Dear Member,
Something about this time of year has us feeling a little… dare we say, patriotic. The flowers are in bloom, the produce is thriving, and we are ready for a Summer in the English countryside (because when the weather is good, you really can’t beat it). And whilst fighting your way through the hordes in Sloane Square, admiring the sensational window displays during Chelsea in Bloom might be mildly irritating, and cursing under your breath about the amount of pollen flying into various orifices isn’t ideal, it’s a nice reminder of how lucky we are to be surrounded by such life. With that in mind, we wanted this issue to be an ode to the best of British and everything we have to offer; our in-season favourites for produce and flowers, a compilation of our favourite British brands across beauty, home and fashion, and some staycations to add to your bucket list.
THE SOCIETY STOCK EXCHANGE
Buying:
 The Great Outdoors – Good for your health, wellbeing and energy. Everyone needs their daily dose of vitamin D, some fresh air and a little bit of nature to bring things into perspective. Morning sunshine also helps you sleep better and feel more awake, as it signals your nervous system that you are up and about, kick-starting your body for the day. It honestly does help, even if only for a few minutes. Pop on a podcast (and pop some allevia), and take a moment to look up.
Cotton Knitwear – Perfect for the changeable weather. We love the way cotton knitwear tends to have more structure and stiffness, so it holds its shape and never appears clingy, while still draping. For the ultimate, we recommend this crew-neck style from Polo Ralph Lauren for £215; however, in line with our BoB theme, the WNU Devon jumper in navy is superb.
Racket Sports – Always a favourite, but we’re really gearing up for tennis/padel season. Brush up on your skills before you are roped into the next mixed doubles tournament. Book a session with your local LTA-certified coach here.
Selling:
Unpredictable May Weather – Why are we dressing for hailstorms and al fresco drinks on the same day?
Roadworks – Whilst we are thrilled that the potholes and other road-related ailments are being resolved, we really wish they could be fixed more promptly (especially if one has to brave them on a Lime bike!).
Overspraying Your Scent – We get it, but on top of the sinus-killing pollen, sometimes we actually have had enough of your Baccarat Rouge 540.
SEASONAL UPDATE
With the Chelsea Flower Show just kicking off and the surrounding areas in full bloom, we are inspired to improve our floral arrangements and gardens (space permitting). We’ll start with a classic – David Austen Roses, who will be marking the event with this year’s rose, named after Sir David Beckham. We were also recently inspired by the floral arrangements of Thierry Boutemy, who worked on the florals at the recent Chanel show in Biarritz, and also did the flowers for Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette – we recommend taking a deep dive through his Instagram.
If you don’t have Chelsea Flower Show tickets and you find yourself with a few hours free one afternoon, head to Chelsea for its prestigious annual floral art show and London’s largest free-to-attend festival of flowers. This year’s theme is ‘Out Of This World’, and some of the incredible displays should serve as ample inspiration for your own. You can even find a handy tour map here.
Meanwhile, some of our favourite seasonal flowers include peonies, wonderfully titled “paprikash” irises, azaleas and scented lilacs. Perhaps the most romantic bloom in the British garden, peonies are best cut when the buds are just beginning to unfurl. Snip them early in the morning, wrap loosely in newspaper and store somewhere cool; they’ll open slowly and last a full fortnight. If you’re feeling particularly industrious, peony petals can be pressed between the pages of heavy books and used to decorate correspondence or menus for spring entertaining.
Paprikash irises deserve a vase entirely to themselves. Their deep, almost-burnished tones are too extraordinary to compete with. Cut on a long stem and change the water daily…irises are thirsty, demanding things, which feels entirely appropriate.
For scented lilacs, recut the stems and split the woody ends with a sharp knife before placing them in water, as it dramatically extends their vase life. Better still, lilac sugar is one of those wonderfully OTT pantry additions. Pack fresh, fragrant heads between layers of caster sugar in a jar, seal it, and leave for a week. The result is a floral sugar ideal for shortbread, meringues, or stirred into warm cream.
In the kitchen garden, it’s all about the spring produce of new potatoes, rhubarb, asparagus, wild garlic and even elderflower for the foragers amongst the society.
