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Original poster

catering at center parcs - cooking IN as well

46 replies

AugustusGloop · 27/12/2008 20:54

We are going for a weekend this winter and don't want to spend too much on eating out. Have booked the american place for the Sat but want to eat in the rest I think.

How good is the oven - I havea vague memory of someone telling me they are shit, are in a woodland exec. We were thinking of buying some Marks or Waitrose stuff , or even bbq ing.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 27/12/2008 21:03

We went to Whinfell and stayed in executive lodge (but old style) and the kitchens were fine. I did cook a bit when there and coped ok. My only complaint was that I didn't have all the utensils and pans I would have had at home, but was fine honest.

roisin · 27/12/2008 21:11

I don't rate the restaurants at CP at all. We usually self-cater virtually the whole time. We bring a few pans and stuff with us, so that we know we have the essentials - sharp knives, big casserole dishes etc., but generally the kitchens have the basics.

Hulababy - how did you enjoy it? Were you there just before Christmas?

Hulababy · 27/12/2008 21:14

If in new style the kitchens are really good IIRR. Visited friends for a day at Sherwood Forest last year and they stayed int he brand news ones and they were fab.

Which Cp are you off to?

At Whinfell the Indian restaurant and Cafe Rouge were good.

The pizza takeaway was good too. £10 for a 16 inch pizza, which isn;t bad.

The other takeeaway was dear - we paid nearly £90 for takeaway Indian and Chinese for fpr 6 adults.

Roisin - went week beore Christmas and it was fab, had a great time.

IlanaK · 27/12/2008 21:17

The restaurants have changed now at Centre Parcs. They are now chains (Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia). We are going in two weeks time (we go every year at this time) and I followed someone else's excellent suggestion and swapped my Tesco clubcard vouchers for resteraunt vouchers for those two chains. So now we can have two evening meals out for free.

The shop at Elvedon is well stocked if you want to self cater. The ovens are fine, but if you cook a lot at home you will be disappointed by the lack of good utensils and pans. Stick to basic recipes.

In the days that we went by car (now we go by train), we used to cook some things in advance and take them with us.

theinsider · 27/12/2008 21:19

You can use tesco clubcard deals tokens in Bella Pasta and Cafe Rouge ie 4x the value of your tokens. That can really take the heat out of the cost of a meal out.

Original poster
AugustusGloop · 27/12/2008 22:41

ta all.

Longleat

OP posts:
Original poster
AugustusGloop · 27/12/2008 22:41

what chains are there?

OP posts:
Original poster
AugustusGloop · 27/12/2008 23:01

can i ask - do you get the booking fee BACK? it wants £10 per adult

OP posts:
Hulababy · 27/12/2008 23:02

Yes they knock it off the total price of your bill.

Original poster
AugustusGloop · 27/12/2008 23:05

Phew!

OP posts:
lizziebeth · 27/12/2008 23:13

At Longleat, there's Strada, Cafe Rouge and a tapas place called Ortegas. All of these were good, Strada especially so.

The ovens in Woodland exec weren't brilliant but ok.

nannynick · 04/01/2009 15:08

When are you going to Longleat? I'm there on 12th Jan, in a Woodland in Pine area. What do you mean by Woodland Exec? I can't locate that villa type... there is Woodland, there is Exec and there is New Style Exec.

My mum went the week before Christmas and said the oven in the Woodland (was in a villa around the Pine 190-200 area) were no better than they have been in the past.
I last went in October in Exec apartment, so no oven and I tended to eat at the Sports Cafe and at the Indian - Rajinda Pradesh. The indian is great for adult food.
The new website design now has all the menus on-line, so you can get a feel for how much a meal out will cost you.
Food wise in the villa, I would suggest you aim to cook mostly on the hob and using the microwave. If children want chips - go to the Sports Cafe.

Furball · 04/01/2009 15:32

I would recommend a slow cooker. Chuck everything in in the morning and come back whenever you fancy to lovely home cooked food.

You can get them for about £10 in Tesco and can obviously use it at home as well.

Stews
chilli
spag bol
Thick soups and crusty bread to name a few easy stuff

petesneat · 04/01/2009 15:34

I am going to New style exec in Feb. Pool table and all!

thelittlestbadger · 04/01/2009 15:47

I went to Longleat recently. There is a Strada for pasta and a cafe rouge, also starbucks and a few non-chainy things. We ended up cooking evening meals because the one night we went out DD was shattered and then overtired. Lack of pans and dishwasher tablets was a bit of a pain but perfectly manageable.

Ambi · 04/01/2009 16:05

Don't know about Longleat, but went to Whinfell a few weekends back and they've a new takeaway facility called Dining in, which you can order Indian/Chinese/Italian food and they deliver to your lodge within half hour. I think this was a brilliant idea.

mrsgboRingOutTheOld · 04/01/2009 16:09

The only thing we came a cropper on was no weighing scales (we wanted to bake gingerbread) and as others have mentioned, no sharp knives.

Strada at Longleat was excellent when we went.

JiminyCricket · 04/01/2009 16:17

the grater's have always been rubbish when we've been, and some of the ovens have poorly sealed doors, but by no means awful - always go for easy stuff so more relaxed. Huckleberry's at Longleat not very good IMO if that's what you mean by American. Though I know lots of places have been upgraded recently and menu probably suits kids.

JiminyCricket · 04/01/2009 16:17

Have fun btw, can't wait til we go at Easter!

nannynick · 04/01/2009 16:24

Longleat has DiningIn. Back in Aug08 found that ordering took a while, certainly longer than 1/2 hour. One portion of Thai Curry and Rice sets you back a little over £10.
Parc Marc had a variety of ready meals, as well as jar sauces, chicken, rice - so could make yourself at your villa for I expect a lower price.

There is a Morrisons about 2 miles from CP Longleat (has petrol station as well, so handy as refueling point). Will be a bit cheaper than Parc Marc, though the prices in Parc Marc aren't that bad... CP don't want to encourage you to go off-site shopping!

petesneat · 04/01/2009 16:25

Nick you seem to go a lot. I was going to go to Hucks too.
shit that it is crap.

LoveMyLapTop · 04/01/2009 16:26

they are jsut bog standard ovens, not fan assissted so a lot slower than home.
We always take pizzas, do a big chilli, fry ups.
Rarely eat out at CP as not good value, but havvent been for 2 yeasr so may be a lot better as mentioned above.
Longleat is very pretty, but very hilly.
The boardwalk is lovley at night all lit up!

IlanaK · 04/01/2009 16:27

We go to Elvedon every year and have generally found the eating out food to be rubbish. With the exception of the Indian. However, they have revamped in the last year and there are now chains on site so I have high hopes. We are going tomorow for the week.

IotasCat · 04/01/2009 16:27

Hucks is the worst - go to cafe rouge or strada.

retiredgoth2 · 04/01/2009 16:28

....I have always found that, whatever you cook, the f**ing smoke alarm goes off.

Even boiling an egg.

...I believe this to be a conspiracy to force people to eat in the overpriced greasemongers restaurants.

(the 'American' restaurant particularly bad. Take gaviscon. The pizza palace was always the best of a bad bunch)

...so I now put a rubber glove over the smoke detector prior to cooking. I am aware that this is poor H and S, but I do it anyway.

Apart from the crappy catering, I love Longleat Center Parcs. I have been looking at booking it, but it is horrendously expensive and fear that my finances no longer stretch this far....