Comments

Shane & Nikki Tout (Room 11, 9th Nov)
Tom,
Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say a big 'Thank You' to everyone at the hotel for making our short stay such a pleasure.

The staff were all attentive, the accommodation excellent and the food superb (my wife is a bit of a 'foody' so it was a massive bonus).

It was only the 3rd time we had been away from our children on our own, so we had to cram a lot in in a short space of time!!

Please thank everyone and pass on my views to your management team who should be proud of your service.
Many thanks
Shane & Nikki Tout (Room 11, 9th Nov)

Jo (Clark & Jan Wilson - Room 19) 26/10/08

Hi Helena
Just a quick note to thank you and all your wonderful staff for a lovely couple of days. It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope that we will do some business together in the not too distant future. Please pass on my sincere compliments to you chefs. I consider myself to be a bit of a cook and whenever I eat out I am usually left thinking - "I could have done better" (churlish of me -I know) but your restaurant was absolutely superb. I cannot fault it and I certainly could not have done it better. Once again - thank you all - I have already recommended you to half a dozen of my friends.
Kindest regards
Jo (Clark & Jan Wilson - Room 19) 26/10/08

Devontoday October 2008
From old favourites to continental cuisine with a modern influence, produced by award-winning chefs, there is plenty to please the palate at Browns Hotel in Tavistock, writes Becky Moran.
Pictures: Kevin Clifford.
Read more part 1 part 2 part 3

Wedding Reception - Saturday 4th October 2008

Thank you so much to all for making our wedding such a success,
Love Judy and Simon Hirst x x x x x

Celebrating 13 years @ Number 13 - Fashion Show & High Tea - 19/09/08

Dear Helena,
Many thanks for a very successful afternoon last Friday. The venue was perfect and the food excellent
Best Wishes & Kind Regards - Annette

Mrs J Maddock 23/09/09

Dear Tom, on behalf of my wife and I can I extend our sincere thanks for making our break a delightful experience
Every member of staff was friendly and courteous at all times, and the room (21) was wonderful!!
We loved Tavistock so you will be seeing us again soon.
Many thanks again.

John Matthews, IT Service Delivery Manager, PHS Group

Helena,
I just wanted to drop you a line on behalf of Jessica and I, to say a huge thank you for our lovely weekend.

We have both travelled the world extensively and stayed in many, many hotels, but were left feeling that what you have created is one of the nicest hotels we have ever stayed in....

You created such a nice stay for us, starting with the move to the four-poster room on Friday, and we really felt that both you and your staff made us feel as if nothing was to much trouble in making our stay so pleasurable.

You'll be pleased to hear we even woke on Sunday morning and decided we would be happy to have (room 9) as our own bedroom at home...

I've never actually written in this way before, but felt we couldn't let our weekend pass without coming back to you and saying thank you.

You will be seeing us again !!!

Best wishes
John

Wedding Reception 23rd August 2008,
Andrew & Lucy Cheslett

A very big thank you for the excellent day you gave us all. I would highly recommend a wedding at your hotel. The staff were excellent and very friendly, they couldn't do enough for you, especially for the little ones!! Helena you were amazing from start to finish including all the planning for the big day, we cannot thank you enough. We know the family enjoyed it too as they said on numerous occasions how good everything was and how great all the staff were. Also a big thank you to Steve for the smooth running of the day, you were brill !! and also to the chef whose food was out of this world! Thanks again and we will be back!!!!! hehe Lucy and Andrew Cheslett xx

Wedding Civil Ceromony & Reception 30th July 2008,
Guy & Helen Warner

I have just spoken to Mrs Warner who was absolutely thrilled with the hotel and her daughter’s wedding reception that was held with you on Saturday

Everything was so fantastic and went so well. She made a special mention of Steve saying that nothing was too much trouble and that the service was so efficient in the background. Compliments also to the Chef - the food was “top class”.

Helen (the bride) was so ecstatic – her comment was that “it was even better than we expected!!!!!”

Well done to all.

