Yourmealticket.co.uk News

Sea Front Hotel for Sale ?

The Royal Bath, one of Bournemouth's best known hostelries, is up for sale.

The De Vere Group, owned by Lloyds bank is selling three of its best known hotels, the other two being the iconic Southampton De Vere and the University Arms Cambridge.

The Royal Bath, originally built in Victorian times as Bournemouth became a fashionable coastal resort, has 140 rooms and has had many a famous guest. Indeed, the restaurant "Oscars" is named after the notorious and scandalous Oscar Wilde, well that was how the Victorians regarded him !

The De Vere Gp are intending to use the money to increase their portfolio of 21 Village hotels. Currently they have another 18 in the pipeline and at £19 million per hotel, I guess Lloyds Bank weren't offering a big enough overdraft!

In 1835 Sir George William Tapps-Gervis inherited his father's estate and started developing the Bournmouth village into a resort similar to those that had already grown up along the south coast such as Weymouth and Brighton. Sir George employed Christchurch architect Benjamin Ferrey to plan the Gervis Estate. The Westover Villas were commenced in 1837. Ferrey included hotels in his design for Bournemouth. The first two hotels opened in 1838. One was the Bath Hotel, which went on to become the Royal Bath.

Vegetarian Food - Your Missing a Treat

There's a preconceived idea that vegetarian food is all about nut cutlets and lentil soup ! Mistake, big mistake.

Bournemouth has two really excellent vegetarian cafes - at opposite ends of town - Zoukinis in Westbourne and The Salad Centre Vegetarian Cafe in Boscombe. Their regular customers would soon educate the uneducated as far as food minus meat is concerned. Vegetarian food can be every bit as diverse and delicious as any meat based dishes.

Wild mushrooms from the New Forest are a fabulous dish in their own right – why spoil them by adding fillet steak!

Treat your tummy to a change – and you probably will get some in your wallet, after all veggie food is generally considerably cheaper.

Go on be adventurous!

Look who's just joined!

The Old Vicarage at Hinton, recently re opened with new owners has just come aboard - and welcome!

The latest joiners to view their page simply click on the link!

And - remember, if your favourite venue is not on the website - a few words from you as a customer go a long way - and you could receive up to £100

FJ B joins YMT

FJB Group, operators of probably the best known hotels on our strip of coastline have just signed three of their group up to YMT.

Wecome to the Chine in Boscombe, the Sandbanks and Harbour Heights in Sandbanks.

FJB Hotels is a family owned business founded by Frederick John (FJ to friends and family) Butterworth.

The company's origins are not in hotels, but in theatre, running at one time a chain of eighteen variety theatres throughout England making it the largest, privately owned, theatre company in the country. Tribute to the age of music hall is fittingly paid at The Chine hotel, often used by visiting artists playing at the Royal Ballrooms (now the Opera House) with a magnificent display of photographs of stars of the day.

In the 1950s, FJ recognised the decline in popularity of live theatre and moved his interests, almost exclusively, to hotels. The Company has retained the beautiful Richmond Theatre in Surrey, currently leased to the Ambassadors Theatre Group, for 'old time's sake'.

Over the next thirty years, many hotels were bought and sold, primarily in the Bournemouth area and latterly on the Sandbanks peninsula. There was also one hotel, The Grosvenor, across the water in Swanage, sold in 1985 but which has always held a special place in the heart of the present Managing Director, John Butterworth, son of the late founder.

As well as the four superb hotels, the group also own Boscombe's Royal Arcade and Opera House aka the 02 academy. Plus there's a The Villa de Marvol a Napoleonic Villa in the Dordogne, A language school, a wartersports academy and just to round things off nicely - Haven Star a 40 ft Catamarran !

YMT arrives in Devon

With 30 venues already listed YMT has opened a Devon website, bolting on to the "Wessex" - Next stop Somerset. We will be launching a new filter early Jan which will allow you to search initially by County, then drill to an area - So Dorset will be broken into

Bournemouth Poole & Christchurch
North Dorset
Dorchester and South Dorset
Weymouth and Portland

Lots of Good News from Bransgore

The Three Tuns has been enjoying a real purple patch

Two AA Rosettes awarded - the fouth year on the trot !
£5500 raised for Charities at their Beer Festival in September
£1100 raised from the McMillan Coffee morning also in September
£3000 raised at Firework night for Bransgore Primary

Nearly £10,000 raised for charities is no mean achievement

Nigel Glenister and his team of helpers have had good reason for celebration over the past few weeks - As most sucessfull businessmen know - looking after the community and putting something back - is good for business !

Local Restaurateur Killed in Air Accident

Alistair Evans, owner of the two highly successful Italian Bistros – "Soho" was named as one of the two men killed in Majorca earlier this week in a Helicopter accident. Alistair and family had recently moved to a new home in Canford Cliffs. The two Sohos, based in Westbourne and Christchurch, in just a few years have become hugely popular venues.

The second man who died was his close friend and Mark Blaver-Mann, also from Canford Cliffs. Mark had previously owned Poole-based engineering firm Powerman. He sold the company several years ago and had been actively enjoying life and pursuing his hobbies which included flying and sailing. It is understood he was at the controls of the Hughes 500 helicopter which he purchased a year ago.

There are conflicting reports of the crash of the state of the art helicopter, some witnesses say it exploded in the air and others report it burst into flames on impact. Both men died instantly and it is also reported that both were wearing Rolex watches which stopped at the same time 11.12 am.