Might we suggest you create a wild garlic pesto to serve with the new potatoes and asparagus, along with a little homemade aioli, before enjoying a little rhubarb fool?
Wild garlic pesto takes approximately ten minutes to make. Blanch a large handful of wild garlic leaves briefly in boiling water, refresh in ice water to preserve the vivid green, then blitz with toasted pine nuts, good parmesan, lemon zest, and your best olive oil. Season generously. Serve alongside halved new potatoes (boiled until just yielding), then crushed lightly in the pan with butter, and asparagus spears grilled until charred at the tips. A small pot of homemade aioli on the table rounds everything out beautifully. For the aioli: two egg yolks, a clove of raw garlic crushed to a paste, a teaspoon of Dijon, and a slow, patient stream of neutral oil whisked until thick, finished with lemon juice and flaky salt.
To finish: rhubarb fool, which is perhaps the most effortless pudding the British kitchen has ever produced. Riverford have a great recipe that’s simple and quick to follow!
This really is the best time of year for British gardens and produce. We hope you are eating and arranging accordingly.
STAYCATION
There was a time when staying in one’s own country felt like a consolation prize. We are pleased to report that time has passed. The truth is that Britain, when one knows where to look, offers some of the most extraordinary hotel experiences in the world: clifftop Cornish eco-hotels with Ayurvedic spas, Victorian Scottish castles with private sea safaris, and Surrey estates that once hosted Winston Churchill and still manage to feel quietly subversive about it. The treehouse suites at Chewton Glen alone are a sufficient argument for never boarding a plane again.
For those who don’t have friends with country estates, or for those who are no longer welcome at their friends country estates, we have divided our findings into two camps: those that will welcome dogs with open arms (and, in several cases, a dedicated canine welcome hamper), and those best reserved for the occasions when one is forced to actually spend time with their spouse.
Limewood
New Forest, Hampshire
A 13th-century hunting lodge reimagined into the New Forest’s most beloved country retreat. Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder’s Italian-British restaurant is the kind of meal you plan a trip around. Wild ponies graze outside the garden lodges.
Standout luxuries: Herb House Spa with rooftop herb-garden gym and outdoor hot pools; Hartnett Holder & Co cookery school; complimentary Hunter wellies and mountain bikes; Raw & Cured spa café. Dogs welcome in garden lodges at £30/night — beds and bowls provided.
From £405 per night.
Beaverbrook
Surrey Hills, Surrey
Once home to Lord Beaverbrook, frequented by Ian Fleming, Elizabeth Taylor and Winston Churchill, this 470-acre Surrey estate is equal parts glamour and countryside escapism. The Coach House Spa, designed by glass artist Brian Clarke, is visually extraordinary.
Standout luxuries: Britain’s first private cinema with daily screenings; ex-Nobu chef at the Japanese Grill; Brian Clarke stained-glass spa; estate tennis courts; summer hot air balloon dining. Dogs welcome in Garden House and Coach House rooms — free of charge, with beds, bowls and treats provided.
From £440 per night.
Gleneagles
Auchterarder, Perthshire
The grande dame of Scottish hotel stays. Three championship golf courses, Scotland’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant (Andrew Fairlie), an equestrian school, falconry, clay shooting and a legendary breakfast served in the Orangery. Stepping off court into highland air and towards a two Michelin-starred dinner is a combination few other hotels can offer.
Standout luxuries: Full spa with aquathermal suite; 58 weekly fitness classes; dog training centre on the grounds; resident tennis pros; silver-service dining in The Strathearn. Dogs welcome in selected rooms at £100/night — kennels also available at £48/night on estate.
From £350 per night.
Glenapp Castle
Ballantrae, South Ayrshire
A fairytale Victorian castle on the Ayrshire coast with views to Ailsa Craig. Just 17 bedroom suites (all unique) and over 70 activities, including Hebridean Sea Safaris, wild swimming and falconry. Dining in the Victorian glasshouse at the Azalea restaurant is unmissable. With only 17 suites, Glenapp operates at a level of personal service almost impossible to achieve at scale — guests are met by name, rooms prepared to individual preference, the managing director regularly on the floor.
