FOOD & DRINK

The long weekend is in sight (sshhh, it’s not like I’m counting down or anything). Nowhere better to kick start the festivities than The Foundry Bell in Wokingham. On Thurs 28 Mar there will be live music to get merry to, and on Fri 29 and Sat 30 Mar there will be Free-Flow Champagne Brunches. Umm, yeah, that sounds like our kinda scene. Book now to secure your spot (and your Easter Sunday roastie too).

Disney AND brunch? Is there a more dreamy combo? I think not. Muddy award-winning High Spirits Cocktail Company are making it a reality on Sat 30 Mar with their Disney Brunch – a full-on afternoon tea with cocktails for £25pp. Just get the scone version for £15pp. Decent.

Got a grand to splash on a memorable meal? Three Michelin twinkler The Waterside Inn in Bray are running a series of French wine tasting (the super exclusive variety) and five course menu experiences this month. Each intimate dinner will be shared with an illustrious winemaker, each of whom is a longstanding friend of the Roux family. The Château Kirwin is on 21 Mar with a super fancy menu, so fancy in fact the night will cost you £670 per person.

Make like Mama Mia to L’Ortolan in Shinfield. Their three-course Greek Wine Dinner will have you singing like a sun-drenched Meryl Streep on 21 Mar. Start with a signature cocktail followed by Spanakopita, Braised Lamb, and Baklava to finish – all paired with wines. £110pp.

Seasonality, which won the Good Food Guide’s best restaurant in the South East last year, is hosting three exclusive supper tasting dinners this spring. Bolt over to the Maidenhead-based restaurant this month on 29 & 30 Mar for an evening that celebrates the very best produce of the season. The menu includes wild garlic, white asparagus and delicate sweetness of pear, chicken kiev with an elegant truffle twist, and a crowd-pleasing creamy chocolate cheesecake to finish. Yum. All for just £65 per person. Book, book, book!

You’re cordially invited to scale the culinary peak at Five Bells in Wickham’s Alpine Supper Club (27 Mar). You’ll get an Aperol Spritz on arrival before enjoying three courses that will transport you straight to the Swiss alps. There’s a selection of cured meats, baked camembert, and cornichons to start, followed by ox cheek bourguignon, tartiflette and spring greens, then rhubarb and ginger cheesecake with blood orange shortbread to finish. £45pp.

Wine and cheese served for a friendly party in a bar or a restaurant.

Cheers! Make for Laithwaites Wine in Theale for an Iberian Wine Tasting Night that’s giving me a just a little (I said little) ray of hope for sunnier days to come. On Thurs 28 Mar. £20pp.

The Plough at Shiplake’s Flight Clubs – a five course tasting menu, paired wine and cocktails, and entertainment – are legendary (Muddy Editor-in-Chief Hero recently checked one out for herself). The next one is on Sat 30 Mar and will set you back £125pp. But worth every penny if you ask us.

EASTER

What could get better for Easter 2024 than a themed, indulgent afternoon tea? Hot foot it over to Royal Berkshire Hotel from 25 Mar to 14 Apr and stuff your face with so much sugar you’ll be hopping off the walls. Once you’ve polished off your cakes and sarnies, head outside for the egg-citing Easter Trail where you’ll hunt for hidden clues, pose for adorable photos, and burn off all that energy. There will even be some classic garden games too. Tickets are £42 per adult and £22.50 per child, but for every adult ticket, one child hops in for free.

The Roseate’s afternoon teas are legendary so you know their Easter Afternoon Tea will be a cracker. Head to Reading between 29 Mar – 12 Apr and treat yourself to their tiers of pure joy for £35pp. Go on parents, grab yourself a glass of fizz while you’re at it. You deserve it.

Get ready and set for Easter like the organised Queen you are this year. Cobbs Farm shop in Hungerford is throwing an Easter Taster Day on 16 Mar where you can sample some delicious seasonal food like succulent free-range turkey, local lamb, British cheese, and lots of yummy sweet treats. Sign us up.

