Woodlands B&B marks first birthday

A KITCHEN café, deli and boutique B&B in Woodlands is celebrating its first birthday.

Spot in the Woods, formerly Hotel TerraVina, has received rave reviews since opening its doors. It is run by Nina Bassett, whose husband, world famous sommelier Gerard, died earlier this year at the age of 61 after bravely battling cancer.

Hotel TerraVina was also run by the couple, but when Gerard was diagnosed in 2017, they decided to scale back the business.

Nina (pictured centre right) and her team are now thanking people for making the new business such a success.

In a statement, they said: “Can we say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped us to reach and celebrate our first birthday.

“It was a year ago when we opened our doors on a cold, snowy March day. After tireless efforts from our team, suppliers and supporters, the transformation from TerraVina to Spot in the Woods was complete.

“After so many changes, we could not be certain just what the reaction would be – but what a reaction!”

Regular customers of TerraVina have continued to support Spot in the Woods, and the business has also gained many new fans since opening.

Talking about the death of Gerard, who was the only person to have won the highly competitive UK, European and world sommelier competitions, the statement continued:

“In this first year, we have experienced so many happy times, but also great sadness with Gerard’s passing. Your kind messages of support have been truly appreciated.

“We look ahead to the future as Spot in the Woods evolves and grows. Many of our team have remained with us on the journey, and lots of old friends have become Spot regulars, who with all the new faces we now welcome, have helped create a wonderful woodland ‘Spot’. Thank you once again for all your support.”

Last year, Spot in the Woods was included in the Sunday Times 100 Best British Hotels. It was judged to be the perfect place for a mini-break due to its outstanding value.