The friends both aged 53 were keen sailors and co-owned a Fairline yacht which they moored in Puerto Andraitx. The two successful and well respected local businessmen both leave behind families. They lost will be felt by many local friends and colleagues. Alistair pictured below left and Mark right.

New Face Book Fan Page with a £50 dinner for 2

Fancy winning a dinner for two at your favourite restaurant ? Then just - Visit our new Face Book Fan Page and tell us about your favourite eatry
Simplz !

Sopley Mill Folds

Sopley Mill has become the recession's latest victim. In its idyllic setting by the river just a few miles north of Christchurch, the old mill was a wonderfully atmospheric place to enjoy an afternoon tea, or a romantic dinner.

As a converted mill it also had oodles of space for large parties on the first & second floor, facilities that in normal trading conditions could prove a highly attractive asset. However, in a recession as biting as we are currently experiencing, these just add to the huge overheads that any restaurateur, publican or hotelier has to endure.

Many other local restaurants have folded already this year and no doubt this winter will be the last for others. Offers to the public of 50% off and 2 4 1 may be a short term solution – but aside from pasta driven businesses, few others within the industry can survive by giving away their products at half price. It is frequently an offer indicative of desperation.

Not all doom and gloom within the industry -some new faces will be appearing on the horizon soon –for example – THE OX, opening in Ashley Cross in the new year and will no doubt already have some of its neighbours worried.

DO keep YMT posted of any developments in your area that may be of interest...

A remarkable young man

Inspirational, remarkable, awesome are some of the adjectives which have been applied to 32 yr old Bruce Allardyce. He is dying. There is nothing anyone can do about it. His time is now considered in weeks or months. He has just married his long term and very lovely girl friend, Jay.

He is my childrens' cousin, and I hope that I can in some small way pass on a little of the immense admiration I have for an exceptional young man who has been condemned to an unfairly early exit in life by the random brutality of "Fate"

Take 60 seconds and read his BLOG. It may just add a little pespective to your life, it has to mine.

Bruces Father was murdered in the early 1990s and I remember taking him aside after the funeral to talk to him. Bruce, even then, showed a remarkable stoicism which is now amazingly evident in his blog.

Next time anyone feels sorry for themselves, angry at their lot, pxxxed off with their boss, job, bank manager, etc well read this.

Aplogies for not adding a "foodie item" - but sometimes the way people behave in life demands a special place

YMT Franchises. -Earn £50K+ OTE

We are looking for high calibre, self motivated people to extend YMT across the South.. The right candidate will receive 100% subsidy and could earn well in excess of £50K.

Like most things in life you get out as much as you put in. If you are prepared to work an area, develop the contacts and talk to the venue operators then you can do very well indeed in a self employed and a very sociable environment.

We will help but it is your business.

Ideally we would like candidates based around Portsmouth, Chichester, Worthing and Brighton. However other areas adjacent to the current site are also open. If you are a good communicator, like meeting gregarious people - perhaps even involved in the licensed trade, there could be a terrific opportunity for you.

We will set up the website and the area - if you will take the time to talk to the venues in the area.

FACT : Well over 90% of the operators who have taken 15 minutes to look at the YMT presentaion have subscribed.

OTE £50K+

Interested then call on the 0800 number or email admin@yourmealticket.co.uk

14 Old English Inns Join MT

Greene King's premier division of destination venues, Old English Inns have just added no less than 14 new venues to our websites !

Spread across Dorset and Hampshire the GK Inns will add an even greater variety of choice and information on YMT ! - and their meals are great value too!

Take a look at

Cart and Horses KIngs Worthy Winchester
Fishermans Rest Titchfield
Fox and Hounds Wimbourne
Luzborough House Romsey
Queen's Head Burley
Rising Sun Warsash
Royal Oak Langstone Havant
St Leonards Ringwood
The Antelope Poole
The Bear Havant
The Commodore Bournemouth - Southbourne
The King's Head Wimbourne
The Manor Yeovil (Live from mid November)
The Red Lion Fareham

A New Operator takes a slice of the East Cliff

Quantum Hotel Group have quietly, efficiently and very stylishly taken control over three of the East Cliff's Hotels;

The Bay View,
Ocean View and the
Cottonwood.

Transforming them into three very different venues that have recently opened the completely refurbished Cottonwood as the Cottonwood Boutique Hotel– it's very appropriately described the last word in chic, contemporary decadence.

The Bay View Breeze is also given a new lease of life as a budget option with rooms from £40

The Ocean View was also re-designed & refurbished with weddings, family holidays & events specifically in mind. With outside swimming pool & elegant gardens, this 53 bedroom hotel has had a long overdue shot in the arm

Win £100

Tell your Favourite "Eatery" about "YourMealTicket" and win up to £100 *

We mean it! Seriously! Your input as a customer to the restaurant, pub or hotel is ten times more effective than a "sales call".

Behind the scenes YMT has some unique reporting facilities and
instant accessibility that only the subscribing venues can see and use. Over 9 out of 10 elect to join YMT when they have seen "behind the scenes". So you just have to make the introduction - we do the rest.

Here's what you do

Tell the venue management about the website - do make sure though that it is someone who is responsible for the venue

Tell us who you told. Call 0800 988 5355 or email sales@yourmealticket.co.uk. And you could very swiftly receive a cheque for up to £100* to spend however you choose. Prizes are allocated as follows:

Only 1 prize awarded per venue
Not valid for venues already listed
Payable on receipt of payment from the venue
For Full Annual Subscription paid £100
For Full Seasonal Subscription paid £ 60
For Full Subscription paid by Monthly DD £ 40
For Seasonal Subscription paid by monthly DD £ 30

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