More Easter market fun at Stubbings Nursery in Maidenhead on Good Friday (29 Mar) where there will be local producers selling everything from cheese, crafts, gin, cookies, honey, tea and much, much more. Psst, the Easter Bunny will be there too.

Hop it like the Easter Bunny to Basildon Park. You’re cordially invited to unleash your creativity and partake in an Easter wreath making workshop, perfect for beginners and seasoned crafters alike. All equipment provided but attendees are welcome to bring their own gloves, secateurs, or additional embellishments if desired. On 19 & 22 Mar. £30pp.

Forget nipping to Waitrose and picking up the Cadbury variety. Why not make your very own Easter egg? Led by local chocolatier and tutor Amy Levin, you’ll learn how to make thin or thick choccy shells like a pro before creating a thin layer of praline inside and slathering the outside in caramel. Dreamy. On 16 Mar at Honesty Cookery School. £70pp.

KIDS

Lots of family fun happening at Bucklebury Farm this Easter (25 Mar – 9 Apr) – from Easter bonnets, crafts, Lego, muddy pottery, spring yoga, brunch with the Easter Bunny, and egg hunts all around the farm. Boredom? Never heard of it. More of where that came from at Beale Park with egg and bunny hunts, face painting, bouncy slides and train rides.

Make sure you head over to Muddy faves The Great House in Sonning for their epic Easter Hunt (31 Mar) around the garden. Collect a map from reception and search for the hidden clues to win a chocolatey gift.

If that wasn’t enough, Wellington Country Park’s Easter Extravaganza should do it. Kick starting the festivities is a brand new event for 2024 – the Mini Easter Eggstravaganza (26 – 28 Mar), perfect for littlies up to four. There will be crafts, story time, play zones, singing and dancing, and train rides. The full blown fun starts on 29 Mar – 7 Apr, set to be the biggest Easter extravaganza yet with more of the above, plus a circus and Easter Bunny meet and greet.

Daffodils in front of Basildon Park house

Also taking place at Basildon Farm, there will be a mighty Easter Egg Hunt around the grounds. To celebrate two decades of film-making at the National Trust pad, experience ten film and cinema themed game and activity stations, plus a wheelbarrow race to get the props to set, bean bag toss to the giant popcorn buckets and hopscotch the Hollywood walk of fame. On 23 Mar – 14 Apr, normal admission plus £3 per trail, includes a trail sheet, bunny ears and a chocolate egg.

Over at Cliveden it’s more choc-o-geddon at its nature-inspired Easter Egg Hunt (29 Mar-14 Apr) where you can explore the stunning grounds and sea of daffodils with a choccie egg at the end.

Before you face plant into a giant chocolate egg, polish your parental halo and enjoy a day out at Ascot’s Spring Family Raceday on Sun 24 Mar. It’s a fab event with loooooads to entertain the kids. From ferret racing and dog demos to free pony rides and countryside crafts. And no wondrous day would be complete without a visit from the Gruffalo himself. Tickets from £30.

MUSIC

New Oxford Theatre Così fan tutte Welsh National Opera

A tale of obsession, love and beauty? Move over Saltburn, Death In Venice is in town! The final opera by Benjamin Britten (1973) is the latest touring production by Welsh National Opera, on at the New Oxford Theatre on 26 Mar. Cue misplaced desire, delusion and a parable on the dangers of fantasy left unchecked. No final dance in the nude though, thankfully! Don’t miss Così fan tutte on 27 Mar too – a coming-of-age tale set in the 70s to Mozart’s most ravishing music.

You’d recognise that falsetto anywhere. Aled Jones, you know, that kid who stole everyone’s hearts with his angelic rendition of Walking in the Air some almost 40 years ago (yikes!), is coming to South Hill Park where you’ll hear him like you’ve never heard him before. Aled will be performing never-before-heard music, talk tales from the decades and for the first time, tell his story in his own words. See it on 21 Mar.

