Research - Company

information from their website: http://huttonscourtyardcafe.co.uk

About the Cafe 

Huttons Courtyard café is a family run eatery and is located within the Stables Visitor Centre at Hylands Estate.
They provide an ideal venue to meet with friends for lunch or stop for a drink when out walking in the park.
They serve a wide range of hot and cold food, including breakfast (until 11am), daily specials, pasta, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and salads. Much of our  produce is locally-sourced. Senior citizens are entitled to a 10% discount on all food every Thursday. The Café is fully accessible for wheelchairs.

At Hutton's you can also enjoy a cream tea and some homemade cake also They sell a large selection of branded ice lollies . They have a number of children's options available and They sell a range of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages.
Our new Dog friendly patio area is open 9am Monday to Saturday.
During 9am -10am They will be offering hot and cold drinks, toast & toasted tea cakes and a small selection of homemade cakes and cookies only.
Our full menu will be available from 10 o’clock.
Sunday They will open at 8.30 offering the full menu.

The café may also be open outside of these times depending on the season, but you should contact us prior to travelling if you plan to visit outside these hours.

Given notice, coach parties are very welcome. The café is also available for private hire and functions – but a minimum spend is required.

 Suppliers

    

GCS have been providing Huttons with a comprehensive range of professional catering & bar equipment for a number years.

They use GCS because of their unique personal approach. They visit us on a regular basis to ensure They're kept up to speed with all the latest equipment and special offers.

                      

After winning in the Food and Drink Awards in 2008 Ravens Bakery has continued to provide excellence in baking. Giselle and her team at Ravens Bakery supply Huttons with their range of quality breads. Taste and value make Ravens our preferred supplier.

Lane Farm is a family run farming business situated in the heart of Suffolk.

Huttons has been using Lane Farm as their preferred supplier for a considerable time because their produce is always of the highest quality.
Their business has grown steadily over the years and today they have extended their range into cooked hams, smoked products, air-dried Suffolk Salami and the Suffolk Chorizo.

All the pigs Sue & Ian rear at Lane Farm are born outside before being finished on a straw based system in a Theylfare friendly environment.

Hylands Park

The last private owner Christine Hanbury lived in Hylands House until her death until 1962. It was in 1966, with the House in a desperate state of disrepair, that Chelmsford Borough Council purchased the Park for the people of Chelmsford to enjoy. Hylands Park was opened to the public only 10 days later. It was agreed by Chelmsford Borough Council that Hylands House should be restored to its former glory and having stood empty for 20 years, the first phase of restoration took place in 1986. The final stage was completed in 2005.

Restoration of the house.

The House was in a state of progressive deterioration but, despite its poor condition, in 1967 Hylands House became a Grade II listed building. In 1985 the Borough Council set up a restoration fund and later that year English Heritage gave their consent to the Council's proposal to reduce the house to its 19th-century appearance. Prior to work commencing Hylands House was re-graded to become a Grade II* listed building.

Phased restoration work began in 1986, and by 1996 the external work to the House had been completed and the Entrance Hall restored to its Georgian grandeur. The Blue Room and Boudoir Theyre refurbished and once again the house was full of the sound of people.

The east wing was fully restored and opened to the general public at Easter 1999. The Theyst wing and basement restoration quickly folloTheyd and their grand opening took place at Easter 2004. The restoration of the basement area has brought to life the original red brick Queen Anne house and a number of exciting discoveries Theyre made. Interpretation boards throughout the house offer visitors an informative and photographic display of the restoration process.

The final phase of restoration in the House was completed in September 2005, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Hylands House is now fully restored to its Victorian splendour, giving visitors the opportunity to glide up the Grand staircase and imagine what it must have been like to attend one of the spectacular balls or banquets held there.

Restoration of the estate.

Intensive work on restoring the historic landscape of Hylands Park to its 18th century splendour, designed by famed landscape architect Humphry Repton, began in 2004 and was completed in 2007. The restoration of Hylands Park was financed by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £3.4 million and by the Council.

Restoring Repton's parkland - the original 'Widford Approach' drive has been reinstated for pedestrians and cyclists, providing beautiful framed views of the estate, before finally revealing the house itself. Repton's spectacular views of the lake from the house can now also be enjoyed, especially from the Repton Room located with Hylands house. 

Conversion of the stable block - the Georgian stables have been restored and converted into The Stables Visitor Centre which incorporates a new visitor centre, with craft studios. gift shop, cafe, interpretation rooms, education room and stabling for horses.

 Home Farm - these farm buildings have been restored and adapted for storage and offices for the Grounds Maintenance team.

Flint Cottage - a former gamekeeper's cottage and now derelict, has been brought back to its original appearance and is now used as a store to support the Council's events in the park.

Recent history

Since 1996, the park has hosted the annual V Festival. In the 2004 film Chasing Liberty, Hylands House doubled as the US White House In 2005 Hylands Park was the venue for the European Scout Jamboree and in 2007 Hylands Theylcomed scouts from over 160 nations for the 21st World Scout Jamboree, which celebrated 100 years of scouting. The One World Garden was created to commemorate this historic event, and now forms part of the estate.

Opening Times & Admission

Hylands Park is open to the public every day throughout the year. The gates at the park entrances are opened at 7.30am, and are closed and locked at the following times:
January: 5pm
February & March: 6pm
April: 8pm
May: 9pm
June & July: 10pm
August: 9pm
September: 8pm
October: 7pm
November & December: 5pm

After the gates are locked there is no arrangement for the release of vehicles left within the park until 7.30am the following day. Access to the House and park may be restricted at certain times due to large-scale events. To check opening times, please call 01245 605500.