Today’s interview is with Amanda from Woodside Yurt and Breakfast.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
Ages (if you want to)
Daron is 48 and Amanda 52, daughters Angel, who runs the Beauty and Spa salon, is 19 and Jade, who is at catering college and makes the fabulous cake here is 17.
Where you are from?
Daron was born in London and spent the first 7 years of his life in the States then moved back to London then Goudhurst, Amanda grew up in Bromley then Orpington and moved down to the country in her twenties and met Daron.
We married in 1992 then moved to Woodside in 1997. We got planning permission to build Woodside as a replacement dwelling and it was subsequently featured in self build magazine and on the cover.
Have you always wanted to run a glamping site? How did you get interested in it?
We opened as a B&B 6 years ago and immediately gained the most prestigious 5* grading with added Gold Award and Breakfast Award for outstanding breakfasts.
As we were then turning 50 people a week away due to being fully booked; we decided to expand the B&B to outside- we have 10 acres of gardens, paddock and Woodland so it seemed the perfect thing to do so that people can enjoy the countryside.
We began the glamping business first with one hand made yurt and then a tipi and as we have profits we have simply ploughed the money back into the business to expand to what we have now.
We will not be adding further accommodations as we like to keep the site small with a very bespoke and personalised service.
What made you pick the location for your glamping site?
It is our home in our 10 acres of ancient bluebell woods and paddock.
Do you get a wide range of different people from different walks of life or are there certain types of guests who come to stay at your site?
We get all sorts – older mature hens and stags, birthday parties, family groups, weddings, couples, honeymoon couples, engagement celebrations, anniversary couples, same sex couples, single parents with their children.
No one is excluded and we treat everyone as if they are part of the family when they are here. We provide their every need and Daron lights their fires and BBQs if they need help.
When guests stay, do they usually cook on site or do you find a lot like to go exploring and eat out at local places?
Our glampers can cook here on their BBQs and gas camping stoves that we provide or they can order our Award winning breakfast or Vintage High Teas on the terrace or in marquee or our corporate entertaining: BBQs, hog/lamb roasts etc.
We also have a plethora of great restaurants and local eateries and we provide information about these to our guests before they arrive. We even have a local with a Michelin Star.
If there was one activity to participate in, landmark, or place of interest that you would recommend guests visit while staying at your site, what would it be and why?
It has to be Bodiam Castle – just 5 minutes from here – ask a 5 year old to draw you a picture of a castle and they will draw exactly what Bodiam Castle looks like – your ultimate fairy castle with moat – stunning National Trust property.
We also have Sedlescombe Organic vineyard for a lovely walk – their vineyard tour and wine tasting is very popular and people then buy the wine and come back for a BBQ accompanied by a bottle or more…
What do you think sets your glamping site apart from others?
Our site is small and friendly and offers a bespoke service. We have a health spa with a full range of beauty and spa treatments available and sauna and hot tub. We also have a cinema lounge with a 9ft TV screen. Our accommodations are more like our 5* B&B suites in the house but they just happen to be outside in our paddock.
Guests also benefit from our 5* personal service, it is not just a case of them being shown to their accommodation and left to their own devices; we host our guests and pamper them.
What has been the most memorable moment that has happened on your glamping site?
There really are too many. People tend to come here because it is for a special and memorable occasion except in the school holidays when everyone comes!
Do you provide any services/entertainment/activities onsite or elsewhere for your guests?
Apart from what we have already mentioned we arrange activities based on bespoke requests and make the arrangements necessary, bringing in personnel or hosting physical activities locally like shooting, fishing, zip wire etc etc.
What plans (if any) do you have for your glamping site in the future?
We are now at full capacity and do not intend to expand as we have just the right amount of accommodation to be able to know the names of our guests to address everyone personally – the capacity creates an atmosphere without being crowded and the guests also interact too.
The way we are expanding is “off site”. What we are now doing is hiring out and selling yurts and tipis to individuals and corporations for events and personal use, as so many people have asked if they can have specific accommodations of ours at their home for a party or venue for an event.
Yurts are much more fashionable and atmospheric alternative to a marquee and our 8m yurt for example seats 20 for formal dining or 80 for standing informal parties.
We are promoting this side of the business for yurt hire and sales at FANTASYurts (www.FANTASYurts.co.uk) and will bespoke design a tipi or yurt for our clients to give them “the yurt of their dreams decked out in one of our themes…”