It’s 10s across the board for Strictly royalty with An Evening With Anton Du Beke taking place 28 Mar. Get the inside scoop on everything Strictly, and see him perform some of his favourite songs and dances to a live band, singers, and alongside his dancers. Fab-u-lous, darling. At The Hexagon Reading.

COMEDY

Funny mummies make some noise! Alyssa Kyria is a proud member of the club and during her one woman comedy show, she’ll address the wild world of parenting – from pregnancy and playdates to WhatsApp groups and school runs. See her at Norden Farm on 22 Mar.

Be quick if you want to nab tickets to see Smack the Pony star and double Emmy Award winner Fiona Allen. On the Run is the TV comedian’s first stand-up tour – and it’s on at South Street Reading (hecklers be warned, there’s no hiding place) on 28 Mar.

THEATRE

Interactive family theatre tour Spot’s Birthday Party (based on the much-loved Spot the Dog stories) comes to South Hill Park Arts Centre on 10 Mar. Woof to that! The show, which promises songs and dance, and is being produced by the guys behind David Walliam’s Mr Stink, so it bodes well. For children 2+. Book here.

Beauty and the Beast panto South Hill Park

It may be happening next month, but you’ll want to get this in your diary pronto. South Hill Park’s Easter panto, Beauty and the Beast kicks off 9 Apr – 14 Apr, and this year you’re invited to be their guest to celebrate the Wilde Theatre’s 40th anniversary. Expect enchanting storytelling, top local talent, and all the spellbinding music you know and love. It may be a tale as old as time, but if South Hill’s previous award-winning pantos are anything to go by, a refreshing modern twist will no doubt be on the cards. Tickets £21.

If you want to catch original shows in a pretty location, Newbury’s The Watermill Theatre, is the place to head for its high quality and creative offering, which over the coming weeks includes Sherlock Holmes and the Poison Wood (now – 16 Mar) – a new whip-smart and wickedly funny rock musical. Afterwards Wendy & Peter Pan is showing from 23 – 30 Mar.

Taking a detour from his current show on the London West End, legendary mind reader Matt Daniel-Baker heads to The Old Court Windsor for one night only on 23 Mar. He’s performed for all the A-listers including Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel and Piers Morgan, and now it’s your turn.

WELLBEING & WORKSHOPS

Any excuse for a lie down. Lose yourself to Sound Healing at Treetops Newbury on 24 Mar with the pure and ethereal sound waves created by quartz crystal bowls and koshi bells to send you into a deep slumber. Very purse-friendly at £13 a ticket too. More Sound Bath action at Soul Barns in Mortimer on Fri 15 Mar.

Spring is a time for growth and new beginnings. Head to beautiful Soul Barns in Mortimer on Sun 24 Mar for a Spring Wellbeing Workshop that invites you to prioritise self-care and personal growth as the season changes. It includes meditation, self and group activities, plus lunch and refreshments. £130pp.

Every day we take 20,000 breaths, and it turns out your breath is one of the simplest, yet most powerful self-healing tools. Learn how to wield it right over at The Swan at Streatley on Sun 17 Mar for a Breathwork Workshop with coach and wellbeing mentor Sophie Trew to feel calm, balanced and relaxed like never before.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition-Karine-Aigner

To coincide with The Base’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year 59 exhibition, Join Donna Lewis for a four-week wildlife beginners photography course. No need to be a pro – learn to tackle the dreaded manual mode, before eventually venturing out to snap some local flora and fauna. Starts Sat 9 Mar and finishes Sat 6 Apr. £170 for the course.

For a transformative wellbeing retreat, head to The New Dairy in Hurley where life coach Chloe Leibowitz takes you on a day of self-discovery, confidence building, goal setting, vision and action board creation, and a plan to activate the change you want to see and feel in your life. On 20 Mar.