Wedding Civil Ceromony & Reception 23rd July 2008,
Chris & Rosie Walker

Helena
I wanted to write to thank you and all your staff for the help and support I recieved for our wedding

The service we received from all your staff was excellent. Every member of your team was polite, helpful and willing, all showed initiative in their dealings with myself and the guests. In addition to yourself, I particulary want to thank Kayleigh & Steven. Nothing was to much trouble for them leaving the rest of us to enjoy the weekend

The setting at Browns was lovely, the food delicious and the weather great, the day was just what we wanted

Wedding Civil Ceromony & Reception 12th July 2008
Matt & Jenny Kilcast

Hi Helena,
Jenny and I just wanted to thank you and everyone at the hotel so much for the best day of our lives. Everything was perfect, not least the superb food, the wonderful service and the attention to detail. It really couldn't have gone any better and I that's what all of the other guests have been telling us too.

Mr Evank 10/07/08

My stay at the Brown’s hotel was everything a traveller might want from a hotel in the middle of a countryside tour. The quality of the service was superb. I was extremely satisfied by their kindness and their offer to help. I would definitely recommend this hotel as a pleasant, quiet and traditional English lodging with people that make you feel welcome right from the start. The room was a bit small though I would not expect anything bigger since it was a single stay. It was extremely clean though and the bed and linen were exquisite. Fine toiletries were supplied which was a surpise. The food both at the breakfast and the dinner was of excellent quality. The Brasserie was more updated than many London’s equivelants. Room service was rapid and well taken care after. I wasn't going to return to Tavistock, since my business was over, if it wasn't for Brown’s. I will definitely return. 5 star stay!!!

Mr A Fowling 05/07/08

Browns Hotel is something very special indeed, It has been carefully styled and refurbished into something unique - They have a team of staff who generally really do care - And the Food! amazing.. we ate at the "Fat Duck" in Bray recently and Browns is definitely on par - We can't wait to go back again

Mrs J Wraightley 01/07/08
What a great place to stay. We had read reviews that were concerned with the parking which is to the side of the hotel. The staff however ran what is effectively a valet parking service so no problems were encountered. The breakfast was excellent especially the cooked option that we decided to upgrade too. We didn't stay for dinner unfortunately as we had arrangements with friends . We were surprised as to how busy the restaurant's in the hotel were however.
We wouldn't necessarily stay here with our children as it is a real romantic getaway - but would certainly stay again. The small things like the courtesy telephone call checking that everything was to our liking and fruit on arrival make Browns stand out from normal four and five star hotels we stay at.

01/06/08 - Mr McCakill
We recently spent 6 days at Browns hotel in Tavistock. It was very nice and we were very pleased with everything and everyone and highly recommend it.

30/05 - Malcom Tring
From the moment I arrived, the staff at the hotel went out of their way to make my stay as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. The room very comfortable, attractively furnished and well equipped. I'll definitely stay again.

01/05 - Mr Knight
The staff were exemplary - all were extremely friendly and professional and went out of their way to be helpful. The accommodation was also very nice, and beautifully kept. The food was excellent as was the service in the restaurant.

03/03/08 Richard Smith
We (six potentially fussy patrons, including an eight year old and a five year old) had lunch at Browns yesterday and were very impressed with all the service and the meal itself. We were most impressed by the attention paid to the children after I realised we hadn’t brought things to keep them occupied and asked for pens and paper. It was only last night that we noticed that the colouring which had been brought for them had been printed off the computer during what must have been a very busy time. Thanks again, Richard Smith

hank you so much for making our event an outstanding success; you really made sure it exceeded expectations.  And as similar events in the past have included trampoleening, and skiing in a snow-dome in Germany, you'll get the measure of what a hard act you had to follow.

Reading an interview on the train on the way home, I encountered a wonderful line: "either do it from the heart, or don't do it at all."  And it's very clear that Browns is run from the heart.  Having run many events in the past, it's safe to say this one was exceptional: you all went out of your way to do whatever was needed to help the guests, from thinking ahead to providing tea and coffee out on the moors post-cycling/riding to rounding up spare girls as dance partners. You really are quite extraordinary - don't ever lose that!

