights, with two different rooms so we could make the most of the full Soho Farmhouse experience. And first up were the brand new Piglet rooms that have only recently opened in the last few months. Now for two people who live their life being the ultimate piggies this could not be more fitting.

Oh my goodness guys the Piglet rooms were ADORABLE! From the outside they looked like little tin sheds, with forty of these rooms dotted around a meadow in the most peaceful and glorious of settings.

Awaiting us inside was the most cosy and rustic bedroom, which I absolutely loved. With wood panelling as the main feature throughout and a gigantic emperor bed filled with fluffy cushions, warm blankets and a stack of Soho themed magazines and books I instantly felt at home and so relaxed. At the back of the room we had a rainforest shower with every Cowshed product under the sun awaiting us to use on the bathroom shelf. It was small yet divine. It was perfect.

Before you could even utter the word piglet out loud we had already chucked off our clothes and buried ourselves inside the snuggly Soho dressing gown and slippers that every hotel guest gets with the room. That was more like it.

Now any normal couple would probably now spend the next few hours chilling with a cuppa tea. But oh no, not us.

Every second there was valuable so there was only one way for us to watch the sun go down. OUTDOOR SWIMMING!!!! In March. (What can I say we got over excited!!)

The next few hours were absolutely perfect. Like two giggling school children we ran to the outdoor infinity pool in our dressing gowns, found two sun beds, ordered some cocktails, went for a swim, made some friends (we always end up chatting too anyone and everyone who we are away) watched the sun set and developed pneumonia.

The perfect end to the perfect day.

A delicious hot Cowshed shower awaited us and it was time to get ready for the evenings activities.

For our first evening we dined inside The Main Barn and it was just a dream. At night the barn had a totally different feel to it, with very dim romantic lighting, roaring fires and a real buzzy vibe. I ate the sausage and mash, whilst the hubs feasted on fish and chips. For dessert we devoured an apple crumble between us, which was beyond stunning and then we spent hours sitting by the fire gossiping and putting the world to right.

Day one at Soho Farmhouse was complete, and I would rate it a 100/10.

As I snuggled under the blankets in my piglet cabin I went to bed wondering how anything could possibly top the magical day we had experienced. But little did I know how much more fun we had ahead of us…..

DAY TWO AT THE FARM- WE ARE ON THE MOVE!

Yay it’s Tuesday morning and yay it’s our anniversary! Two ridic years of fun with my number one hun… it was time to celebrate. And we wanted to kick off the celebrations in style. So you lot know what that means…. yep..pancakes and waffles!!!

The two piglets from Piglet Cabin One waddled over to the Main Barns breakfast of champions and it’s safe to say we lived up to our name. We were in piggy heaven and piled our plates high with waffles, eggs, pastries, fruit and toasted our efforts with the freshest of juice and tea from the buffett. You know what they say…start as you mean to go on!!!

With our bellies full it was time for our next activity. And this is the part of the blog I am just cracking up writing. And for anyone who saw my Instagram stories you know what part of the adventure we are now up too… STABILISER GATE!

Oh wow. I’m still not over it tbh.

So let me start from the beginning. My darling hubs at the ripe old age of 32 decided to inform me that he can’t ride a bike. I repeat CANNOT RIDE A BIKE. I’m sorry what?? Are you okay hun?? The poor boy never got taught as a child and 32 years later that decision has come back to haunt him (me).

Ever the comedian he found the whole thing hysterical and decided to kindly surprise me by requesting for his bike to get stabilisers put on. I know.

After a ten minute meltdown from yours truly that he was literally ruining my life and can he please stop embarrassing me, I then got over it and saw the funny side. The next thing I know we are riding around the whole of the farm, with me pretending that I don’t know he exists whilst he was getting off on the fact that I was hating life and spent the whole time ringing his little bike bell to create maximum attention. So if you witnessed the scenes I can only apologise to you all.

Did I say two years of fun? I take it all back. 

So after that drama, I was in need of a serious lie down. And luckily our next stop of the day was to the Cowshed Spa. As an amazing treat from the hubby he had brought us a couples massage, so we quickly gobbled down lunch before spending the afternoon sinking into a deep food coma.

This was my first experience at a Cowshed spa and it is safe to say that I am now their number one fan. The interiors of that spa, which had recently been renovated were absolutely to die for. As soon as you walk in you feel instantly calm, with the neutral, rustic tones giving off the perfect balance of cosy yet glamorous. The massage was dreamy and it was the perfect place to wind down and think of nothing else apart from what I wanted to eat that night. (Food is always on the mind).

