News and Information from Dannah Farm

Work has just been completed on a beautiful private terrace with outdoor hot tub, accessible exclusivley from the Granary suites private sitting room. With views over the rolling Derbyshire countryside, this secluded sun-trap is the ultimate place to relax and unwind.  

Our inspection this year was a little different, as instead of one AA inspector we ended up with three! We were used by a senior AA inspector to help instruct two trainee AA inspectors! The experience was very interesting and also very successful, as once again we were awarded 5 yellow stars highly commended. These annual inspections are very valuable, both to us as providers of accommodation and also to the consumer. I know we always take into account the grading when we book a stay away, and I feel the AA really are the best in the field. After all, they have had lots of experience, having been inspecting places to stay since the 1909 AA guidebook!! 

Joan and Martins eldest son, James, runs the farming side of Dannah Farm and his new website was launched just before Christmas. Still very much a working farm, and an important part of "Dannah", we all felt that a website was long overdue. The site details the services James is able to offer to local farmers as well as providing his youngest brother Matthew hours of entertainment designing the site and playing with the graphics!!! Have a look at www.jimslack.co.uk and see what you think.

The Good Hotel Guide specialises in small owner-managed hotels and B&Bs. It was first published 32 years ago and is the leading British independant hotel guide.Establishments are invited to appear after an anonymous professional inspection. It recieves no payment, hospitality or advertising from selected hotels and has a deservedly high reputation. It is owned by award-winning journalists Adam and Caroline Raphael and edited by Desmond Balmer, former travel editor of The Observor. At Dannah we were all delighted to have been chosen to appear in the 2011 Good Hotel Guide.

The Food Standards Agency have introduced a national food hygiene ratings scheme across England Wales and Northern Ireland. Amber Valley was amongst the first local authority to implement the scheme with all businesses where consumers can eat or buy food  rated. The star rating each business receives will reflect - how hygenically the food is handled, the condition and structure of the premises and how food safety is managed and documented. Scores are displayed on the Councils website,the Food Standards Agency website and on the business premises. We were very happy to receive the highest Food Hygiene Rating of "5". 

An image of the Granary Suite at Dannah has been chosen by the AA to be used on the front cover of their Bed and Breakfast Guide 2011.

Imagine our surprise to wake up one Thursday morning in June to find a helicopter, wind machine, actors, extras, camera men etc etc wandering around in one of our grassfields. On closer inspection it turned out to be a film crew filming a scene for a new McDonalds advert who had inadvertently wandered into our field. They needed long  grass waving in the wind and our field provided the best effect for the wind scene for their new advert. In the advert the helicopter was also used for a beautiful aerial shot with Dannah Farm star of the scene.

In June this year we were contacted by Farm Stay. The Sunday newspaper, The Observer , were looking to feature a farm offering luxury accommodation with spa facilities on a working farm. Dannah was chosen and a few weeks later the travel writer,  Matt Carroll, arrived to sample The Studo and also The Spa Cabin. We were delighted when the article appeared, and just in case you don’t read the Observer here it is in full!