SUSTAINABLE FOCUS: FIFTY THE STREET AT BURLEIGH COURT HOTEL, LOUGHBOROUGH: A STAYCATION

If you’re heading down to the Midlands, Loughborough to be exact, and find yourself in search a fine dining and stayover venue that places a focus on sustainability, then we’d thoroughly recommend Fifty The Street at Burleigh Court Hotel. Located within the Loughborough University Campus site, this newly refurbished property by Imago venues, may be a conference hotel, but has all the modern upgrades, touches and amenities of an upmarket hotel with a plant forward restaurant and bar. Have a gander below to discover what it’s like to experience Fifty The Street, at Burleigh Court Hotel.

** This is a sponsored collaboration between Fifty The Street, Burleigh Court Hotel and Be-lavie. There was no obligation to write this article and as always all views, opinions and photography are our own and remain a copyright of Be-lavie. Reproducing any content from this article is prohibited without prior agreement.**

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Location and How to get to Burleigh Court Hotel

Burleigh Court Hotel and Conference centre is located on Loughborough University’s campus right in the centre of England, The Midlands. It’s a really accessible venue being a part of the Imago Venues Group which also includes, The Link Hotel, Holywell Park and Loughborough Campus.

• Car – Use LE11 3GR for Sat Nav or Google Maps and exit at junction 23 of the M1, taking  the A512 Ashby Road towards Loughborough. There are sign posts to Burleigh Court, follow these and enter the campus. As you arrive at a manned barrier, ask for Burleigh court and they will guide you, as it’s a couple of minutes drive from here.  There is complimentary parking for dining and staying guests at Burleigh Court Hotel.
• Train – Loughborough train station is three miles away or ten minutes by taxi. There are direct trains between London St Pancras and Loughborough  regularly. 
• Air – East Midlands Airport is the closest airport and is eight miles away. Birmingham International Airport is around 38 miles.

• Bus – There is also the option to travel by bus and a University Shuttle runs every ten minutes during term time from Loughborough train station. Kinchbus also has a service from Loughborough University to the town centre from 18:00-21:00 during the weekdays in term time.

Burleigh Court Hotel Arrival & Check-in 

Enter the colourful and bright reception area and be promptly met with a friendly faced team for a swift and seamless check-in where you’ll be handed your room key card and directed to your room. Take a minute to note the lovely decor in the main entrance where dark wood bookcases sweep floor to ceiling and are adorned with artefacts and an array of colourful yet old books, sourced from the university. The brown squishy sofas, teal and grey scatter cushions, lights that give off happy orange hues and green foliage giving an outdoors vibe indoors.

Oh and note the welcome cookies at reception, nice touch!

Be-lavie Tip: Head up onto the first floor, right above reception for an aerial view of the area.

The Rooms & Suites

Burleigh Court has a great mix of abode from it’s 185 en-suite rooms, eight are executive suites, eleven are accessible and nineteen twin rooms.

Suite (Chancellor’s Room)

We had an overnight stay in the Chancellor Suite or Room 118, located at the front of the hotel and covering a floor space of around 628 sq ft, the suites are some of the hotel’s most impressive rooms. 

Two adjoining rooms, with double doors comprise the Chancellor Suite. A lounge area with a sofa, arm chair, pouffe, flatscreen TV and side board makes a cosy relaxing space complete with a table and chairs which are perfect to catch up on work with the complimentary fast WIFI connection the hotel benefits from.

The same room leads out to a small balcony area, complete with table and chairs, over looking the front of the hotel and is the perfect evening suntrap to enjoy a glass of vino pre-dinner or a morning cup of coffee. 

The bedroom area is spacious with another flat screen TV, fridge, reading lights, long desk/dressing table, tea and coffee making facilities, wardrobe with full size mirrors, various drawers, bathrobes and slippers, a safe, iron and ironing board, to mention a few of the amenities you can expect. 

The bed is a huge comfy king size, with reading lights at either side and guests can choose from a pillow menu to aid with a good nights sleep. The muted greys, yellows, and white hues of the sheets and other soft furnishings create a calming feel in the room. The wallpaper behind the headboard is of a bluebell wood that is local to the university campus which adds a touch of the surrounding area indoors. 

