Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2007 | Page 118

life - FOOD & DRINK

An Eminent Victorian
Restoring the Farringford will take a lot
of hard work, time and money..

Island Life meets the new
owners of the Farringford
Hotel, Freshwater.
Very few of us get the chance
to realize a childhood ambition.
Martin Beisly and business
partner Rebecca FitzGerald, new
owners of the Farringford Hotel in
Freshwater, are lucky enough to
have done so. “Growing up on the
Island, I always dreamed of what it
would be like to live at Farringford
and when we exchanged contracts
in January, I was finally able to say,
this belongs to us,” said Martin.
Island Life met the couple to find
out about their plans for the hotel.
A sunny Sunday afternoon found
them relaxed and very enthusiastic

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about the future. They’ve had a
good Easter and business was brisk
at the end of another lovely early
summer weekend on the Island.
Island Life began by mentioning
that there had been some rumours
circulating that the hotel would
close its doors to the general
public. Not so, said the co-owners.
“Our philosophy is that this is our
house, but that we will extend
a welcome to people to come
and visit.” So, Farringford will
continue to operate as a hotel in
the immediate future. New staff
and an experienced manager, who
has committed to the venture for
5 years, will focus on the day-today running of the business.

Good food
The first aim is to establish a
quality kitchen. There’s a strong
commitment to using local
produce, and the owners intend
to invite local suppliers to attend
an open day, in which the best
of local food can be selected
and brought to the table. A
complicated and expensive wine
list has also been overhauled.
“The food was fiddly, fussed
and messed with; we want to
encourage local people to come.
We hope that will happen with a
commitment to local produce.”
For the remainder of the
2007, the couple intend to let
their expert staff get on with it.
They’ll listen to feedback from

visitors and diners, and make
sure that they run a clean and
tidy business. In spite of falling
into some disrepair, the building
is basically sound. The garden
bungalows and 18 rooms in the
main ho W6Rv