In the Press.
Locally Sourced and Locally Eaten! Monkbar Hotel’s Carly Peart (left) and Lesley Jones in the newly-refurbished courtyard. Picture by Malcolm Rouse
Monkbar Hotel Serves Up New Courtyard Dining Experience
An award-winning York hotel is serving up a new outdoor eating experience to mark its 21st anniversary.
The Best Western Monkbar Hotel has transformed its courtyard into an al fresco dining area, with the main feature being its newly-created organic vegetable and herb garden.
The hotel is introducing new, locally sourced dishes, in its bid to support more local companies and also reduce the miles each product has travelled to reach the dinner plate.
Last year, the Monkbar was the first city centre hotel to win the Green Tourism Business Scheme’s Silver Award as being as well as being crowned the York Press’s Think Green Business of the Year.
Monkbar Hotel Director June Nelsey said: “The courtyard, which is the very heart of the hotel is a real sun trap, and has always been a popular spot for guests to enjoy a drink or simply relax.
“With the creation of the organic garden, we saw this as an ideal opportunity to transform it into a summer al fresco dining area, where we can serve sharing platters, cream teas and light snacks.
“One of the ‘winners’ we will be serving up will be locally-grown strawberries with fresh double cream, produced by a local herd which will be particularly appealing during Wimbledon Fortnight with a lovely glass of Pimms!”
June added: “Now we are 21, we have grown up to the fact that not only do we play a vital role in the city’s tourism industry, we also have a big part to play in supporting local businesses too.”
Further details about the Monkbar’s al fresco courtyard dining are available from its website, http://www.monkbarhotel.co.uk/
23/06/2011