Move over The Pig, The Newt, Soho Farmhouse and any other much-hyped rural retreat, for Updown Farmhouse really is the ideal English countryside getaway; elegant, bohemian, bucolic. Or as the legendary Grace Dent described it in The Guardian:
“Somehow [owners] Ruth Leigh and Oli Brown have taken this Grade II-listed building and created one of those quintessentially British, rural settings that matches how American screenwriters believe we all live: endless days perusing dusty, arty tomes in our boldly painted libraries, padding about in our bohemian country piles.”
Booking in advance is a must, especially the restaurant, as it has become increasingly in demand.
From personal bartenders and chefs to a private pool and gym, here's how the rich and famous really holiday.
The location
Situated just outside Deal in Kent, the 17th-century former working farmhouse sits tucked away down a quiet country lane amidst the ‘Garden of England’s’ woodland and wildflower meadows. Occupying around seven and a half acres of restored grounds, including a walled garden, kitchen garden and flower garden that grows the beautiful blooms that decorate throughout. Hunter wellies for every shoe size sit by the back door if you fancy a yomp around the property or even further afield.
This summer, Updown Farmhouse opened an outdoor heated swimming pool, hidden away in the corner of the garden, surrounded by ancient woodland, elegant palms, ferns, and fabulous striped sunloungers – giving it a certain old-world Hollywood charm. The pool, open all year round, is available to all hotel guests, and non-guests can book day passes during the week. There are also plans afoot for an Updown spa, stay tuned…
The vibe
Small but perfectly formed, super relaxed but with a certain boho elegance, Updown Farmhouse opened in 2022 and, as opposed to being a full-on hotel, it’s more of a “restaurant with rooms”. Nowhere feels fussy, and you are treated more like a guest in someone’s home rather than the formality of a boutique hotel. The refurbishment has kept a reverence for its 17th-century bones, while moments of joyful colour and on-trend design make the whole vibe feel both cosy and contemporary.
In the main farmhouse, there’s a drawing room with inviting deep comfy sofas, a library stuffed with books and board games and even an honesty bar where guests can rustle up their favourite tipple. Special mention to the fabulous bespoke lamps that pepper the property, made from old, colourful Art Deco lamp shades stacked on top of each other.
The rooms
Updown Farmhouse has 10 rooms in total, with options available across its main farmhouse, charming cottages, and a recently converted stable.
In the main house, there are four rooms, with two featuring king beds and two featuring super king beds. The cottages (Gardener’s Cottage, Fig Tree Cottage) are a little more independent and tucked away. We stayed in the gorgeous Fig Tree Cottage with its exposed beams and garden terrace overlooking the kitchen garden, a wonderful spot for a sundowner (although the wooden recliners were a little uncomfortable).
The minibar is stocked with obligatory hipster must-haves, including Torres black truffle crisps, Perello Gordal olives, Crodino non-alcoholic aperitif and Lucky Saint 0% beer. Homemade pre-mixed cocktail mixes such as an ‘orange old fashioned’ are a novel touch alongside miniature Kraken spiced rum and Bombay Sapphire gin. Every morning, fresh milk bottles are left outside your room, which was a nice touch, as were the homemade biscuits and nibbles on arrival. The bed at Fig Tree was one of the most deliciously comfy I’ve slept in in years, and the bath, too, was deep and also deeply relaxing with the window open overhead.
Food and drink
This is where the Updown hype does not disappoint. The owners, Oli Brown and Ruth Leigh come from impressive culinary backgrounds: Brown was formerly the owner of acclaimed Brixton restaurant Duck Duck Goose and Leigh’s father, Rowley a famed pioneer of modern British fayre. The restaurant is the beating heart of the property with its chessboard black and white tiled floor and vines creeping over the old exposed beams that extend to the terrace, so overflowing with shrubbery and twinkly lights that you feel you're dining in a magical secret garden - which you are! The menu, Italian-leaning, is always hyper-seasonal, and all produce is locally sourced or grown on site. And gosh, what a treat it is.
The bread service starts every meal with a flourish! Warm, bouncy and house-baked focaccia with olive oil and salted butter whets the appetite for what is to come. Our summer seasonal menu highlights included the unusual but delectable pairing of peach, tomato and basil salad and cuttlefish stew with aioli to start; Wild Sea Bass with Swiss Chard, lentils and salsa verde and roast rack of lamb with tomatoes, tapenade and courgette lasagna. Delicious. Each dish was simple yet inventive, but in no way fussy or precious and the flavours and quality were so unbelievably fresh.
Drinks lean Italian in influence as well, with a curated wine list featuring independent and small-producer wines, plus local options from English wine-makers. Wednesday steak night and Thursday roast chicken nights are a new addition to the menu and are proving very popular.
Continental breakfast is included and is suitably generous with a wide range of pastries, fruit, cheese and charcuteries to choose from. However, the fry-up (not included) is also a fantastic hangover helper. My only note was that the coffee could have been better at breakfast – only cafeterias of filter coffee are available, which didn’t quite hit the spot. Could do with a whizzy Italian coffee machine!
What is there to do in the area?
At Updown Farmhouse, you get the best of both worlds: countryside and the coast. Deal is close by (a 10-minute drive), with its shingle beach, charming Georgian houses, fabulous shopping and really lovely spots to eat. The Rose is a marvellous restaurant, as is The Blue Pelican, but do book ahead; The Zetland Arms pub, right on the beach at Kingsdown, is also great. Updown also offers a chauffeur service to Deal in its Land Rover Defender, which must be booked ahead.
Deal and Dover castles are also nearby for a bit of history, as well as wonderful coastal walks, and you can even see France on a clear day! Betteshanger Park is also great for nature walks and biking trails.
If you’re there for a bit longer, Margate, Whitstable, Sandwich or Canterbury are all within easy reach within an hour's drive for a day trip – or by train.
A stay, or even just a meal (and it will never be ‘just a meal’) at Updown will not disappoint.
Updown Farmhouse prices start from £190 per night including continental breakfast.
