Our General Manager Anthony has celebrated his 10th year in the post. So, we thought we’d catch up with him and find out more about his past decade.

What have been the highlights of 2018 for Ellingham Hall?

There are three things that stand out: we’ve had our busiest ever summer with weddings! Our Head of Weddings, Wendy, was named Wedding Co-ordinator of the Year in the North of England Wedding Awards. And we officially launched the venue for corporate events. It has been very eventful, but I’ve enjoyed it.

What has been your biggest challenge this year?

As this has been the busiest summer, the biggest challenge has been on logistics. It was essential to ensure our guests’ expectations were met or exceeded, but it was equally important to look after and support our team.

What has been your proudest moment?

It was when Wendy, our Head of Weddings won her award! As well as being proud of her, I was also proud of the fact the whole team had been recognised for the service we deliver. We pride ourselves on our service, and this award highlighted that effort.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on an exciting new venture! We will be launching our sister venue Lemmington Hall, as an exclusive-use event space next year, so I’ll be very busy with that. We are also arranging a calendar of events to enable the public to experience Ellingham Hall. As an exclusive-use venue, there isn’t the same chance to visit like you can with a hotel. If you’ve been a guest or a client in the past, we want to welcome you back. It will give you the chance to relive some great memories! We’re also working on building on the success of the corporate launch.

Tell us about your team?

I’m fortunate to have in place strong Heads of Departments, all of whom have been with me for between four and nine years. I appreciate it’s quite unusual in this industry to work with people for so long, and I hope that length of service shows how well we get on, and that we are a genuine team. I also think the key is mutual respect and listening to them. Their opinions and work are valued, and that’s what has helped make Ellingham Hall what it is today.

As we plan for further growth in 2019 and 2020, I recognised that we needed additional experience in marketing and sales and have made two new appointments in Lynn Sanderson and Rachel Barlow. I’m looking forward to working with them for many years to come!

How do you keep ahead of the competition in such a competitive sector?

We were one of the first exclusive-use wedding venues in Northumberland, and in that time, we’ve focused on customer experience, retained our exclusivity, and our attention to detail hasn’t wavered. It’s important to move with demand and offer a high-quality service at a good price. We listen to our customer feedback to help us improve where we can.

What services do you offer?

Exclusive weddings, corporate and special events; private parties; private dining and holiday cottage breaks.

Where do you see the business in 12 months’ time?

We should have experienced the planned growth and launched our second venue, Lemmington Hall, ready for trading in 2020.

If you think we’re all about formal events, then think again!

We opened our doors to welcome the team from Everything Different  just before Christmas, and they had a fun-filled time here! We were chosen for their staff Christmas party and team building day because we’re not only different, we’re just a 45-minute drive from Newcastle, where the agency’s office is based.

The guys were here for a full afternoon and evening to celebrate the festive season and to take part in team building activities – and they packed a lot into their time!

There was clearly a bit of a competitive edge as the team was split into three groups that took part in laser clay pigeon shooting, crazy golf and treasure hunting. Out on the front lawn, there was laughter (and a bit of frustration for some) as the laser clay pigeon shooting took place.

Our dining room was transformed into a small one-hole crazy golf course!

There were some hijinks and loud cheers as one or two people managed to achieve the illusive hole in one!

As well as experiencing new activities or honing skills, the team also tested their mettle and observation as part of a treasure hunt, which took part in our extensive grounds and rooms of our beautiful mansion.

Each activity was interspersed with teas, coffees and food in the kitchen before the evening activities began.

After the fresh air and activities of the day, the evening started with a quiz in the chapel before dinner which, despite it being a chilly December day, was a barbecue!

The Everything Different team also chose a Gatsby theme, which blended perfectly with the setting here at Ellingham Hall.

According to Everything Different Group Chief Executive Ben Quigley, we were the perfect venue for the event. He said: “We like to do something different, and Ellingham Hall is certainly out of the ordinary. We had a fantastic time here.