A huge thank you too to all of your team:

• Chef Dave, whose cooking has spoilt my taste buds for other things: the crab salad he just 'rustled up' and the tart tatin I can still taste, not to mention a delectable chutney with walnuts! Wonderful.
• Steve and Joe, who were fazed by nothing, even me shifting the agenda round completely at the last minute.
• The whole front of house team who were unfailingly helpful, willing to do anything, and charming throughout
• And, of course, Tom, a man of who dreams are made - for whom nothing was too much trouble, who treated my guests like the sultans they wish they were.

And holding it all together, yourself and Phil, the perfect hostess and master of ceremonies.  Please say a huge thank you to him; I know we weren't the easiest of parties, but you made us all feel special.  Which just leaves me with one big problem - how do I follow that?

Have a lovely Christmas, and a fabulous time in Dubai. If you're up in London, let me know and we must meet up.  And sometime I shall venture back to Browns, purely for the pleasure of it.

Thank you: you were an absolute joy to work with.
Rebecca Smith
BT Global Services Marketing 

From an anonymous guest via tripadvisor!
This lovely small hotel was refurbished a few years ago and combines its historical character (it's a former coach house) with modern comforts. The hotel is decorated in country house style. We stayed in a large double, which had a really comfortable bed with luxurious linen. The spacious bathroom had the fastest filling bath I've ever encountered and was stocked with Molton Brown toiletries, huge luxurious towels and fluffy bathrobes. As well as tea and coffee, the room was provided with a bottle of the hotel's own spring water, drawn from their well (which can be viewed through a glass panel in the conservatory floor). The hotel is located in the bustling Devon market town of Tavistock - a perfect base for exploring Dartmoor and crossing the border into Cornwall. It is well worth taking some time to explore Tavistock, particularly its excellent pannier market. The town had a great range of shops; there are some good upmarket boutiques and some wonderful food shops. This brings me to the best reason to visit the hotel: the food. This is some of the best food I have ever eaten. On arrival we had a lovely pot of tea and a perfectly made cappuccino, accompanied by tasty home-made shortbread. Our delicious gin (I regret not asking which brand they use) and tonics were accompanied by yummy olives and Japanese crackers. The set menu had three choices for each course, one of which was fish. Surprisingly there was no vegetarian option. Much was made of the fresh and locally sourced ingredients, which are organic where possible. We had to restrain from gorging ourselves on the tasty home-made bread. We were served espresso cups of celeriac soup with black truffle oil as an appetiser. My mussel soup with langoustine ravioli was divine. My husband loved his risotto with pine nuts and black pudding. I had the most delicious beef I've ever tasted as my main course, with a perfectly judged accompanying wild mushroom sauce. My husband devoured his duck with baked figs. Puddings were equally tasty; my husband's calvados pudding with tart green apple sorbet was particularly memorable. The menu was refreshingly free of pretentious jargon and the food was simply cooked and presented - what shone through was the sheer quality of the ingredients. At £22 for two courses or £27 for three, dinner is excellent value. There are also lots of wines in the £14-16 bracket.
Breakfast the following morning was equally outstanding. The coffee was excellent and my scrambled eggs with organic smoked salmon were simply the best I've ever eaten. My husband was equally pleased with his full English. Toast made from their own bread was accompanied by organic jam and W.I. marmalade. There was a good selection of cereals and fresh fruit; the poached apricots and prunes were particularly delicious. The young staff is friendly and efficient. Nothing is too much trouble. We had to move our booking at the last minute from Saturday to Sunday and they were charming and accommodating. Yes, our room at the front of the house was a little noisy in the morning with the window open, but that's what you expect from staying in a market town. The car park at the side of the hotel was full when we arrived, but we were directed to their second larger car park located just round the corner. At £160 for our large double including breakfast, this was great value. If I were coming again, I would check out their best room, which has a four poster. However, as my mother is about to move just down the road it's unlikely I'll be staying again. However, I can't wait to return to the restaurant!