Standout luxuries: Castle Penthouse Suite (4 beds, private sauna, rooftop terrace); Hebridean Sea Safari by private boat; Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park nearby for stargazing; babysitting available for dogs during dinner. Pets welcome — charges apply.
From £395 per night.
Cliveden House
Taplow, Berkshire
Built for the 2nd Duke of Buckingham and steeped in royal history. Set within 376 acres of National Trust grounds with the last listed outdoor pool in England, the famous Profumo pool. Indoor and outdoor tennis courts sit within the estate — quite possibly the most dramatic court backdrop in Britain.
Standout luxuries:Â Spa with legendary Profumo outdoor pool; boat trips on Cliveden Reach; 250 acres of National Trust woodland; welcome hamper and walking map for canine guests; dog-friendly terrace dining; indoor and outdoor courts for year-round play.
From £470 per night.
The Scarlet Hotel
Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Perched above Bedruthan Steps on the North Cornish coast, this adults-only eco hotel is built into the clifftop with panoramic Atlantic views. Every room has a sea-facing balcony. The Ayurveda-inspired spa (with cliff-edge hot tubs and cedar barrel sauna) is among the most atmospheric in Britain.
Standout luxuries:Â Four clifftop hot tubs; reed-fringed outdoor natural pool; seasonal foraging menu by Head Chef Jack Clayton; Ayurvedic tented treatment pods. Dog-friendly throughout.
From £255 per night.
Chewton Glen
New Forest, Hampshire
Consistently voted Britain’s best hotel by its peers, Chewton Glen sets the benchmark for English country house hospitality. The treehouse suites are suspended in the woodland canopy with roll-top baths and private hot tubs.
Standout luxuries: Treehouse suites from £1,150/night; 17-metre pool, hydrotherapy spa pool, outdoor whirlpool; bespoke spa days with double treatment rooms for couples from £235; tailor-made honeymoon experiences.
From £405 per night.
The Connaught
Mayfair, London
Named on Condé Nast Traveller’s Gold List 2025 for Europe. Since 1815, the Connaught has been London’s most quietly magnificent address with minibars disguised as chinoiserie cabinets, hand-embroidered bed heads, a Barbara Hepworth lithograph in the corridor. The martini trolley at the bar is a London institution.
Standout luxuries: Personal butler service; Aman Spa; private art collection (Sutherland, Hepworth); 1930s-style ballroom; Hélène Darroze’s three Michelin-starred restaurant. Suites from £3,260.
From £750 per night.
Claridge’s
Mayfair, London
Since 1812, Claridge’s has been the living room of Mayfair. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were regulars; Audrey Hepburn, Bing Crosby and Marlene Dietrich followed. Spencer Tracy once said he’d rather go to Claridge’s than heaven when he died. The butler on the door has been there 48 years. It ranks in the World’s 50 Best Hotels for good reason.
Standout luxuries: Suites redesigned by Diane von Furstenberg and David Linley; 24-hour butler service in signature suites; newly opened underground spa (heated pool, hammam, seven treatment rooms); legendary Fumoir bar for 1930s-style nightcaps. Suites from £1,500; the Penthouse from £16,000.
From £888 per night.
Stoke Park
Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire
England’s first country club, set within 300 acres of Capability Brown parkland. The tennis offering here is extraordinary: 13 courts across six Wimbledon-specification grass courts, four floodlit clay and three indoor — with resident pros available daily. Every June the estate hosts The Boodles, the most glamorous warm-up event on the pre-Wimbledon calendar. James Bond has played here. Bridget Jones has stayed here.
Standout luxuries:Â The Boodles tennis event each June (pre-Wimbledon); 27-hole championship golf course; Tatler-listed spa with Italian marble steam rooms; 3 AA Rosette restaurant Humphry’s; 35 minutes from London. Currently partially open following renovation so check ahead.
From £380 per night.
