COLWICK HALL

Press

For the latest on recent and forthcoming events, please read our latest newsletter.

Brad Cancer Foundation Ball~ Nottinghamshire Today, 2008 - PDF1 & PDF2

Grand Russian Ball ~ Nottinghamshire Today, 2007 - PDF

Friends of Greenholme School ~ Nottinghamshire Today, 2007 - PDF1 & PDF2

Star in the Making
"An impressive newcomer: With its superb food and stylish décor, Georgetown could be a contender for East Midland’s best new Asian Restaurant..."
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AstraZeneca at Colwick Hall in Nottingham.
"AstraZeneca R&D Charnwood were the proud sponsors of Business in the Community East Midlands Annual Celebration & Awards 2004 at Colwick Hall in Nottingham..."
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East Midlands Awards for Excellence 2004
"The East Midlands Awards for Excellence 2004 ceremony was held at Colwick Hall, Nottingham, with Times columnist Matthew Parris and chief executive of Business in the Community Julia Cleverdon as guest speakers..."
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Business of the Year
"... was awarded the Business of the Year title and picked up a trophy and £1,000 at a ceremony at Colwick Hall. Colwick Hall were proud hosts of the Annual Ethnic Business Awards 2004. The event was hosted by Carlton TV presenter Rajiv Popat..."
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Star in the Making
"Big changes are afoot at Colwick Hall. Always a popular wedding and conference venue, this Georgian mansion - once the ancestral home of Lord Byron - has new owners who plan to revolutionise its image and offerings. A further new restaurant (The 1776 Grand Ballroom) and, later, a new hotel are still to come. But for now we have Georgetown, which opened on Friday. Named after Georgetown, now known as Penang, in Malaysia, this is part of an award-winning restaurant chain - The Pearl Restaurant Group - with existing outlets in London, Leeds, Kenilworth and Stratford-upon-Avon, and sister restaurants such as acclaimed Birmingham Indian institution The Coconut Lagoon.

Housed in a side wing of the main hall, facing out towards the racecourse, the Nottingham venue was so new that you could still smell the fresh paint; everything is luxuriously furnished and pristinely arranged. Of course, the colonial theme is a strong part of the restaurant's appeal - from the white-suited waiters to the sepia-tinged portraits of old Malaya on the cream walls, and the grand piano that gets a tinkling as the sun goes down. It could all be so horribly naff and cheesy - but, we're glad to report, it isn't.

Things started off extremely well with our Singapore Slings (£4.75 each), which immediately hit the spot. On to the main event of dinner, and we were faced with some tough choices from an impressively extensive menu comprising Malaysian, Chinese and Indian dishes - and also particularly strong on vegetarian options. After a thorough consultation, we opted for starters of tropical vegetable tempura (£6.25) and vegetable tim sum (£3.50). The tempura was an expertly fried selection of okra, cauliflower, carrots and aubergine with a saki dip that gave even these innocent veggies an explosive kick.

The tim sum was a single dumpling of sweetcorn, leek, carrots, mange tout and parsnip with a sweet chill dip - again, this tasted fabulously fresh. Portions were perhaps a little small, however. Next up, I went for a familiar favourite: nasi goreng (£8.50). This fragrant Malay stir-fried rice with prawns, chicken and seasonal vegetables in a light soya sauce, garnished with omelette strips, turned out to be a more substantial offering and, more importantly, continued the high-flavour standard set by our starters. My companion's choice of a vegetable claypot (£10.75) was a simmering stew of mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, carrots, tomatoes and pak choi served in a traditional claypot with coconut rice. Again, this dish was a thoroughly enjoyable experience - although it lacked the tofu (as promised on the menu) that would have made it a totally satisfying main course.

To round off a top-class meal, we had pisang emas dan ice cream (£4.50) which, for those not familiar with Kuala Lumpar's cuisine, comprised bananas with pistachio and coconut ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce, almond and coconut flakes, and garnished with mint and cherries. Tragically, this mouthful of ingredients promised more than it delivered: the chocolate was non-existent, although the ice cream was just as it should be. Apart from the slightly out-of-the-way location (they'll need to spread to the word), it's hard to see Georgetown failing. After all, apart from the ever-popular Mr Man's in Wollaton, Malaysian cuisine has yet to get a foothold on the Nottingham scene. So Georgetown, with its unique colonial theme, is a strong proposition. And, given the fact that Colwick Hall is bidding to become a serious player on the local restaurant and hotel scene, this is, along with ultra-hip Geisha, a contender for the East Midlands' best new Asian restaurant of 2004.

David Sandhu (www.ukmetro.co.uk)