Balbirnie Bush Telegraph December 2022

THE BUSH TELEGRAPH




DECEMBER 2022

The


Perfect

Gift

Our AMAZING offer for an
overnight stay at beautiful
Balbirnie, based on 2 people
sharing a standard double or twin
room. Enjoy a cream tea on
arrival, then tantalize your
tastebuds with our SEVEN course
tasting menu in our Orangery.
Stay in a standard double or twin


room and enjoy breakfast the

following morning for an
incredible value of £130.


Please note this offer is for new

bookings only, available on
selected dates on our website and
paid in advance at time of
booking. Supplement charges
apply for weekend dates and
room upgrades. This offer is now
also available as a voucher.

with ExQecuu
ictkivQeuCehsetfioKn
rsis Currie

Tell us about yourself?


There’s not much to tell... I’m 34 years old, I have been married for 10 years & I have 3 boys.

What made you want to be a chef?
I kind of fell into it by accident! I went to college for a year before joining the army & a few of my
friends were doing hospitality so I thought it would be fun, 18 years later and here we are!
Can you tell us about the wonderful NEW menus that you have recently launched?
Well, we have just launched our festive tasting menu which has some interesting takes on classic
Christmas flavours. From partridge & pear, duck, clootie & clementine to a yule log for dessert. We
wanted to put a festive touch to all the dishes without it being a replacement for your traditional


festive turkey dinner, however if turkey is what you're after - you can fill your boots in the bistro

with a hearty plate of turkey with all the trimmings!
What is your favourite dish to make?
This is a question I get asked a lot and one I find very difficult to answer as I don’t think I have one!
Saying that, there have been several dishes that I’m extremely proud of in the Orangery; 1 of them
being the braised short rib of beef, nettle emulsion, white asparagus, salsa Verde & buttermilk
split sauce. I think it captured the sumptuous sticky richness expected of a braised beef dish & the
light freshness expected of a summer main course very well. It looked pretty good too!
What do you enjoy about your job the most?
The thing I enjoy the most about my job has to be the team. We have built a very strong & friendly
team front & back of house with some interesting personalities along the way and without the
right people in the right places then everything becomes that little bit harder. They will all help
each other and really are the essence of everything that we have done & will continue to do within
the kitchen & Balbirnie as a whole.

What makes Balbirnie really special?

Haute Grandeur Global Awards asks our GM,
Nicholas, about the challenges Balbirnie faces in

today's industry. This article features in their
December issue of their online magazine.
Read it here!

Private celebrations



Get together with your nearest and dearest to celebrate your special
occasion with us. At Balbirnie we offer fabulous affordability with our
beautiful rooms and wonderful hospitality.
We offer superb, valued packages for our private dining experience.
This is available for a party of 10 or more.
Please email [email protected] for more information.

NEW Seasonal


SEVEN Menu
at

T
he Orangery

Our NEW delicious seasonal menu is
running throughout December. It
focuses on seasonal produce within
Scotland's larder. It is certainly one not to
be missed and to be fully enjoyed in our
newly refurbished Orangery.

The tasting menus are £38.50 per
person with Classic, Vegetarian, Vegan
and Pescatarian menus available. You
can also accompany your meal with our
specially selected wines on our wine
flight at £26 per person.

Special Events Coordinator

Katy's

Ingredients

80 g unsalted butter
10 g dried cranberries
10 g dried sultana
1 orange zest
250 g self-raising flour,
30 g golden caster sugar
70 g Christmas pudding or cake
1/2 tea spoon mixed spice
1 large free-range egg

Method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Cut the butter into small cubes, roughly cut the cranberries and sultanas and zest the orange.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the cubed butter and rub into the
flour and sugar until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Break up the pudding or cake in to crumbs and then add in the cranberries, sultanas, orange zest
and mixed spice, then gently mix to combine.
Beat the egg with the milk then add it to the dry mix and bring it all together to form a soft dough.
Fold in the treacle right at the end.
Tip out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll to about 2.5cm thick and
use a 4 or 5cm cutter to press out 8 to 10 scones.
Place on the baking sheet, brush with a little milk and bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until
risen and golden.
Dust with icing sugar and eat warm or cold with some clotted cream and jam.

This Christmas
Enjoy
Our Festive Afternoon Tea

You can choose from Balbirnie Traditional, Sparkling or Champagne Afternoon Tea. All
presented with a selection of delicate finger sandwiches, savoury treats, exquisite cakes
and of course, a fine selection of teas and coffees. Prices are £19.95 per person for a
Traditional Balbirnie Afternoon Tea, £24.95 per person for Sparkling Afternoon Tea and
£28.95 per person for Champagne Afternoon Tea. You can book your experience here or
buy a voucher here.

Congratulations to our Employee
of the Month for November



Rachel Haacker

Rachel joined Balbirnie a few months ago and has been a wonderful
addition to our reception team. She greets everyone with a smile and
she loves hospitality!

Rachel received a bottle of Champagne and a voucher for two, to enjoy
our SEVEN course tasting menu, complete with a wine and cocktails.

Congratulations and best wishes from us all at Balbirnie.
Very well deserved!

The
Bistro

Try our delicious NEW menu in
our Bistro.
Our Bistro was created from the
old kitchens of the house and it
offers casual dining, fantastic
value, delicious and authentic
Bistro cooking.
We are open daily from 12pm and
offer a fabulous early bird menu,
Monday to Friday, between 12pm
and 5pm.
Click here to book your dining
experience.

The Gorgeous
Autumnal
W
edding of


Steph & Danny

21st of October 202
2

A day filled with love and laughter!

