To celebrate the best of winter season, Whatley Manor (01666 822 888, www.whatleymanor.com), the luxurious Wiltshire retreat, has released its new Events Guide featuring a range of special packages and deals for the coming months. With highlights including a Bollinger Champagne dinner, horse racing at the Cheltenham Festival, seasonal cookery masterclasses and a celebration of Burns Night, plus springtime offers for Easter including an Easter egg masterclass and Mothering Sunday; the events guide provides ample excuses for guests to indulge themselves with a stay at this renowned rural hideaway.

Burns Night – Tuesday, 24th January 2012

Celebrate Scotland’s favourite son, the poet Robert Burns, at Whatley Manor this January. In true Scottish style, Whatley Manor will be hosting an evening of traditional food, drink and music, starting at 6.30pm with a drinks reception and entertainment from piper Mike McDiarmid. Of course, the drinks in question will be a selection of cocktails based on Scotland’s finest Glenrothes Single Speyside Malt Whisky, served alongside canapés featuring ingredients from Rannoch Smokery. There follows an introduction into the making of Glenrothes Whisky in Whatley Manor’s private cinema, which will help whet the appetite for a special Burns Night Supper menu (including the traditional haggis) created by Michelin two star Head Chef Martin Burge. The dress code for this event is either black tie or full Scottish dress, with attendance costing £98 per person (to include drinks and four-course dinner, plus coffee and petit fours).

Bollinger Exclusive Champagne Dinner – Tuesday, 7th February 2012

Discover the secrets of one of the world’s leading champagne houses at this exclusive evening of fine dining and fabulous champagne. The event, which begins at 7pm with a Bollinger champagne reception and canapés, will be hosted by Mr Christian Dennis, Ambassador of Maison Bollinger, who will provide a fascinating, behind-the-scenes insight into this premium product before presenting various vintages for tasting. Head chef, Martin Burge, will complement these fine wines and champagnes with a four-course set menu served in Whatley Manor’s Michelin two-starred restaurant, The Dining Room. Participation in this event costs £145 per person and includes the champagne reception and four-course dinner served with champagne, wine, coffee and petit fours.

Wine tasting at Whatley Manor – South African Wines with Paul Clüver, Tuesday, 15th May

More wine is on the menu this May when the Western Cape comes to Whatley Manor with Paul Clüver. The eponymous owner of Winery Paul Clüver will be hosting a wine-tasting event to introduce his outstanding wines from the Elgin Valley, which lies to the south-east of Cape Town. The estate has been in the Clüver family since 1896 and is situated within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. Here, conservation goes hand-in-hand with the sustainable use of natural resources and the winemakers have striven to harness the diversity of soils and micro-climates on the estate to develop a range of distinctive and elegant wines. The evening will allow guests to taste different wines and learn about how they are made, while head chef Martin Burge will prepare a special three-course menu to complement each wine’s special flavours. Participation costs £75 per person and includes a welcome reception and ‘wine & dine’ in Le Mazot, followed by coffee and petit fours.

Cheltenham – Gold Cup Festival, 13th – 16th March

Avoid the traffic and arrive in style at the Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival with a helicopter transfer from Whatley Manor to the racecourse. Whatley Manor is working in conjunction with local company HH Helicopters Ltd to arrange the 15 minute transfer with an exclusive rate of £305 per person based on four passengers per return flight. Flights must be booked by 27 February directly with HH Helicopters on 01285 719222.

Tags: The Best Seasonal Deals And Special Events, Whatley Manor