T H E B U S H T E L E G R A P H March 2023 Swing, into, Spring
ESCAPE T H E P E RF E C T G E TAWAY O u r A M A ZIN G o ffe r fo r a n o v e r nig h t s t a y a t b e a u tif ul B albir nie , b a s e d o n 2 p e o ple s h a rin g a s t a n d a r d d o u ble o r t win r o o m wit h b r e a k fa s t t h e follo win g m o r nin g fo r £ 1 4 9. E n j o y y o u r din n e r in o u r bis t r o wit h a n allo c a tio n o f £ 2 0 p e r p e r s o n t o w a r d s y o u r fo o d bill. Please note t his o ffe r is fo r n e w b o o kin g s o nly. Av aila ble o n s ele c t e d d a t e s o n o u r w e b sit e a n d p aid in a d v a n c e a t tim e o f b o o kin g. Supplement charges apply for weekend dates and room upgrades.
Local poet Bob Brews recently popped into the hotel and gifted our Hotel Director Gaynor with this lovely poem about Balbirnie. Completed in the 19th nineteenth century, by the Balfour’s, Robert and John The house still stands, firm and proud, on a land it was built upon The earliest example of a Grecian style, in Scotland’s bonnie land “Unsurpassed North of the Tweed”, no other is so grand From a cluster of buildings, in a bleak country park General Robert Balfour watched it rise out the dark He financed the building with his dear father John From mining and farming, they relied upon The Balfour’s estate factors were the Ballingal men Father, son and grandson, from way back when Neil ran the estate and kept all the books The son of a weaver, when this job he partook Throughout the years the house grew and grew Extended southwards to give a new view The General had watched Balbirnie House grow For seventy-three years, it was now time to go At ninety-three years, he passed away in his chair But his legacy continues, his house is still there In an estate that was landscaped by Thomas White Where trees and the wildlife produce a glorious sight Now modern times show a house that’s adapted And a successful business that has been carefully crafted From family home then to offices, and now to a grand hotel The Russell’s have shown their expertise and have done very well Nicholas and Gaynor, hospitalities husband and wife Provide other couples with a start to married life With award winning venues and hoteliers of the year It’s hard to beat Balbirnie, as your wedding day draws near So, take a trip to Balbirnie Park, and drive up to the house Stare in awe at the grandeur, the beauty, and have no doubts That the staff will be attentive, be it meals or a lovely stay You’ll really enjoy your experience and never want to stay away ©️ Bob Brews 2023 BALBIRNIE HOUSE HISTORY
2022 Employee of the Year confirmed, congratulations Curtis Paterson! ‘Curtis has brought a new dimension to the care, and preventative maintenance across the entire spectrum of Balbirnie House. In many ways we have revolutionised approaches, as to how we prepare and action future insurance compliance. With insurance re-instatement value for the category A listed premises now at over £25M, and 3 years of trade protection insurance at a further £15M, ongoing health and safety are certainly always to the fore, and the ongoing evaluation and evolution of future Fire Risk Assessments is our absolute number 1 priority at Balbirnie House. Amongst such challenging times for gas and electricity costs across the span of all hospitality, Curtis has also brought new thinking as well, as to how our company approaches our most efficient energy consumption’. Employee of the year for 2022 Curtis Paterson How long have you worked at Balbirnie? I've worked here for nearly a year What has been your favorite project so far? Last year we invested £175k in a new boiler system and pumps within the hotel. This helped with efficiency and sustainability. You have been trying to make the hotel more eco friendly and sustainable, what is the next project you are working on? We are getting zone valves installed so we have better control over the heating and cutting our energy usage. We are also installing LED lights and placing motion sensors in certain areas of the hotel, in attempt to reduce our energy consumption and environmental impact. We also meet monthly with our "Environmental taskforce group" where we discuss what we can do to within the hotel to reduce our waste and be proactive within today's climate.
Thank you to all of our couples who placed a wonderful review for us on Bride Book. We just received a certificate giving us the GOLD award for providing couples with excellent service in 2022!