The bathroom comprises of grey tiles, a wash basin area, WC and a shower over the bath. Provided are plenty of white towels as well as miniature bath products, soaps and body cream by Bee kind. Honey is combined with certified organic extracts of red clover, calendula, lemongrass and chamomile with the brand supporting honey bee and sustainable pollination research.

Special Touches 

We always say that hotels that go that extra mile are always the memorable ones and that is no exception with Burleigh Court. A beautiful bottle of red wine, a red hued berry platter with strawberries, pomegranate, raspberries, blackberries, grapes and homemade cookies was a delicious welcome snack on a warm sunny day.

Additionally a goodie bag left in our room has some great examples of the hotel’s sustainability efforts in supporting other local and like minded brands. Namely, a notebook made from recycled materials, made in Europe to help with reducing the carbon footprint. A jar of honey from The Bee Farmer in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, located 11 miles from the hotel and a sleep set made in the UK from a natural blend of lavender, ylang=ylang and neroli essential oils. The bottles can also be recycled. These are part of the hotel’s initiatives to ‘Meet well’, ‘Eat Well’ and ‘Sleep Well’.

Reusable  water bottles can be purchased at Burleigh Court, and there are water stations to fill up when required.

Sustainability 

Each of the rooms has a sustainability card explaining the hotels values including the ten key planet and people targets to bring a greener future to their brand. The card has a QR code which directs guests to the Imago Venues Manifesto that is pretty impressive and well thought out and includes the below initiatives.

A side note about the sustainability card, we noted the paper is made from 90% recycled PCW fibre and 5% coffee waste. The coffee added to the pulp replaces cellulose and thus the requirement for water and energy is far less to produce,

• Profit into People – Annually gift aid profits that constitute a 10% contribution to Loughborough University’s operating fund.
• Community Partner – Commit to gift £100,000 to their charity partner, Rainbows, over five years.
• Fair Play – To become a three Star status (World Class Organisation) in Best Companies survey by 2027.
• Team Development – To become a three Star status (World Class Organisation) in Best Companies survey by 2027.
• A Place for all – To have a qualified mental health first aider available 24 hours a day.
• Responsible Procurement – All suppliers will go through a five point checklist by 2026.
• Energy Usage – To reduce energy usage by 5% kWh per overnight guest.
• Waste – To reduce waste by 5% per overnight guest.
• Water Usage – To reduce water consumption to be under 0.2 Cubic Meters per overnight guest.
• Sustainable Events – To achieve IS0 20121 certification by the end of 2025.

Guests are also invited to partake in the hotels eco efforts by:

• Room for trees – where guest can skip their rooms being cleaned by allowing the brand to plant a tree instead. This helps offset some of the carbon by reducing water and chemical use.
• Reusing towels – towels are only replaced when left in the bath/shower. The tourism industry uses up to eight times more water per person than the local population.
• Carpets in the reception area are made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Additionally, slippers in guest rooms come in compostable bags and we’d suggest, if you do use them, that you take them home and continue to wear them to avoid wastage.

Food & Drinks at Fifty The Street

The Decor

Now onto the piece de resistance and purpose of our visit, to enjoy the food and drinks offerings at Fifty The Street Restaurant. Fifty The Street is located at the end of the long corridor or ‘street’, which runs from the Welcome Lounge, right through to the rear of the hotel.

Serving lunches and evening meals, enter this almost green house style airy bright and foliage filled restaurant and you’ll be transported to bright colours, happy vibes and of course cracking delicious food and drinks. The decor is beautiful, and transported us to remind us of a trendy summer holiday destination with upholstered faux leather tan/orange comfy seats, both in the middle and around the edges of the room. Marble effect table tops, an eye-catching gold bar area and strategically placed plants to create partitions with sections in this open plan space. It’s perfect for business or for pleasure. Note the bright artwork on the walls which has been created by art graduates at the University of Loughborough. We love the idea that profits which are made by the restaurant go back into the university too.

