BrookLodge and Wells Spa (The)

Luxury Hotel & Spa with Ireland’s only organically certified Restaurant & Food Shop

When you enter the world of BrookLodge and Wells Spa, you walk into paradise.  Yes this place is in its own private little world. Here at Good Food Ireland, we call it heaven. Macreddin Village is in the heart of the Wicklow Valley. You drive in the gate and there it is, a gorgeous village tucked in among the trees, quite out of the way from the hustle and bustle of city life, yet only a short drive from the busy motorway that takes you to Dublin. BrookLodge lies at the centre of this village – a traditional lodge style building facing an old fashioned idyllic village green, complete with church. The lodge’s own rooster Elvis has his harem of hens following him over the perfectly mowed grass – and provides a natural alarm clock for hotel residents.

BrookLodge has been built over years – grown over time, organically - an extension to the original building that occupied the space. Organic is the right word here, since this also is home to Ireland’s only organically certified restaurant The Strawberry Tree. When owner Evan Doyle was cooking at the original organically certified Strawberry Tree in Kerry, the opportunity to move to Macreddin arose. He brought the restaurant here, and built onto the old house to create a serious place for good food and comfort in accommodation. Design mixes time honoured looks with a modern slant, and the rooms are gloriously simple in their luxury. Large comfy beds, flat screen TV hidden behind very stylish mirror frame, and beautiful en-suite bathrooms decorated in keeping with the country feel all make a very pleasant place for relaxation and that crucial good night’s sleep. In the morning you might fancy a quick dip in the The Wells Spa pool, built in the conservatory style, with doors which open on the good days to let in all that sun. Hot tubs and a flotation tank are here, as well as a series of treatment rooms. Breakfast will revive you after the exercise.  Begin with a fresh juice or smoothie, followed by some fresh fruit and yogurt, a home made pastry, Macreddin’s Bakery home made organic breads and scones, organic granola or muesli. The sideboard here groans with breakfast temptations. The Real Thing is a full organic Irish breakfast with the works, or you can choose a lighter option like the grilled wild fish of the moment. After that, if there’s still space, try a scone with some organic butter and home made preserves. Then a stroll outside or another coffee on the ‘board walk’, a lovely wooden and cast iron veranda that runs the length of the hotel, and looks out over the peaceful green and Wicklow hills beyond.

During your stay here, dinner in the Strawberry Tree is an experience not to be missed. There is nothing on the menu here which is not organic or wild, and that’s stated clearly.  Inspections from the Organic Trust certifying body are tough and at random, so not even a hint of non organic ingredients are allowed in the kitchens.  That’s a tough order for the chefs, and a challenge they rise to in sourcing the best and seasonal organic and wild foods. Foraging is one of the bonuses, and reveals all sorts of local goodies in season. Fabulous wild garlic, nettles and dandelion leaves in spring and early summer, wild herbs, mushrooms and other heavenly food wonders are found nearby according to season. The five course Organic and Wild Food dinner menu boasts offerings like Macreddin Village Smoked Salmon Tartar with Fennel, Clementine and Lime Aoili – the organic fish is smoked here on site in the restaurant’s own smoker – a divine first and we savoured every delicious mouthful. All menus change so regularly so it’s difficult to predict what you might find when you eat here. We can’t begin to forecast what delicacies will be on offer – but we can guarantee you’ll be impressed at The Strawberry Tree. A meal at the Strawberry Tree is really a lesson in making the most of seasonal produce at its best. The restaurant is elegant in its layout and the service impeccable. Fine dining among crisp linen and candlelight, with a kitsch reflective ceiling that mirrors the whole room above you. It’s cool. We love it. Non-residents can also dine here and enjoy a lovely evening in sumptuous surroundings.

For mains on the menu here, you will be bound to find a pork dish of some sort, and some good organic beef and lamb too. The Strawberry Tree is supplied with organic free range pork, Kerry Black beef and Organic lamb from Gold River Farm in the neighbouring village. This was an experimental set up for Evan when he came here first, and stemmed from advertising his need for certified organic suppliers in the area. The owners of Gold River stepped up to the mark immediately, and now supply the bulk of the meat and vegetables. Evan works very closely with the farm to ensure a good supply of a variety of ingredients for his menus. Gold River farm rambles over Wicklow hillsides, and those happy pigs, cattle and lambs have plenty of space to wander or just laze in the sun and appreciate the view.  More land is dedicated to growing veggies like potatoes, carrots, leeks – there were the bones of seven million organic leeks due to be planted and harvested during the growing season when we visited. Polytunnels grow salad leaves and the farm’s own strawberries. As Evan says, strawberries are on the menu at the Strawberry Tree for a few short weeks in summer, arriving to much excitement from the chefs, who are always thinking up new ways to serve them. When they are gone they are gone, and that’s that till next year.  It’s the same for other organic produce too.  

On site at Macreddin Village also is Brook Hall, the purpose built conference/banquet centre in the shape of a village hall, a stroll across from the hotel. As usual, the ultimately thorough and professional Evan did his research here, and photographed a number of church halls in the country before commissioning his architects to design a building in keeping with the style. The result is an authentic high ceilinged space with arched gothic windows that fits right in to the village scene. Brook Hall is available for larger conferences, weddings and celebration parties and has its own twenty four bedrooms to accommodate guests or delegates.  It’s totally self-contained and includes banqueting kitchens to prepare the food, and several small meetings rooms for hire to companies or discussion groups.

Around the corner from the hotel, another set of buildings in the courtyard includes a shop where you can buy Irish and continental food products and the hotel’s range of  products used in the bathrooms and the spa. For more casual dining, La Taverna Armento is named after a village in southern Italy around which all the ingredients to produce authentic Italian dishes are sourced. Actons Pub is the place for quiet pint and its lovely courtyard provides garden table seating to enjoy one of the pub snacks on offer on the menu. You really don’t have to stray very far away from Brook Lodge at Macreddin Village to enjoy a perfect few days away. For those who want some adventure, equestrian activities like trekking and trail riding using the horses of the Macreddin Stable, and off road driving at the 4x4 driving centre here can also be arranged. Evan Doyle has created a serious accommodation and leisure offering here, and a gourmet dining experience underlined by the quality of produce served in The Strawberry Tree and other eating spots on site. We can’t sing his praises high enough.

Awards received:
Georgina Campbell's Business Hotel of the Year 2012 & Hotel of the Year 2010
AA Hotel of the Year 2009

Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

Macreddin Village
Co Wicklow
+353 (0) 402 36444
Email: info@brooklodge.com
Web: www.brooklodge.com

 

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