Northern Delights: Inside Saltmoore, Yorkshire’s New Wellness Hotspot

19 hours ago

Good food and wellness is at the heart of Saltmoore's offering

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New wellness hotspot Saltmoore is the perfect place to unwind and sample the best of what North Yorkshire has to offer. Margaret Hussey checks in.

Review: Saltmoore, North Yorkshire

Spying the crab baskets at Whitby harbour, it’s no surprise to us that just hours later they are dished up on plates at Saltmoore.

Good food and wellness are at the core of this retreat in North Yorkshire – and it’s all done with gusto. This is not a leaf of lettuce and one-radish-on-your-plate type of place. It’s somewhere to savour and take your time over meals, which you have earned after hiking on the nearby North York Moors or swimming in the North Sea at Sandsend, just ten minutes walk away.

The goodness starts with the menus: dishes like Whitby crab tart with pickled cucumber, cod cheek scampi and Saltmoore’s cider battered haddock and chips. Nearby Whitby is famous for its fish and chips, after all.

Vegetarians are not forgotten either, with the moreish hen of the woods burger – made with earthy mushrooms – and an outrageously delicious beetroot starter with braised chicory, pickled blackberries and linseed.

The retreat, which is the brainchild of former Love Island star Montana Brown and her partner Mark O’Connor, has a host of restaurants including a brasserie, a wellness café and a more fine dining concept Calluna, named after the Latin for heather, due to open this spring. A pizza restaurant is also planned for the future.

Restaurant with green velvet seating, fluted green velvet banquettes, white mable tables and floral ceiling garlands

They aim to be as sustainable as possible, with their no-dig kitchen gardens and orchard providing a host of fruit, vegetables and herbs for head chef Adam Maddock, alongside Michelin-starred Consulting Executive Chef Tommy Banks.

Back to the rooms and there are 72 to choose from: 43 in the main Saltmoore House, where we stayed, and 29 in The Beach House. Inspired by the landscape of the sea and moors, there’s a muted background palette with lots of lush fabrics and textures, and ample Wildsmith Skin hair and body products in the bathrooms.

Bedroom with whitewash-effect walls and ceilings, white bedding, and a green and white striped headboard

The mini bar is chock-full of goodies like kombucha and Fentimans fruit drinks, and there’s delicious Boggle Hole coffee from the locally-based Baytown Coffee Company.

But it’s not all abstemious. There are two bars – we loved the very cosy Lounge bar with its fire and potent cocktails, while at mealtimes, a very informed sommelier will talk you through the extensive wine list.

Breakfasts are hearty, with a great help-yourself buffet of granola, overnight oats, Goji berries and a hot cooked-to-order offer. My avocado and poached eggs on sourdough drew a few envious looks.

Spa with white sun loungers, black and white striped bolster cushions and arched shelving

If you aren’t staying over, the afternoon tea is well worth a swing by. There are roast beef, salmon and ham sandwiches plus scones, sausage rolls and sweet treats. We had a veggie version with a mouth-watering veggie sausage roll. It’s £90 for two with a good choice of brews (very important in Yorkshire).

You can work off the calories with a stroll around the lake and manicured gardens in Saltmoore’s extensive grounds. Dogs are allowed in certain rooms and areas too; the very friendly staff give them just as warm a welcome as humans, with dog beds and treats on hand.

There’s a large and extremely well equipped gym in its Sanctuary Spa, which also has an indoor heated pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and ice bath. Its treatments are by Wildsmith and the list is nicely curated. I had a massage with essential oils, which left me rebalanced and replenished. Which, after all, is what Saltmoore is all about.