BOOKS

It’s World Book Day this month so every reason to celebrate. Later in the month, best-selling author Adele Parks is interviewed and discusses her brand new paperback Just Between Us at Highdown School (28 Mar).

Bookworms listen up! Over at Hungerford Bookshop, enjoy a talk from Berkshire Constabulary’s Detective Gwen Crockford who discusses being a woman police sergeant at the top of her game stationed in Newbury in the 1960s. Her daughter Ruth will be discussing her new book, written all about her mother’s life. On 21 Mar.

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Don’t miss the awe-inspiring Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at The Base in Greenham – on from 1 Mar to 14 Apr. This remarkable collection and world-renowned exhibition illuminates the beauty of our planet, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London. Free for Base members or £10.95 full price, but worth every penny if you ask us.

It’s officially 100 years of Queen Mary’s Doll House – the largest and most famous dolls’ house in the world on permanent display at the King’s pad aka Windsor Castle. Dip in for a visit to see a special centenary exhibition for 2024 where you can get up close to some of the tiny treasures usually contained within the Dolls’ House. There’s a tiny concert grand piano, fully strung with functioning keys, a miniature Crown Jewels inset with real diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and seed pearls, plus a mini vacuum cleaner, and sewing machine.

Also at Windsor Castle, see three super rare and surving works of Artemisia Gentileschi – the greatest female artist of her generation. They’re on display in the Queen’s Drawing Room, and the central rediscovered painting, Susanna and the Elders has recently undergone extensive conservation work and is a certified gem in the Royal collection having been misattributed at least two centuries ago.

View of the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham including paintings on white walls and a glass style staircase

Time is ticking to see artist Stanley Spencer’s Everywhere is Heaven exhibition at the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham. It’s a rare opportunity to see the gallery’s first collaboration with a living artist. Roger Wagner has been deeply inspired by Stanley Spencer’s paintings (one hangs in Tate Britain), and both artists have been described as ‘visionary geniuses’. A number of works by Roger are on display and it’s a corker. Under 18s free. On until 24 Mar.

Former Eton student, Richard Amis, bequeathed over 50 works of art to the College Collections including M.W. Turner, J.R. Cozens, and David Cox (Snr), and now you can see them in person at Eton Museum’s Verey Gallery. It’s a gorgeous collection and a perfect way to while away a winter’s day. Free admission on Sunday afternoons. On now – 24 Mar.

OOPS… YOU MISSED IT

Celebrate International Women’s Day in style this year over at Double Barrelled Brewery in Reading. On Fri 8 Mar, they are running a full day filled with fun, beer and kick ass women. You’ll get a brewery tour, games, coffee, cake, and lunch, plus so much more. Oh, and it’s totally free. No brainer – sign up now!

Who run the world? Girls! Keep the party going with more booze at Stanlake Park. They are running an International Women’s Day Sparkling Wine Tasting Special on Fri 8 Mar so get booking with the leading ladies in your life. You’ll try five sparkling wines, including Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, Crémant and – of course – English Sparkling Wine. Don’t ask us twice. £35pp.

If dining with familiar faces off the box is more your bag, don’t miss a very special dinner party taking place on Fri 1 Mar at The Hind’s Head. For £700 you’ll have Ross Kemp joining your private dining table for a five course spectacular with wine pairings and a champagne reception. No doubt Ross has one or two cracking stories up his sleeve. All to raise money for Thames Hospice. Oh, and you’ll get a signed copy of his book Take Nothing for Granted too.

Soulful tunes, exquisite wines and exceptional Italian cuisine? Sorted. Revel in an evening of live jazz at Caldesi in Campagna in Bray on Thurs 14 Mar. There’s a jazz trio, washed down nicely with an extensive selection of wines for your enjoyment. Yum. Book now to secure your front row seat.

