The beautiful Poole village of Canford Cliffs can feel like another world at the best of times but The Plantation (formerly the New Beehive) will personally whisk you away to tropical climes and laid-back vibes of South America regardless the time of year.
A welcome retreat
This beautifully styled colonial inn on Cliff Drive near the popular Sandbanks area of Poole embraces the traditional architecture and décor of American neoclassical design. The Plantation is a pub and restaurant with guest rooms, continuing the smart colonial styling throughout.
The Plantation has been owned by the Southampton-based Upham Pub Company since November 2014. The Group specialises in pubs with character and charm, typified with beautiful styling in predominantly rustic locations.
Colonial dining
Looking first at the food, The Plantation’s menu changes regularly but stays true to the colonial influences at its core. The food is seasonal and sourced where possible from local suppliers. Breakfast is a choice of continental or continental and cooked and is included in the room rate for residents and available for non-residents to purchase. The continental selection includes croissants, toast and preserves, cereals, fresh juice, homemade yoghurt and freshly brewed teas and coffees. The cooked breakfast options include the hearty plantation breakfast (Full English), a vegetarian cooked breakfast, porridge, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, Eggs Benedict and a selection of breakfast sandwiches.
The Plantation has a separate sandwich menu with a choice of white or granary bread and all served with thick cut chips. The sample menu includes such delights as smoked salmon with caper crème fraiche and a Dorset Ham with wholegrain mustard.
If you’re here for the beer (wine, spirits, soft drinks…) you won’t be able to resist The Plantation’s bespoke grazing menu, which features all manner of tempting nibbles including homemade tear-and-share bread, cured and cooked meat platters and baked camembert.
Carefully crafted menu
The sample starters include a tempting ham hock terrine, a flamed bream dish and classic mussels with cream, white wine and garlic. Mains on the menu feature Upham ale battered fish and thick cut chips, Dorset honey glazed ham and a whole baked lemon sole amongst several other mouth-watering culinary creations. If you’ve room for dessert we bet you won’t resist the jam steam sponge with crème anglaise or the white chocolate parfait with pistachio crumb?!
The Plantation also serves a mean afternoon tea complete with classic finger sandwiches, a shot of today’s soup, a cured meat board, a shot of sorbet, two scones with clotted cream and jam (of course!), a chocolate éclair and the cupcake of the week. Phew!!
Dining deals
The restaurant has a different offer for every day of the week. On Mondays it’s your choice of burger and a pint of ale or lager for £12. ‘Cheeky’ Tuesdays means a 10% discount on your food bill (mention the offer when booking). Wednesdays is the turn of a steak and wine deal which gives you two steaks and a bottle of wine for £40. On Thursday ‘fun day’ it’s mussels for two and a bottle of house wine to share for £25. And finally, check out ‘Fizzy Friday’ for a £35 fish and chip Prosecco deal for two.
Rooms at the Inn
If you need to sleep off that feast or you’re looking for a welcoming place to stay right in the heart of Poole’s beautiful coastline The Plantation offers accommodation in ten individually and modern-styled bedrooms. All guest rooms are en-suite with complimentary toiletries, large flatscreen television, hairdryer, iron and board, bottled water and tea and coffee making facilities. There’s a choice of double, twin and family rooms and the room rate includes breakfast, on-site parking and free Wi-Fi access. Well-behaved pets are welcome to stay too, subject to a £20 supplement for the one night or £10 per night for two nights’ stay and longer.
The Plantation offers a stay and dine deal if you’re planning on checking out the restaurant during your stay. For just an additional £30 per person you can add a three-course dinner to your breakfast stay. If you’re celebrating you can opt for a chilled bottle of house Champagne by your bedside for an additional £38.
For business and pleasure
The Plantation is a popular choice for businesses planning to host a function or hospitality and for family celebrations like birthdays, christenings and anniversaries. The Inn can lay on a slap-up business lunch, pastries and refreshments for a daytime meeting or a buffet lunch or special set meal for a larger group. The venue can host up to 100 people for a grand occasion or function or arrange a board room, u-shaped or theatre-style meeting space to suit your requirements in The Plantation’s function room.
If you’re looking for something particularly unique, there are private Polynesian-style Tikki huts for hire in the grounds and in the summer why not throw a barbecue grill outside? For the grandest of events why not hire the whole place?!
The Plantation is as popular for its location as its facilities. It’s idyllically situated in the peaceful village of Canford Cliffs in Poole just a stroll from world-famous Sandbanks and the blue flag beaches of Branksome Chine. The Inn is just minutes from the beautiful gardens of Compton Acres and within reach of the peaceful New Forest National Park.