Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel London has added a new range of British Beer & Barley treatments to the menu of luxurious spa treatments in celebration of harvest time.  Guests can indulge in a blissful barley body wrap, a pale ale pedicure or a honey and barley facial at London’s most quintessentially British hotel.

Proud to be using British ingredients, Brown’s Hotel has linked up with Warminster Maltings in Wiltshire, one of the last remaining floor maltsters, to create the all-British range of treatments using Britain’s legendary Maris Otter barley - and British beers taken from the extensive beer list at HIX at The Albemarle.

Stuart Johnson, General Manager of Brown’s Hotel comments:  “We are big supporters of all things British. Our restaurant, HIX at The Albemarle is renowned for its impressive British cuisine and our beer list numbers 18 distinctive home-grown beers. Since beer is our national drink, we were interested in looking at how else we could back British produce whilst giving customers something supremely different.”

Pale Ale Pedicure (90 minutes):
Whilst guests enjoy a hot malt drink and barley snack, an invigorating blend of Epsom salts, hop flowers and sesame seed oil is used to exfoliate the feet before they are soaked in a stimulating beer bath (using refreshing citrusy Hooky Gold Ale from Oxfordshire).  Guests will then experience a pressure point foot massage with Ninkasi lotion and a nourishing barley and sesame seed foot wrap, making the feet feel super soft.  The nails are shaped and painted with a colour of choice.

Honey and Barley Facial (75 minutes):
The facial begins with a hot malt drink followed by a thorough cleanse using Lagoon Gelee before the area is toned with Lagoon Water.  The honey and barley facial is then applied to the face, neck and décolleté.  The sesame seed oil promotes supple, soft skin and works to tighten facial skin and minimise enlarged pores to control breakouts.  Following the facial, guests are invited to relax with a glass of refreshing St Austell Tribute ale – made from the same Maris Otter barley - and a barley snack before they leave the spa.

Blissful Barley Body Wrap (90 minutes):
This relaxing wrap begins with a hot malt drink and uses Epsom salts, hops, sesame seed oil and rough grist barley in the body scrub to improve circulation and tonicity, reduce swelling and restore vitality to tired, dry skin.  Following the wrap, guests are invited to relax with a glass of refreshing British beer and a barley snack.
 
Shareen Stokes, Spa Manager at Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel, adds:
“The treatments blend grists of England’s legendary Maris Otter barley with East Kent Goldings hops, Hooky Gold Ale from Oxfordshire, and St Austell’s Tribute beer from Cornwall.  We’re delighted to be trialling a new kind of treatment at Brown’s Hotel.  Barley has countless health benefits, and is deeply nourishing, healing and comforting.  It’s also high in vitamins such as B1, B3 as well as selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorous and copper all of which help to keep the skin and body healthy, so it makes sense to use it in our treatments.”

The three treatments begin with a hot malt drink that’s rich in barley, high in fibre with a low glycaemic index that works to stabilise blood sugar levels.  Guests will also be treated to a barley snack created specially by Brown’s Hotel’s Pastry Chef, Theo Ndeh.

Jonathan Arnold of barley maltsters, Robin Appel, comments:
“Beer contains zero fat and zero cholesterol, and its carbohydrates are very modest as well. So we leapt at the chance to work with Brown’s Hotel to demonstrate the beauty of barley and the special flavours of our ancient Maris Otter variety as well. It’s about time that such a key ingredient in our national drink (beer) gets the fanzine status it deserves. And my wife is thrilled that instead of popping out with her me to the pub, I will be able to join her for a beer-tinged massage as well.”

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