Mix it up, baby! Get your cocktail fix at Roux at Skindles for a fab-u-lous Mixology Masterclass (14 Mar) in their stunning first floor bar overlooking the River Thames. It’s fun, intimate, and boozey, plus you’ll get some delicious finger nibbles too. Book by ringing now. £45pp.

More boozey action in the form of Beer Tasting over at the Swan at Streatley on 7 Mar. Renegade Brewery are dropping by so you can sample a variety of the good stuff while also learning all about the brewing process.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Make a note, it’s 10 March. You could do flowers and pub lunch again, but I think it’s time for something a little different. Why not try an Elvis tribute night? Gordon Hendricks is one of the best impersonators in the biz, a night with him and you’re basically sharing a room with The King himself. Head to The Ultimate Tribute to Elvis at The Mill at Sonning (10 Mar) for a night of rock ‘n’ rolling.

Also at South Street (6 Mar), catch viral sensation Vittorio Angelone – one of comedy’s fastest-rising stars. He has a cult online following, and if his five star, sold out, and award-winning debut show was anything to go by, it’s going to be a cracker.

Stranger Sings, The Hexagon Reading Comedy Berkshire

You’ll be running up that hill in no time for the smash-hit parody musical, Stranger Sings. Fresh off broadway to a 3-month sell-out run in London, the UK tour is now well underway and is coming to The Hexagon Reading on 8 Mar. This hilarious topsy-turvy adventure is campy 1980s glory at its finest. If you’re a fan of the show, you won’t resist this one.

Leading mask theatre company, Vamos Theatre comes to Corn Exchange Newbury with their new wordless production Boy on the Roof on 7 Mar. It follows the story of an unlikely friendship between Liam, a teenage boy with ADHD, and his 91-year-old neighbour, Albert – all performed without words by three of the best physical theatre and mask actors in the UK. Accessible to deaf audiences without BSL interpretation.

Prepare to be entertained as Ghost the Musical apparates on stage at South Hill Park 5 – 9 Mar. If the iconic Patrick Swayze flick had you hot under the collar, you’ll be head over heels with this one.

Wim Hof Method Workshop at Wasing Estate Berkshire

Nothing screams “I love you” more than forcing your loved ones into their cozzi and dunking them into a bath full of ice. You’re welcome. The Wim Hof Method has been a hot wellness trend these past few years, so hop on it. At the Wim Hof Method Workshop at Wasing Estate (9 Mar) you’ll be expertly guided through some gentle movement and breathwork before your big ice bath moment. A delicious, light vegan lunch follows. £145pp.

Mother’s Day Floristry Workshop at The Great House Sonning

Blooming gorgeous. Fill your Mum’s home with flowers with a bit more panache than dropping a bunch of £1 daffs into a vase. Suitable for beginners and intermediates, the Mother’s Day Floristry Workshop at The Great House Sonning (10 Mar) from local florist Emma Curtis will teach you all the tricks of the trade with the gorgeous backdrop of the private garden and river to help inspire you. £60pp.

There’s more floral loveliness happening at the Wessex Flower Company’s studio in Shefford Woodlands. Join the lovely Alicia for a fragrant couple hours learning the art of flower arranging at their Spring Wreath Workshop (9 Mar). You’ll use a natural moss base, living spring bulbs and seasonal cut flowers and foliage such as Hyacinth, Narcissi, Rancunculus, Tulips, Iris, Crocus and Muscari. It’s hungry work so you’ll get some homemade treats to nibble on too.

Unravel the threads of the latest exhibition at South Hill Park, Bracknell. It’s part of their 50 year celebration and is explores the stories that are woven into the fabric of the building and its history. Expect an artistic collection of artwork made from ceramics, glass, jewellery, sculpture and textiles. On now – 3 Mar.

Kick start the World Book Day festivities over at Fourbears Books in Caversham. Sunday Times Best-Seller Veronica Henry is stopping by to chat about her new novel The Secret Beach on Mon 11 Mar.

Mad March! What’s on locally this month

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