Our NEW delicious seasonal menu is running until the end of April 2023 in our Orangery. This menu focuses on seasonal produce within Scotland's larder. It is certainly one not to be missed! 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. Book & see our menus here! OUR LAST SEVEN Menu at The Orangery
‘Banquet Supervisor Troy has brought a truly wonderful level of hospitality and delivery for many of our recent ballroom special occasions. We have received many subsequent letters from our many clients, which have consistently highlighted and singled out Troy for a very special thanks.’ Troy received a bottle of Champagne and a voucher for two, to enjoy our SEVEN course tasting menu, complete with a bottle of wine and cocktails. Congratulations and best wishes from us all at Balbirnie. Very well deserved! Congratulations to Troy Davidson our Employee of the Month for February 2023
Joanne & Kevin 17th February 2023 How did your LOVE story begin? We met believe it or not on a app called 'Plenty of fish' Kevin started the conversation after a few dates here we still are 9 years later :) Why did you choose Balbirnie House as your wedding venue? We choose Balbirnie because we live local in Markinch we spent every weekend there in lockdown and every time we walked past Balbirnie house we just loved the feeling it gave us and the surroundings. What is the best advice you would give to future couples planning their day? I used Pinterest , Instagram and Etsy for Inspiration but also knew what I liked and didn't like. Once you set yourself a colour scheme it makes it so much easier to plan around this. I loved everything simple and elegant but also pretty at the same time. Remember to enjoy every minute of your day because it goes like a blink of an eye and take some time for yourself just the two of you.
Dress : Tres chic bridal wear Shoes: Next Hair: Kerry Hunter hair and beauty Make up: Kayren Brown at Rouge & Kerry Hunter Celebrant :Tegan Elder Piper: Dean Saunders Florist: Gilly Tree studio Ceremony music: Dean Saunders Drinks reception Entertainment: Marshali sax Entrance song of ceremony: Ed Sheeran Perfect Cake: 3D cakes Favours: Miniatures (Baileys , Tequila rose) LOVE letters & photo booth: Crackin Events Band: The Nashville Heat Photographer : Angus Forbes photography Videographer: Cam Media Master of Ceremonies: Angela Wedding Planner: Leah Can you tell us about all the beautiful special touches and ideas for your day? I knew I wanted to go for a simple look with logs and flowers to add some colour , we were very lucky at Balbirnie that their décor in the hotel was exactly what I liked so it was just getting those finishing touches. Our son Niall did an amazing job of walking me up the aisle as the piper played the song "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. We were also very lucky to have a handy man to make us a crisp wall and I picked jars from a local shop to turn into a sweetie table. A lot of decorations were hand crafted I feel that just finishes off all the wee things we had for our day. I knew I wanted to be different so we did try and think outside the box when it came to the decorations and it certainly paid off. We also displayed photos of loved ones in frames that we dearly missed and that couldn’t be with us on our day. Grandparents , my Father and good friend. With a special thanks to Linda McCrabbe , Sophie McInnes and Hayley Allcoat for their help.
