2008

New management team at the Benefield Wheatsheaf. The arrival of Matthew Hawkswood as General Manager, after fifteen years service in the hotels and restaurants business managing highly aclaimed hotels and restaurants in Gloucestershire and Warwickshire, is a real coup. Matthew brings to the Benefield Wheatsheaf a wealth of experience, an eye for detail and a passion for un assuming customer service.You can already feel the warm welcome and relaxed atmosphere from the moment you set foot in the door. Tony, head chef,who's training include three years with Rick Stein, brings to the restaurant a broad range of high quality and delicious dishes based on the fine local produce we have at our finger tips and grow on our own farms.

Puddings are often an after thought, not at the Benefield Wheatsheaf, Mark the pudding chef has made sure you only make that mistake once. The puddings at the Benefield Wheatsheaf are out of this world, every one, made with enormous pride to be firstly delicious and secondly beautifully presented.

2007

Awarded Four Stars . Fantastic news, The Benefield Wheatsheaf has been awarded, by Quality in Tourism, the rating of 4 Star Inn. This is the culmination of extensive improvements over the last two years to the building, the rooms, fresh food menu's with lots of local produce and the dedication of our loyal team of staff.

We are told by Explore Northamptonshire that The Benefield Wheatsheaf is the first Northamptonshire Inn to be awarded 4 Stars.

2006

The new kitchen, four times the size of the original, opened on 29th September with a fantastic party where everyone enjoyed complimentary Seven Wells hot beef rolls. We now have the capacity to cook for 250 people at any one time.

Nick is working on new recipes for pies and his delicious beef wellington which will be made by Nick and his team at the Benefield Wheatsheaf. These will be on the menu in the restaurant and also for sale through our butchers shop, Seven Wells Family Butchers, in Oundle.

Beef wellington, hand made by top professional chefs and using our delicious, well hung, home grown Seven Wells beef which you can order from Seven Wells for home cooking is already proving to be extremely popular.

British food fortnight was a great success and saw the introduction of a new beef and beer pie. Using home grown Seven Wells beef and local Barnwell bitter, brewed by another local farmer. Fred's Barnwell bitter has proved so popular that his beer is now a main stay in the bar as well.

Great excitement prevails, six new rooms have been added with the purchase and conversion of the lodge. They opened at the beginning of 2006 and are extremely popular with guests.

The new enlarged kitchen is under construction and should be completed by mid summer. This is will be fantastic because it will enable us to cater for larger numbers of people whilst maintaining our exacting standards. It will also enable Head Chef and his team to develop and cook more pies and ready meals with our home grown beef. These will be available through our Seven Wells Family Butchers shop in Oundle and online.

2005

A big welcome and Christmas feast is on offer with the finest local food including turkey and game from Johnson of Oundle. Wild mushrooms and our home grown Seven Wells steak cooked to your exact requirements.

The Benefield Wheatsheaf will be open right through Christmas and New Year. A special menu has been prepared for Christmas day. There will be a buffet, entertainment and dancing on New Years Eve with rooms available for those who book in advance (subject to availability).

Through out December it is important to book in advance to secure your table. Tel : 01832 205 400.

The new bedrooms are nearing completion. The Snug has been refurbished and walled off to provide private dining and meeting space for up to 20 people. Wireless Broadband has been installed for the whole hotel.

Real progress has been made with the redecoration of the bar area and 6 bed rooms. The WC's are totally refurbished and a new reception area constructed. The addition of 6 new bedrooms is agreed.

New lunchtime deal offering £5.00 per course is introduced. A weekend package is introduced at £60.00 per person dinner bed and breakfast.

Summer 2005

Refurbishment continues a pace with the garden room completed. Now we have added a contemporary touch with the furniture design and laid oak flooring to enhance the traditional magic of the Benefield Wheatsheaf. The Garden room can now accommodate up to 60 people for functions, meetings and use as part of the restaurant.

No more mud and gravel. The Car park has been extended and tarmacked to accommodate 50 cars.

The gardens have been re landscaped to provide more space for alfresco dining and space for a marquee to accommodate up to 250 people.

Spring 2005

The Wheatsheaf Coaching Inn, Benefield was taken over by Nick and Caroline Benson in the spring of 2005.

Since then they have instigated an extensive program of refurbishment and re branding as The Benefield Wheatsheaf Country Hotel and Restaurant. The key has been to retain the old charm of the hotel and restaurant whilst adding the fresh, sometimes contemporary touches that make the Benefield Wheatsheaf so comfortable and welcoming to everyone. Caroline has succeeded in achieving just this and welcomes every guest as if they are guests arriving at home.

Nick brings with him a reputation as a renowned chef which he has successfully used to produce diverse menu's using, where ever possible, local farm produce. Nick has three local farmers, under the Seven Wells banner, producing beef and lamb to his exact requirements. This is then hung and butchered at Seven Wells Family Butchers to Nick's exact specifications. The result is food that is traceable right back to the farms, full of natural flavour and, dare I say it, delicious.