The Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire launches new sustainable menu

The Gazette went along for the launch day to try it out.

Sustainability and locally sourced food are the focus of a new menu launched at a luxury Hampshire hotel.

The Four Seasons, in Dogmersfield, has launched its new menu at the Wild Carrot restaurant, which overlooks 500 acres of lush countryside.

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Carefully sourced and curated by executive chef Talha Barkin, every plate of fresh food on the new breakfast menu includes either produce grown on the estate or locally sourced, staying true to the property’s eco-friendly sustainable plan for reducing waste.

At the launch event, invited guests were given the chance to sample the impressive breakfast buffet and Sunday roast, as well as enjoy a visit to the hotel’s luxury spa.

The breakfast buffet has everything you could want for the first meal of the day, including a full range of hot English breakfast options such as free-range eggs, bacon, Cumberland sausages, baked beans, seasoned mushrooms, and homemade hash browns, along with fresh fruit salads, pastries, cereals, and a selection of breads.

Following a leisurely breakfast, my mother and I decided to explore the hotel grounds and walk down to the Basingstoke Canal.

On a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, the air was fresh and the fields were alive with wildlife. Bees buzzed, butterflies danced and the sound of crickets hummed as we walked along the paths surrounded by meadows of wildflowers. A friendly herd of longhorn cows greeted us as we approached the canal, pausing from chomping on their hay to look up.

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Although the Four Seasons is just a short drive from Basingstoke town centre, it feels like a world away, and the beautiful countryside provides the perfect escape to immerse in nature.

We watched a group of people paddle boarding on the canal before making our way back to the hotel to try the spa, which guests can enjoy at their leisure.

The Four Season’s commitment to sustainability is clear throughout the hotel, including at the spa, where single-use plastic cups at the water machines have been replaced with environmentally friendly versions, which self-destruct if not recycled, safely returning to nature and leaving no microplastics or toxins behind.

After enjoying a refreshing swim in the indoor pool, we tried out the vitality pool outside, with water jets, underwater relaxation beds and jacuzzi bubbles offering the perfect way to unwind and relax. The spa also includes a steam room and sauna, as well as a range of treatment options that can be booked.

At lunch, we headed back to Wild Carrot restaurant to sample the Sunday roast buffet. There was an impressive selection of starters including salads, breads, meats and fish. For the main course there was a choice of corn-fed roast chicken, whole grilled salmon, salt marsh leg of lamb, dry-aged beef fore rib plus vegetarian options.

Accompaniments included roasted root vegetables, tender-stem broccoli, triple-cooked potatoes, house gravy and Yorkshire puddings almost the size of your head (that might be a slight exaggeration, but they were enormous!).

The dessert options were equally as impressive, with a range of miniature puddings to sample including banoffee tart, strawberry mousse, and a selection of cheeses.

The hotel sources much of its fruit from its on-site 220-tree orchard, and its honey, displayed at the buffet still on its comb, is produced by the Four Season’s resident bees. It was delicious accompanied with the selection of cheeses.

We left following a delicious lunch, accompanied by exceptional service, in luxurious, tranquil surroundings.