Love Romance Joy Beautiful Balbirnie February Weddings
Love Romance Joy Beautiful Balbirnie February Weddings
Wedding Thanks
Wedding Thanks Hi Leah , Just a quick email to say thank you so much for everything and also to Angela. The day was so magical and not one complaint everyone seemed to love it :) Thanks again though for everything :) Jo
Guest Thanks Evening Balbirnie Team, Scott and I checked out this morning after our little 1-year anniversary stay. Just a wee email again to say how grateful we were to be surprised by our room upgrade with chocolates and a card waiting for us. It was so thoughtful and extremely kind of the team to do this for us. It reminded Scott and I of why we picked Balbirnie as our wedding venue- you guys really do go above and beyond for your guests. We had such a fantastic (relaxing!) stay and our meal in the bistro was absolutely outstanding! We absolutely love Balbirnie house including everyone who works there- we want you all to know how amazing you are at your jobs and how much you touch people’s hearts! An annual (baby free trip!!) with you all will be how we wish to spend our anniversary for years to come You guys are amazing Michelle McIntosh x Thank you , it was outstanding! What a beautiful room and the staff are amazing . We will be back . Regards Mr and Mrs Mackintosh Best hotel ever , what’s not to love! Brilliant time We came for dinner bed breakfast with afternoon tea and everything was just the best We got upgraded to the Balfour suite which is just stunning The food was amazing and the service too class This is our favourite hotel and we love coming back
Guest Thanks A Perfectly Lovely Birthday Stay We had booked the Balbirnie House for my 69th Birthday and what an excellent choice it was. Having experienced The joys of Balbirnie House on 2 previous weddings, one of which was our Sons, it was lovely to return as a couple. It was a truly lovely experience, from the check in, where we were upgraded because it was my birthday, to the lovely cream tea, a delicious 7 course tasting menu, great nights sleep and a wonderful Scottish breakfast the following morning, it was faultless. All of the staff we met, only enhanced the experience, with their genuinely warm welcome and very high service standards. So on behalf of my wife and I, a big thank you to Chelsea and all of the brilliant reception team, Claire, Mariola and Emma for your excellent table service, and both Chefs called Chris for your outstanding cookery, both of the the tasting menus ( Classic and Pescatarian) that we had were truly delicious! All of you and the other staff whose names we sadly never managed to record, made our stay and my 69th Birthday truly memorable. Thank You All So Much. Room 106 - Ian & Linda XX Sooo Good The ‘Balbirnie Experience’ is truly a wonderful experience. Visited for my birthday, afternoon tea, 7 course dinner, overnight stay and breakfast. I can’t tell you the price as it was embarrassing given the total quality of the experience. How they provide the quality of experience and value for money with all that is going on is a miracle. They had a full party night on as well as full taster menu restaurant - everyone had their glad rags on, but all super sophisticated and the dinner was innovative, well executed and expertly served. Room was fab, completely relaxing. Can’t wait to return. Beautiful overnight stay at Balbirnie House Hotel My husband and I have just returned from an overnight stay at Balbirnie We had a voucher for the cream tea and 7 course taster menu . This also included breakfast. I would thoroughly recommend this hotel.. The food was tremendous . Room was top notch.and the staff were so so nice . Beautiful grounds for walking too !! 5* service as always Lovely overnight stay at the weekend. 5 star service from start to finish. Staff are always friendly and attentive and go above and beyond to make your stay extra special. 7 course taster menu was faultless, enjoyed every course. Looking forward to our next stay.
Newly engaged?... Congratulations! Your happily ever after begins here! Let us help you to create your dream wedding at beautiful Balbirnie and make it reality with our award winning wedding planners. We are delighted to say that here at Balbirnie House, we are the third-time recipient of the Best Wedding Hotel on a global level via Haute Grandeur Global Awards 2019, 2021 & 2022! To make an appointment to view our gorgeous hotel and to speak to our wedding team please email [email protected] We still have a few special weekend dates still remaining in 2023: Saturday 8th July Sunday 27th August 2023 Sunday 10th September 2023 Sunday 1st October 2023 Sunday 31st December HOGMANAY "Couples can never be exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. But at some point in that initial journey of contemplation our clients find themselves in the right here and now, falling totally in love with Balbirnie House, and all that we do. And so, each wedding begins." From an interview with our MD Nicholas Russell in Haute Grandeur magazine. Read it here.
Created from the old kitchens of the house, The Bistro offers casual dining, fantastic value, delicious and authentic Bistro cooking. THURSDAY NIGHT STEAK NIGHT (all day Thursday) Two 8OZ Rib-eye steaks & a Bottle of House wine for the marvellous price of £55.00 FABULOUS SET MENU Available Sunday - Thursday, all day! 2 Courses £15.95 3 Courses £19.95
We Will, We Will ... ROCK YOU! Balbirnie House is pleased to announce, 'The Freddie & The Queen Experience' tribute act is taking the floor on Friday the 10th of March 2023. £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!