Another wonderful initiative, is that Fifty The Street works closely with Rainbows Hospice. This is a local Loughborough based charity for Children and Young People with proceeds from a number of the dishes going to the charity.

The restaurant is also open to non-staying guests and reservations must be made in advance to avoid disappointment. 

This plant forward restaurant, situated towards the rear of Burleigh Court is a wonderful celebration of plants over animal protein where 50% of the menu is powered by plants. It’s very obvious to see that the plant based menu portion has been well thought out and gives the same amount of time, attention and creativity as it’s non plant-based counterpart not compromising on fresh produce and nutritional value and most importantly taste. 

It’s a very inspiring menu and a brilliant offering for this conference focussed facility with the number of delegates that it hosts.

Cocktails & Wine

It doesn’t end there though, the ‘Sustainable Sipping’ cocktail menu incorporates up cycled food ingredients that the hotel’s kitchen, that would normally be discarded, to be repurposed into ingredients used to create delicious cocktails. Currently there are four cocktails on this menu, and we tried three. All delicious, Vegan and incorporate food waste into their delicious flavours:

The Golden Root cocktail was featured at Venue of Excellence’s Cook and Serve challenge where it was awarded the best cocktail. It had to be the only one we didn’t try!!!

Berry Foamy – made from Beefeater Gin, lemon, aquafaba and berry compote, left over from breakfast and lunch. Great for those who love a bit of a fruity, slightly sweet taste 

When Tom Met Marg – combines 818 Tequila Blanco, Cointreau, lime and smoky tomato syrup which is upcycled from the spicy sauce from patatas bravas tapas on the menu. This is a great refreshing drink which goes well with food or at the beginning of the meal

Peaches & Cream – brings together Seven Tails Brandy, Peach, Lemon and Vegan Parmesan Cream from the spinach and pesto Gnocci. This one is definitely a great sweet end to a meal and works as a dessert cocktail too. 

Be-lavie Tip: Note the coasters at Fifty The Street which have been made from apple skin to represent a faux leather look that blends in seamlessly with the priority the brand places on the environment and waste reduction.

There is also a dedicated wines list as well as cocktails, beers and spirits. With our meal we opted to have a glass of the Familia Zuccardi Brazos which Aromas of ripe red and black fruits. Cherries, plums and blackberries having a medium body. As with most of the wines on the menu, this Malbec is also vegan.

The Food

Onto the main event and our evening meal consisted of three courses. Here’s what we sampled and would recommend in a flash.

Note the restaurant caters for a variety of allergens so please speak to your waiting staff for advice and recommendations. The majority of ingredients are sourced locally at the restaurant. 

Starters

Caprese Salad (vegetarian)  paired with creamy mozzarella and fragrant basil leaves, drizzled with olive oil and finished with a balsamic glaze. Fantastic for a hot day and equally refreshing with the tomatoes with the creamy Italian cheese. The glaze gives it a slight sweet finish.

Lamb Koftas with a slight spicy taste served with baba ganoush, Khobex bread, and a fresh Turkish salad. This is the perfect starter for an animal protein eater, with perfectly tender meat and the perfect portion size .

Mains

Carrot Schnitzel (vegan, vegetarian) golden crispy carrot schnitzel with a white bean sauce and lemon puree, roasted asparagus and rosemary potatoes. A complete surprise but a dish that worked so well as a plant based alternative. The schnitzel was really crispy and the sauce was just right to not overpower the delicate carrot flavour. Beautifully cooked asparagus that were in season too. Probably the most surprising dish of the night.

Duo of Duck, think tender honey glazed duck breast and crispy confit duck leg, served with fondant potato, roasted carrots, a carrot puree, pickled carrots with a red wine and port jus. A rich main that I was informed was cooked and executed to perfection.

Desserts

We finished with two absolute classic puddings:

Lemon Meringue Pie (vegetarian), which is a  nice light, zesty lemon curd in buttery pastry, topped with a sweet meringue with a side of raspberry sorbet that is a great accompaniment with the tarte lemon.