“The activities were fantastic and enabled us to get our teams mixed up and get everybody bonding and having a good time together in an amazing environment.”

Mark James, who is Managing Director of the company’s Differentology – specialist research and insight division, added Ellingham Hall was a great place for business.

“It’s not too far from Newcastle and it’s lovely to get somewhere a little different and out of the hustle and bustle of the city,” he said.

If you are looking for a team building venue or are looking for an unusual place for business events, come and speak to us about what you want to do and we’ll help you achieve your goals.

Images provided by India Jackson Photography.

Upon relaunching Ellingham Hall as a destination for corporate events, it was our pleasure to welcome over 30 business owners to a corporate showcase!

North East Chamber of Commerce members, as well as exclusive local guests, were invited to explore our luxurious rooms and sample some delicious food! Additionally, there was a chance to be entertained by a troupe of incredible dancers who were certainly a spectacle!

Several guests commented that hotels don’t allow you full access, but that’s what we’re all about!

Whether it’s a corporate event or a wedding, you should feel relaxed and at home. Indeed, the fact we were happy to let our guests explore the Hall left many of them in awe.

Lindsay Benton, who owns her own business, Northumberland Nutrition said this: “Ellingham Hall is amazing. I’d never been before, but after being able to look around at the all the rooms, including the kitchen, I’d say it is one of the best events venues in the region. The facilities are amazing and it’s a beautiful place. I have to say, the food was very good!”

Meanwhile, Clare McCabe, from the North East Chamber of Commerce, said the Hall had been a perfect venue!

“The Hall has such a lovely feeling and having our meeting at the same time as the corporate showcase was perfect because there was music and entertainment too, which gave a very different feel to what we usually have. It’s somewhere we’d certainly come back to.”

Like so many others who visited, David Kirkland, from North East Times magazine, had never been to Ellingham Hall before.

“I have heard of the hall before and knew about it hosting weddings, but I’d never been. We arrange events across the region and it would be a perfect place for events. We like to get away from the office for some production meetings, and it’s a place that would be perfect for those meetings. It is a very surprising place; particularly how big it is. I was very impressed. I have to say I was also impressed with the members of staff. They were all very polite.”

We undoubtedly couldn’t have put on such an amazing launch without our supporters:

Instore Radio, The Whole Shc-Bang, Paul Slattery Caricatures, Corporate Illusion, Clear & Loud AV, Pure Entertainment Group, Prime Entertainment, Phil Smith Photography and North East Chamber of Commerce.

If you haven’t been to explore Ellingham Hall, or haven’t thought about us as a corporate venue, why not arrange to come and have a look?

Images provided by Phil Smith Photography.

A wedding venue in Northumberland has been shortlisted in the regional heats of a prestigious industry award.

Ellingham Hall has been chosen as a Yorkshire and North East finalist in The Wedding Industry Awards for the best countryside wedding venue of the year.

The shortlisting from dozens of venues comes just weeks after the Hall’s Wedding Co-ordinator, Wendy Sproul, was crowned North East Wedding Co-ordinator of the Year by The Wedding Guide UK in September.

General Manager Anthony Hunter said he was delighted that the Hall had been shortlisted for such a distinguished award.

“When we were told Ellingham Hall had been shortlisted, we were thrilled. The region includes the whole of Yorkshire as well as the North East, so there are lots of countryside venues to compete against. So to be shortlisted is very exciting for us.”

Ellingham Hall is an elegant country house that is set in its own eight-acre estate. Wedding parties can book the entire grounds of the Hall as well as seven luxury cottages for their guests, making it a unique experience.

Anthony added: “We always get amazing feedback from our couples about the Hall and grounds as well as for our hardworking staff. The fact Wendy won an award just last month and we are now shortlisted for this accolade is testament to the effort the entire team puts in to make wedding days special for our couples and their guests.”

The winner of the award will be announced on November 6 at a special awards ceremony in Yorkshire.