meetingsclub

Farleigh – Surrey

NOVEMBER 2017

Location

North Downs near Croydon.  15 minutes to Junction 6, M25 and 15 minutes by train from the City

What's on offer

Meeting, conference and event space from 20-200 delegates.  Team Building facilities, Superb dining options – home of “The Inked Chef”, Corporate Golf Days and Golf Taster Sessions

Why they are special

Amazing Food, friendly staff and flexible facilities

SNAP SHOT: FARLEIGH - A FANTASTIC FIND

Forget the stuffiness normally associated with high class Golf Clubs.  Instead substitute the word “friendly” add in to the mix great meeting/event space.  Top it off with some of the best food you’ll find anywhere in the south east and you’ve got yourself a real find in the south London area.

Four excellent, bright and airy meeting rooms, accommodate between 10 and 200 people.  So whether you need to book a senior management meeting, a networking event, party or wedding, Farleigh (part of the Foxhills Collection)- offers a flexible and cost effective event management solution.

And then there’s the highly acclaimed “Inked Chef” whose culinary skills are surely destined one day to achieve Michelin stardom. Delegates will undoubtedly remember their visit to Farleigh for many reasons.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

FAMILY FARLEIGH – A FRIENDLY, FLEXIBLE VENUE FULL OF FUN AND FANTASTIC FOOD!

Bird’s singing, beautiful scenery, fresh air, we must be in the Yorkshire Dales – WRONG! Try “sarf “ London instead!  It was hard to believe really with Junction 6 of the M25 just 15 minutes by car and the skyline of Canary Wharf and central London clearly visible less than 45 minutes away. 

Farleigh Golf Club is perched high on the North Downs, close to Croydon and forget any preconceived ideas of Surrey stuffiness and old boy networks often associated with the game of little white balls.  Instead think: progressive, friendly professional staff and a range of “thought through” meeting and banqueting facilities that make Farleigh a really good option if you are ever planning an event.  Plus you cannot fail to be wowed by the in-house dynamo that is the self-styled “Inked Chef” a man surely destined one day for Michelin stardom.

GETTING TOGETHER - WORK OR PLAY

Farleigh has four main meeting rooms, which can all be privately accessed from the car park.  Spacious, technically well equipped and with that all-important natural light, they are ideal for small meetings and larger conferences for up to 200 people.  With close proximity to formal break out space, many people use the excellent nearby lounge facilities for a quick catch up.  In addition, delegates in the summer can grab a beanbag and head outside for a creative change of scene, swopping 4 walls for 350 acres and 360 degrees of stunning greenery.  But make no mistake, this venue is truly a year round operation and if your thoughts have already turned to Christmas and office parties, you could do a lot worse than consider Farleigh’s main banqueting suite which boasts an excellent mood lighting system that is certain to save your production budget whilst at the same time putting a smile on revellers faces.

FANTASTIC FOOD

Something else guaranteed to make your delegates happy is Farleigh’s fantastic food.  Healthy options abound from porridge and granola breakfasts to fat free break and lunch options.  But you really should push the boat out and chose from the superb a-la-carte lunch/dinner menu. 

Nineteen at Farleigh is fast developing a reputation locally as one of the top restaurants in Surrey thanks to award winning Executive Chef Andy Castle AKA The Inked Chef.  See our 12 Minute with… interview with the Inked Chef.

Andy’s food combines classic flavours with a modern twist and his time with Gordon Ramsay and working with Raymond Blanc’s team at Royal Ascot is clearly evident.  All dishes are cooked with creativity, love and real attention to detail and the collection of world-renowned photographer David Steen’s work just adds to the sense of occasion in. Messrs Lee Marvin, Rod Stewart, Peter Sellers, and Dudley Moore would not fail to be impressed by the Inked Chef’s work.

HAVE FUN

Lunch over and if you are struggling to re-energise your delegates during the graveyard slot then why not take advantage of Farleigh’s Games Room with its electric blue pool table and which features Europe’s first widescreen HD indoor golf simulator?  Golfers and non-golfers alike can have great fun playing on over 50 of the world’s best courses – whatever the weather outside.  Maybe Inject a bit of competition with a nearest the pin challenge at Pebble Beach or another iconic golf course.  There’s bags of options and don’t worry if you’ve never picked up a club before, you’ll soon learn thanks to the friendly staff who are always around and make you feel part of the family from the moment you walk through the reception door. 

SERVICE WITH A GENUINE SMILE

And that friendly, nothing’s too much trouble attitude is one of the Farleigh’s biggest strength.  The staff here get what customer service means, an absolute pre-requisite if like me you are an event control freak where things have to be right.  We experienced first-hand this flexible can-do approach to customer needs when we initially decided to eat lunch inside the restaurant.  The sun then came out and we changed our minds – outside suddenly seemed so much more inviting.  But surprise, surprise, two courses later the sun decided to hide behind a big black cloud and we opted to go back inside.  Never once did Zoe our waitress complain.  She just smiled and ensured we had the best of both worlds.

DID I MENTION THE GOLF?

Well no is the short answer as this Editor’s Destination Review has chosen to look inside rather than out.  But just for the record Farleigh’s excellent three 9 hole courses enables golfers to play a variety of configurations.  The longest course is The Purple at 6,627 yards and with each 9 starting and finishing at the clubhouse, golfers can mix and match to their hearts content. The courses were designed by the architect of Wentworth’s Edinburgh course and overseen by Foxhills whose courses graces the UK’s Top 100.

IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE

So the future looks rosy for Farleigh and it’s clear that this great multi-purpose venue won’t remain a secret on the corporate scene for much longer.  Already the team, led by General Manager Russell Stebbings are looking at a host of new exciting ideas, which will enhance the guest, delegate, diner or golfer experience.  Regular Pilates classes, BBQs and Hog Roasts, the development of R&A Sprint Golf initiatives and the introduction of the intriguingly sounding “Bubbles and Balls” sessions are guaranteed to keep customers coming back for more.