The Conigre
www.theconigrehotel.co.uk

Many people dream of making a big lifestyle change but the dream became a reality for London couple Sam & Gordon Bisset, when they took over The Conigre Hotel & Restaurant in Semington Road, Melksham, eighteen months ago.

“Obviously Melksham is a little quieter than London,” says Sam, “but we have settled in really well and have found locals friendly and supportive.” The couple has also been delighted with the feedback from their customers. Gordon said, “Many of our customers have become regulars, we get a lot of repeat business, however, a lot of people still don’t know that the restaurant is open to everyone, not just our hotel residents.” The restaurant now offers a modern British menu and the kitchen is run by Sam who has a broad experience in the food industry, having trained at Leiths School of Food & Wine in London.

Great food

Sam said, ‘The restaurant was previously known for fine dining but we want to make eating out more affordable and more relaxed so we have introduced our Fixed Price Menu Tuesday to Thursday. We offer great quality food, simply cooked and almost everything is made on the premises – people especially like our homemade desserts!
“What we love about Wiltshire is being able to use local produce as much as possible and we feel it’s really important to support local farms and suppliers and to know exactly where our ingredients come from.”
The Conigre Hotel is a 400-year-old Grade II listed farmhouse with eight individually decorated bedrooms. It is also just a stone’s throw from Melksham’s town centre.

Function room

The large function room is ideal for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, christenings or anniversaries but can equally provide a light, airy environment for business meetings and conferences. There is a cosy bar and a large guest conservatory to enjoy the views of the peaceful garden.
Gordon explained, “We can cater for lunch or dinner functions of up to 50 people any day of the week and what we really specialise in is small, private functions where our guests can have exclusive use of the function room, conservatory and garden.”
For more information, call Gordon or Sam on 01225 702229. Open Tuesday to Saturday evenings from 7pm. Pre booking is advisable. Midweek Menu 2 courses for £17 and 3 courses for £20 Tues – Thurs. A la carte menu Friday and Saturday, average Main Course £12.95. Rooms can be viewed at the hotel’s website at www. theconigrehotel.co.uk