HOME SWEET HOME…. ROOM NUMBER TWO

Do you remember earlier when I told you that Wayney had booked us in to two different rooms. Well it was time to check into our next one, and this was my highlight of the trip!

Feeling all zen and peaceful, we collected the keys from reception and slowly made our way over to our new home… a divine Studio Cabin. Well that tranquil Sammy lasted all of twenty seconds because as soon as I laid eyes on my new home I turned into a shrieking fog horn, oh my GOD I could not believe what I was seeing. Surely this was all a dream? I was living the life of a real life Disney princess.

As soon as I opened the door I could have burst into tears, I have never ever seen a room so beautiful and so me.

Our gorgeous cabin was situated on the river bank with stunning views of the water.

The inside was beyond cosy with such beautiful fittings and furnishings, consisting of a  gigantic bed fitted with a thousand plump cushions, a wood burning stove, hurricane lamps and we even had a vinyl player that was playing instrumental music as we entered. Can you see why I felt like I was in a film now?

The outside was like nothing I have ever experienced before on holiday. With our own private decking that spread out across the whole cabin, rocking chairs, and the best bit of all.. our outdoor copper bath tub I truly felt like I was living my best life in the Hamptons.

It was perfect. It was a dream come true. I was never ever coming home.

The next few hours we’re spent taking it all in, getting dipped head to toe in bubbles and sprucing ourselves up for our anniversary date night.

DATE NIGHT AT PEN YEN

Our second anniversary celebrations were spent at Soho Farmhouses stunning Japanese sushi grill Pen Yen, which was an al fresco restaurant situated in the central courtyard beside the infinity pool. In the day the restaurant is light and airy but by night the vibes totally change and it becomes dim, intimate and seriously cool. Because of the Soho Group no photo rules I can’t show you my delicious dinner, but please believe me when I say that our meal was absolutely divine and an absolute ten out of ten. I honestly could not recommend this restaurant more if you are coming to the farm for a special celebration. It was a night to remember forever!

After the meal we went back to the Main Barns bar for a few more cheeky cocktails and after a night of fun we waddled back to our cabin in our slippers (which I had packed in my bag) and our torches. (Its seriously dark on the farm at night- but that all adds to the adventure).

And it was then time to sink into those over sized pillows and endure the best nights sleep I have ever had.

THE FINAL DAY!

It was a bitter sweet feeling waking up on our third morning because I knew that our holiday of a life time was coming to an end. 

But there was no time to be sad… breakfast was on its way!!!

One of Soho Farmhouses main rules is that they want you to feel totally relaxed and carefree whilst on their premises. We all know how annoying it can be when all you want to do is have a lie in on holiday but the breakfast buffet shuts at 10am and you then  have the sleep vs pancakes inner battle with yourself. 

Well oh no, not on Soho Farmhouse’ watch. Instead.. they brought breakfast to our cabin in the form of a vintage blue milk float. Can you even cope? 

As I stood on our decking and watched the van come towards us I actually felt really emotional, how lucky was I to be experiencing such a fabulous treat!

We skipped our way over to the float, in our dressing gowns and the kind staff members handed us the menu, took our orders and ushered us back inside our cabin whilst our breakfast of dreams was being created. 

Minutes later a tray of two boiling hot fry ups, tea and fresh juice had arrived (all made fresh in the float) and was laid out for us to enjoy al fresco. 

Just a tad different to my usual mornings of Cheerios. 

It was the perfect way to end our trip as we then spent the next few hours chilling and making the most of our stunning cabin without having to rush to get ready.

Our last afternoon on the farm was spent exploring the grounds some more, playing a fun game of mini golf whilst our spirit animals cheered us on and relaxing in the sunshine. 

By the time it was time to say goodbye to our new favourite place in the world (sob) we felt refreshed, relaxed and ready to tackle the next few weeks of doing long distance.

This was just what we needed to get us through it. 

So there we have it, just like that our three day adventure at Soho Farmhouse was complete. 

And as a very wise bear once said ‘we didn’t realise we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun’.

And oh what fun we had. Probably the best ever, and I only hope that every single one of you reading this will get to experience the farm life too one day and then we can compare stories.

I hope this blog post has proved to you just how brilliant UK staycations can be. I’m now on a mission to do lots more and would absolutely love to know where your favourite place to visit is. So please pop your blog in the widget below and let’s get sharing!

Thank you so much for reading.

Lots of love,

Sammy xxxx

If you enjoyed this post you may enjoy my other Hotel Reviews:

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