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Vegan), the rich sponge we all love in a decadent toffee sauce, served alongside a scoop of vanilla vegan ice cream. Perfect for those who love a rich and sweet ending.

To end your evening, when it starts to go dark, go and have a little romantic pre-bed soiree in the gardens and terrace area outside of Fifty The Street. The fairy lights and lamp balls make for a really pretty atmosphere.

Carney & Scott’s 

If you fancy a pre dinner happy hour beverage (17:00-19:00) then head to the adjoining bar across the corridor from Fifty The Street. The bar that is styled in a slight Hawksmoor aesthetics with booths and big light shades is named in honour of the Lioness legends, who also happen to be Loughborough alumni, Jill Scott and Karen Carney. 

You’ll see the theme of responsible practices here with the menus, which you may think are leather bound but in fact are made from the peel of apples.

Be-lavie Tip: The drinks menus at Carney & Scotts’s have their covers that look like faux leather but in reality are made from apple skin with the inside covers up cycled from ocean plastics. The pages of the menu are also made from biodegradable paper. 

Breakfast

Room rates include breakfast, so why not start your day the right way with a good mix of self service continental and cooked items served daily between 0700-09:30 at Fifty The Street. Think buttery croissants, compotes, pain au chocolat, toast, fruit, cereals, juices, hot beverages, as well as more substantial cooked ingredients like eggs, mushrooms, hash browns and more.

Other Amenities at Burleigh Court Conference Centre Hotel 

As well as having a number of conference meeting rooms and packages for such facilities, hotel guests are very welcome to use the onsite gym, pool and the Burleigh Springs Spa which offers a number of treatments. If you’re at the hotel for a relaxing stay you may want to spend some time relaxing or having a massage or facial using Dermalogica products. Reservations could be made prior to your stay to ensure availability for your stay.

Things To Do in The Area

As Burleigh Court is juxtapositioned within the University of Loughborough campus, it’s in pretty close proximity to quite a few things to do. Head into Loughborough town centre for some shopping or visit the market place or theatre. You could have afternoon tea or a first class dining meal in the special carriages at the Great Central Railway, which is the country’s oldest single track railway. Alternatively Leicester City Centre is only a 30 minute drive or train journey away. You can visit the historic Leicester sights, like the Cathedral and see King Richard III’s tomb or head to the visitor centre or make your way to the Space Centre. It’s a great day trip option. The National Forest also isn’t too much of a drive away if you’d like to experience some green space. 

Fifty The Street & Burleigh Court Hotel FAQs

Sustainable Focus at Fifty The Street, Burleigh Court Hotel Round-Up

If you’re looking for a fantastic foodie experience that combines creative plant based options, including cocktails, Fifty The Street really is a wonderful and fun venue since it is now open to book even if you’re not staying at Burleigh Court Hotel. We, however would recommend upgrading your experience by checking in, maybe relaxing at the spa or pool pre-drinner and also booking a room to turn your visit into a mini staycation. This way everyone can enjoy the cocktails and drinks and no one needs to be the designated driver. Well located, wonderful service and hospitality and excellent food and drink at Fifty The Street, right in the heart of the Midlands. It’s time to book your staycation or even consider the venue for a company conference or meeting. 

Want a glimpse into our staycation? Catch a summary of our experience in the Instagram reel below

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A post shared by Be l Eco-friendly & Responsible Travel (@be_lavie)

The Details

• Location: Off Ashby Road (A512 Loughborough University (West Park, Loughborough LE11 3GR.
• Find it Here: Map Location.
• Tel. No: 01509 211515 (Hotel).
• Details: Menu & Reservations.
• Reservations Required at Fifty The Street: Yes to avoid disappointment.
• Dress Code: Smart Casual.
• Price Range: ££.

Related Articles

• The Ultimate Locals Guide To Leicester.
• A Local’s Guide to Historic Leicester.
• Afternoon Tea on The Great Central Railway.
• First Class Dining On The Great Central Railway.
• 9 of the Best UK Luxury eco-friendly Breaks.

Resources To Help Plan Your Trip

Check out these travel resources that we use with planning and booking our travels

À bientôt

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