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Great Milton, Oxfordshire
Raymond Blanc’s Oxfordshire manor consistently scores among the very highest guest ratings of any hotel in Britain (9.7 on Booking.com, Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best) largely on service. Guests describe staff as warm, attentive and unhurried in a way that larger hotels cannot replicate. There are also only 32 rooms making the whole experience feel more boutique than anything. The two Michelin-starred restaurant and two-acre kitchen garden that supplies it are exceptional.
Standout luxuries:Â Two-acre kitchen garden with guided tours; cookery school; 32 individually designed rooms set in 99 acres; gardens inspired by those of Provence; Blenheim Palace 30 minutes away. Forbes Five Star rated. Tripadvisor Best of the Best.
From £862 per night.
Rudding Park
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
A family-owned hotel in 300 acres of North Yorkshire gardens — and one that consistently wins service awards precisely because it is owner-operated. Named Best Spa Hotel in the UK & Ireland for 2025 (Luxury Spa Edit Awards), with three AA Rosettes for its restaurant. The rooftop spa, set above the treetops with a hydrotherapy infinity pool, is unlike anything else in Yorkshire.
Standout luxuries:Â Rooftop spa with hydrotherapy infinity pool above the treeline; private cinema; kitchen garden supplying the restaurant; two golf courses; independent hotel of the year multiple times. 15 minutes from Harrogate town centre.
From £270 per night.
BEST OF BRITISH
Best of British Brands
Sometimes, the best things are right in front of you. Sure, it’s exciting to find a little-known brand on your travels around the world; however, there’s something special about our homegrown heroes.
- Turner Vintage – one of the best sourcers of vintage at Portabello and also pops up at Rixo on the King’s Road some weekends.
- F&M – for anything and everything, you cannot beat Fortnum’s. Our favourite products include the lossus biscuit range, poultry rub and the best teas in London.
- Sowvital – for the best British products inspired by and from British botanicals. We love their tomato leaf hand cream and the flower tote.
- Johnstons of Elgin – made in Scotland for over 200 years. Amazing cashmere and merino natural fibres in updated yet classic styles.
- Christy Towels – The towel outfitters of Wimbledon…what other reason do you need?
- Piglet in Bed – dreamy cotton and linen bedding made in Portugal. A favourite for injecting a little whimsy and colour into our bed linens.
- Annoushka jewellery – a classic for a reason. Founded by Annoushka Ducas (the founder of Links of London, RIP), we especially love the Knuckle range, available in sterling silver or 14-carat yellow gold. If you’re looking to do something particularly special, you can create bespoke charms with moving parts, which we are enamoured by.
- Alighieri – inspired by Dante’s works, Rosh Mahtani, the founder and designer, creates modern heirlooms that continue to celebrate human imperfections and vulnerability.
- Pophams / Pophams Home – a London cafe, deli and homeware shop which sources unique products, ceramics and art from around the world. Really amazing for gifting and homeware items that feel unique.
- Aspinal of London – the ideal leather-bound stationery that feels super fancy and chic. We love personalising hip flasks and journals to make an extra special gift.
- Assembly Coffee – an independent coffee roaster based in Brixton, creating unique varieties and limited edition coffees.
- Cubitts – the best glasses purveyor, inspired by the eccentric glasses wearers of history, including many iconic Brits.
- With Nothing Underneath – a staple for women’s shirts that look effortless and modern. We live and die by our WNU cris[ white boyfriend shirts (and you can use TAMSIN10 for an extra 10% off!).
- Sweaty Betty – our favourite for exercise kits for the slopes, court and everyday walks.
- Modern House – the best place to find unusual and beautifully designed properties in the UK (for those wanting a third of fourth residence).
- Botivo – the best non-alcoholic brand for fans of bitter spirits (aka if you are looking for a replacement Negroni). Bottled in Herefordshire.
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Penhaligons – the best of British perfumes – we love their eccentric and unique take on luxury fragrances. Don’t forget to check our their hair perfumes and hand and body lotion collection (which you can also find in the bathrooms at The Savoy).
You will find all the information you need in your member’s dashboard in regard to rules and dress codes, but if you have any further questions, please email hello@therhubarbsociety.com
(Please note, dogs are allowed in every room but ankle socks are not!)
Until next time…