How did your love story begin?
We first met through a joint friend of Danny’s, in a
night club and it spiralled from there!
Why did you choose Balbirnie as your wedding
venue?
As soon as we stepped in we fell in love. It’s the
warmest most welcoming hotel we have ever visited.
We felt so comfortable from day one. The space
around the hotel is amazing. As soon as we drove up
to Balbirnie we had an incredible feeling and just
knew it was the place for us! The history of the house
mixed with some modern interior was just perfect.
We could really imagine all our family & friends with
us!

Steph
&

Danny







Why did you decide to get married in the Autumn?

We both love Autumn, it’s our favourite time of year so it
seemed very fitting! Plus the stunning grounds at Balbirnie with
the autumn colours made it a no brainer!

What is the best advice you would give to future couples
planning their day?
Relax!! Everything will fall into place, it always does! It’s a really
special time so enjoy every second. Balbirnie had everything



fully under control and so helpful, everything is easy getting

married here, there’s no reason to stress! Soak up every second
on the day. And trust us, you definitely spoke to every guest
who came, even when you feel like you didn’t!!

Can you tell us about all the beautiful special touches and
ideas for your day?
Our hand knitted gonks made by mum, these now have a spot in
our home with amazing memories attached to them!
The candle during the ceremony to remember those who are no
longer with us.
I had a special locket attached to my garter with a photo of my
grandad and Danny’s dad who both sadly passed away
Our guest book - this was something so simple and a memory
we will never forget! When we finished our wedding night, we
sat in the honeymoon suite, eating wedding cake whilst reading
this at 2am!! It really was a special moment for us!

Photos on this page by the in-house camera

My dress - San Patrick by Pronovias
Veil- I actually got this for £15 off Facebook!!
Shoes - Quiz Hair - Sally Drummond Makeup - Cheryl Fleming
Celebrant - Lesley Anderson
Piper: Ian Sinclair Florist: Dainty Pigs
Event dressing: Style a Chair Entrance song of ceremony: Caledonia
Cake: Julie Williamson Favours: Shots & Jigsaw keepsake pieces
Tablescapes: Elegant tall silver candelabras
Band: (Dj Bill Lynch) Photographer: Weddings By Anna
Wedding Planner: Christine Master of Ceremonies Angela

Beautiful Balbirnie
November Weddings

Love Romance Joy

Beautiful Balbirnie
November Weddings

Love Romance Joy

Wedding Thanks

Hi Christine,

We would just like to take the opportunity to thank you and all the staff at Balbirnie. We had the best day

of our lives and it was down to you all! Everything was beyond perfect.

We have had amazing comments from our guests who stayed and they were so pleased with the venue

and the service they received.

We would like to say a special thank you to yourself & Angela who looked after us amazingly through the

whole process of wedding planning and of course on the day. I’d also like to mention Leah who we had at

the very beginning of our wedding journey back in 2018! You are all outstanding and made us feel so

relaxed and at ease for the whole process. Even during the hard decision of postponing our wedding, we

were made to feel like everything was always going to be okay!

We would also like to thank all the other staff involved in making our day so special including the

reception staff, housekeeping, the bar staff and of course the kitchen (sorry if I have missed anyone)

Everyone was beyond helpful and so kind all day! I take my hat off to the housekeeping staff for the clear

up of the pearl suite!!


We can’t wait to visit again soon,

Thank you so much again

With love
Mr & Mrs Rattray x

Hi Gaynor & team,

Now we have been scraped off of the ceiling and we are back our mini moon, we just wanted to take the
time to write to you and let you know how awesome you all are at Balbirnie. You made our wedding day
dreams become a reality with such seamlessness and no request was too big for you. From the moment
we arrived until we checked out 2 days later, you were there for us and made our time truly magical. All
of our guests have commented on how amazing the venue, staff and food was.

Gaynor, you have been amazing to work with to build up our day in how we wanted it to be, and you
seem to make it look so easy! I have loved chatting with you regularly and the little touches like asking


how we are etc on the lead up was just so kind and thoughtful, I doubt any other venue would provide

exceptional service like you do that is so personal. We very much appreciate every single thing you

have done for us. Please pass on our thanks to the chef and his team for the amazing food they
provided on the day, the bar staff for keeping up with our thirsty wedding guests, Georgia and the team
for our Thursday night pre wedding celebration, the waiters and waitresses for their amazing customer
service, and last but not least.....

LEWIS! - I can't believe how amazing he was on the day, from keeping the bridesmaids and flower girls
calm before they walked in, to being on hand to make sure we had canapés and drinks whilst we were
getting photos taken, and guiding us through from start to finish, with such amazing energy and
professionalism. Please send on our sincerest heartfelt thanks to him for being our sidekick and we had


so much fun with him walking around the grounds etc.

We will be back to visit you guys soon and again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the most
magical day ever ✨️

Lots of love
Dawn & Greg xxx

Wedding Thanks

Hi Angela, thanks so much
for sending all these

through they’re beautiful!
Thank you to all at

Balbirnie for making our
day so magical!! Alison xxx

Wedding Thanks

This Cou
ld Be the Greatest
Night of Our Lives!




Balbirnie is pleased to announce, 'Rule the World Tribute' to 'Take That'
taking the floor on Saturday, 21st, January '23!
£55.00 per person includes your entertainment with the best in the
business, arrival fizz and 3 course meal!
Email: [email protected] for more information!

The Perfect Gift is a

Balbirnie House

Gift Voucher!

For a truly
thoughtful gift
this year, here
at Balbirnie we
have a fabulous
range of
vouchers for
you to choose
from.

You can buy a
voucher and
spend quality
time with your
loved one and
enjoy the treat
together.

Click here to
find out more!