BOTANICALS IN THE BAA
FROM HERBAL INFUSIONS TO GARDEN & HEDGEROW INSPIRED COCKTAILS
The Baa, Thyme's new, vibrant guest drawing room & cocktail bar - universally loved by our hotel & exclusive use guests.
When considering the design of a new space for guests, there was one very important remit to fulfil - timeless elegance connected with the landscape that inspires everything at Thyme. In the November edition of Country & Town House, Juliet Kinsman comments that, “what makes Thyme so refreshing is its invitation to step out of the usual DFL (down from London) patterns and tune in with nature…Thyme’s greatest charm is that it genuinely connects you to the countryside – something urbanites crave now more than ever,” and in The Baa this is achieved with what appears to be effortless chic, albeit with a quirky twist.
Working with designer Roger Hall, Caryn Hibbert created the perfect environment for relaxing, endorsing the ethos that we are more than a hotel, instead we are a ‘place to stay'. Two large paintings dominate the walls of this sumptuous drawing room, eighteenth century landscapes populated with flocks of sheep, but what draws the eye is the seating, amongst the plush velvet sofas that invite you to sink into them, are sheep. Designed by us and handmade in England for Thyme, our Baa seats have deep upholstered fleeces with sculptural heads & legs cast in bronze. Comfortable, with a touch of humour, they have surprised us in their power to charm.
Mid-morning coffee with home-made quince cake served from the deep zinc-surface of the bar, light kitchen garden lunches of seasonal soups and tarts, afternoon herb-garden infusions accompanied by bread, cheese & preserves, savoury or sweet. In the evening the space becomes truly seductive, the dark cabinets open to reveal a cocktail bar lined with antique mirrors reflecting the candlelit room. Revealed here is our stock of English and fine wines and a beautiful collection of British spirits and distillations. It is now that guests can indulge in drinks from the cocktail list - botanical twists on classic cocktails and a few surprises from the minds behind this new venture. A favourite with guests is our ‘Quince Fizz’ – perfectly in season and picked on our doorstep, this unusual rosy pink fruit, fragrant with notes of pear and an undertone that is exotically floral is paired with our own Southrop Honey and local sparkling wine from Poulton Hill, a small entrepreneurial enterprise whose vinyards are only 20 minutes from Thyme.