Stockport viaduct was constructed on a condition that every train that would pass though station would be required to stop. This is fantastic as it makes Stockport, although a relatively small station, a hub of transport for the UK.

Getting to The Wycliffe from Stockport station or from The Wycliffe to the station is simple. Although it can be walked, and we often do so ourselves, it does take around 15 minutes while a taxi, when booked through Lynx (01614805000) costs only £3 – if booking be sure to ask for the Wycliffe fixed rate!

Once you are here be it for leisure or work, we have everything you could need. Free unlimited fibre Wi-Fi, free breakfast cooked to order included as standard with all rates, on-site restaurant using high-quality produce with a fixed price A La Carte menu making it easy when on a budget, bar & bar snack menu.

There are few dishes on any restaurants menu which remain the same however the “if it’s not broke don’t fix it” saying is perfect in this situation.

The Steak Diane has been one of our staple dishes for the past 30 years! The dish itself is not complex and is easily done at home, hence this article.

Before any cooking we must start with the steak, any steak will do however we recommend using sirloin due to its low-fat.

At the Wycliffe we thinly beat our Sirloin so that we can cook quickly tableside keeping service smooth, again this is not necessary but is our preference!

Firstly, we are going to get our pan nice and hot – do not add anything to the pan just yet!

While the pan is warming, we are going to want to spread a little French mustard on one side of the Sirloin while also giving it a good covering of black pepper.

Once the pan is hot place a little butter (or oil if preferred) into the pan then add in some finely chopped onions and mushrooms – cook for 1 – 2 minutes then add the sirloin steak making sure that the onion and mushrooms are pushed to one side.

Give the steak 1 minute and then turn. Now we are going to add a little brandy – here any the Wycliffe we like to flambé our steak but again it isn’t essential.

The idea behind a flambé is that it burns off the alcohol but leaves the flavours of the brandy. If you are going to flambé your steak be sure to be very careful!

Now we can add a little bit of Worcestershire sauce and red wine. Now is a good time to remove the steak, remember its thin and we don’t want to overcook it!

While the steak is resting, we can add in a little fresh cream and start to reduce the sauce. Pour onto of the Sirloin and your good to go!

November has set the scene for The Wycliffe’s most exciting month yet in 2017.

A French themed Gourmet Evening, a Dinner & Dance night and a public area refurbishment saw record numbers coming through our doors.

 In the first place we would like to thank all our customers:

to our return guests, who continue to be the reason why we love our job;

to our new guests, who have trusted in us in making their celebrations a happy memory, we hope you will be choosing us again.

At the beginning of the month, we had the pleasure of cooperating with Bordeaux Wines UK to bring you a French themed evening, which saw 5 dishes being carefully paired with 5 glasses of wine from the renowned oversea region.

Dishes like rabbit terrine, oysters and duck were accompanied by wines, such as the Chateau de Mirambeau Reserve Rose 2016, with its hints of cassis and strawberry, and the Chateau Bonalgue Pomerol 2014, with its silky tannins.

We were most pleased to also introduce our guests to our new wine account manager, Mr Branislav Prievoznik from Tanners Wines, who did an excellent job at hosting the evening. Mr Prievoznik boasts of 12 years’ experience as sommelier and mixologist and he is working closely with our staff to bring you even more exciting events.

Later on in the month, we concentrated on giving The Wycliffe’s public areas a lift, with the arrival of new modern carpets in the restaurant, bar, staircase and hotel corridors; this is to complement the ongoing refurbishment started earlier in the year. As a team, we are always looking for ways to improve your experience.

November ended on a high note with a dinner dance brought to you by Alan Arnison Entertainments: the one and only Matty Roberts was the star of the evening and he did not disappoint the eager dancers.

Future gourmet evenings, dinner dances and more events will be organised next year. Once the dates will be set, you will of course be the first ones to hear about it

Once again, from Mrs & Mrs Tavini and all the staff at The Wycliffe:

THANK YOU!

We are pleased to announce a special room rate of £85.00 for double rooms (two guests) booked on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays!

The room rate comes with free English breakfast (cooked to order not buffet) and/or Continental breakfast, high-speed fibre optic Wi-Fi and car parking!

A superb rate for a prime location in Stockport with easy access to Stockport train station, M60 motorway and Manchester airport.

This special offer is only available for bookings made via our website or directly with the hotel.

For me, as a newcomer to the hospitality industry, it seems as though discounts have become more and more prevalent since the start of the economic downturn. However, are these discounts really a well thought out strategic plan or could hoteliers be tarnishing their own brand?

It is, I suppose, subjective, everyone is going to have their own opinions as to the effectiveness of discounting and adding value, but from where I am sitting it seems as though offering discounts may not be the way forward and that, whilst it can increase short term bookings, it will not offer a sustainable long term plan.

From a business perspective I guess that adding value – the enhancement of value offering – is all about repeat custom, whereas discounting is more likely to draw in new customers. This article, written by Paul Lamberg says “…loyal customers and their repeat purchases are the cornerstone of your long-term successful business.”

His reasoning is that it is more expensive to gain new customers than it is to keep existing ones, while this expense might not be in the form of advertising, by offering a 2-4-1 dinner or 25% off the total bill you are subjecting yourself to addition costs thus reducing the total profit made. However, it is easy to argue that 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing, and to this I agree, yet by adding a little extra value you could retain close to 100% of everything.

Furthermore, discounting is a very competitive game, if one day you decided to offer 25% off, your competitor can easily respond to this by offering a more desirable 30%. With added value, it is a little more difficult to imitate, a personal touch can go a long way in a customer’s eye and without actually visiting your premises competitors will be less aware of the moves you are making.

Again, this is my perspective and I would love to hear your thoughts on the above, if you would like to get in touch with myself, Richard, you can contact marketing@wycliffe-hotel.com.