How about starting your holiday with a delicious handmade curry supper straight from the oven, made using the freshest local ingredients?

If making it yourself doesn't appeal, then our friends at The Chai Stop in nearby Minster, make an authentic range of individually prepared and freshly frozen award winning curries! The good news is that they can be delivered to your cottage in time for your arrival, and you can cook them in your cottage oven whenever you're ready for them - straight from frozen.

Typical Meat Curry Supper Menu for two:

• Onion Bhajis x4: With spices, green chilli & lemon juice
• Beef Madras: Hot & rich with plenty of chillies, ginger, garlic & Madras spices
• Kashmiri Lamb: With ginger, garlic, spices tomatoes & cream
• Sag Aloo: Spinach & potato cooked with spices, garlic and tomatoes
• Spiced Basmati Rice x2: Delicately flavoured with black cumin & cardamom

Typical Chicken Curry Supper Menu for two:

• Onion Bhajis x4: With spices, green chilli & lemon juice
• Chicken Dopiaza: With fresh ginger, tomatoes, whole spices & plenty of onions
• Chicken Bhopali: Smooth and mild, marinated in lemon juice, garlic and ginger and then cooked with yoghurt, cream & The Chai Stop's special blend of spices
• Bombay Potato: Cooked with seeds and spices, tomatoes, ginger and garlic, finished with fresh coriander
• Pilau Rice x2: With whole spices, carrots, onions & peas

Typical Vegetarian Curry Supper Menu for two:

• Onion Bhajis x4: With spices, green chilli & lemon juice
• Mixed Vegetable Curry: Seasonal vegetables braised with whole spices cooked gently in their own juice
• Chickpea Curry: Chickpeas in a delicious sauce with tomatoes, ginger, garlic & coconut milk
• Tarkha Dhal: Spiced red lentils with garlic, red chillies, lemon juice and 
  fresh coriander
• Green Bean and Coconut: With mustard seeds, garlic and chilli
• Mushroom Rice x2: Cooked in spices with sauteed mushrooms

We want to make your family holiday as easy and relaxing as possible. To save you precious car space, you are more than welcome to borrow any of the following items during your stay:

Sleep & Bedtime

• Travel Cot – A sturdy travel cot to ensure the little ones have a familiar and comfortable place to sleep.
• Waterproof Mattress Cover – Available for single beds to provide extra peace of mind during the night.
• Baby Bath – To make evening routines simple and stress-free in your cottage bathroom.
  
  

Mealtime Helpers

• High Chair – Sturdy and easy-to-clean seating so your toddler can join the family at the meal table.
• Children’s Cutlery & Crockery – Colourful, durable sets perfectly sized for smaller hands.
  
  

Availability & Booking: We have several sets of equipment available to ensure our guests' needs are well-catered for; however, items are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure your chosen essentials are ready for your arrival, please let us know your requirements as soon as possible.

Would you like to surprise someone with some beautiful flowers, a gift or a special hamper of local produce when you arrive?

Please go to the Gibson's Farm Shop website where you can place your order online. Don't forget, if you'd like us to collect them on your behalf (at no extra charge if you're ordering a breakfast hamper from us) you'll need to let them know, and you'll need to check with us first. Alternatively, you'll have the option to pay for delivery when you place your order.

For guests who may find it difficult to access the bathroom during the night, we offer a discreet and sturdy foldable bedside commode. This height-adjustable chair features a comfortable seat and a removable bucket for easy cleaning and maintenance. Designed for both safety and convenience, it includes anti-slip feet.

Dimensions: Width of the seat: 46cm; Height from floor to seat: 45-54cm; Maximum weight limit: 200kg.

If you fancy a new and interactive way to explore the area around Hawthorn Farm, we're treating all our guests who book direct to a FREE Quiz Trail of your choice from the following titles:

Sandwich: Said to be the best preserved medieval town in the country, Sandwich is steeped in ancient history and with a charming centre, full of age-old pubs and beautiful architecture.

Canterbury: A UNESCO World Heritage site, with its awe inspiring Cathedral, cobbled streets and historical buildings.

Deal & Walmer: An opportunity to spend a great day out exploring the Kent coast! Deal is a charming historic town, with a pebble beach where you can regularly see fishing boats, a pier with a café at the end - and of course the magnificent Tudor castle and gardens at Walmer. 

Following a quiz trail is a perfect way to explore our local area! The trails are easy to follow, with different clues for adults and children. Simply follow the self-guided trail, exploring the wonderful historic sights and answering the clues along the way. The information is presented in short snippets, giving you lots of highlights to keep you entertained! PLUS you’ll have a take-home souvenir: a 20-24 page booklet packed with loads of local historical tales to read at your leisure.

Complete the outdoor trail in your own time at your own pace. They usually take between 1 and 2 hours to complete. You only need 1 booklet to share between 4-5 people, but are perfect for solos, couples, groups and families of all ages!

If you'd like a free quiz trail booklet, simply let us know which free title you'd like in the "Special Requests" section on your booking form . You can purchase the other titles for £4 each (RRP £5.99) by adding them as an "Option", and we'll add the cost to your booking.

How would you fancy starting your holiday with a delicious filling breakfast in the comfort of your cottage? We can arrange a sumptuous Kentish breakfast hamper with fresh local ingredients, to be delivered your cottage for when you arrive (anything that needs to be kept cool will be popped in the fridge!)

Serves 4 to 6 people

Typical contents:

• Loaf of locally baked bread
• 6 handmade sausages from the local butcher
• Unsmoked local back bacon
• Pack of salted farmhouse butter
• 1 Litre of fresh semi-skimmed milk
• Six free range local farm eggs
• Mushrooms and tomatoes
• Heinz Baked Beans
• Pot of locally made strawberry jam
• Fresh Kentish apple or pear juice

How about treating yourselves to a scrumptious cream tea in the comfort of your cottage? We can arrange a tasty selection of Kent produce and fresh local ingredients for you to quickly assemble to your own preference (jam or cream first - we're not fussed here in Kent!) - to be delivered your cottage for when you arrive.

Serves 2 to 4 people

Typical contents:

• 4 fresh locally baked plain scones
• Rodda's Cornish Clotted cream (not Kentish, but the best brand, in our opinion!)
• Pot of locally made strawberry jam
• Punnet of fresh strawberries
• Locally baked brownies
• 50 Kentish Breakfast tea bags
• 1 Litre of fresh semi-skimmed milk

Treat yourself or a loved one to a bottle of Kent's finest sparkling wine and a selection of handmade Kentish chocolates! Place your order at least a week before your arrival, and we'll make sure it's lovely and cold and ready to enjoy when you arrive.

Chapel Down Sparkling Wine

Made in Tenterden in the heart of the Garden of England. Chapel Down produces some of England's best selling, award-winning sparkling wines using the "methode traditionnelle" - the same method used for Champagne. The result is a crisp, dry sparkling wine, with fine bubbles, crisp acidity and complex flavours... The grapes for these wines are handpicked and primarily grown in the chalky terroir of the North Downs of Kent, as well as East Sussex and Essex.

Luxury Kentish Handmade Chocolates

Treat yourself to the perfect companion to a chilled bottle of Kentish sparkling wine: a selection of luxury handmade chocolates! We source the finest artisanal treats that crafted with care - offering a moment of pure decadence to savour during your holiday.

A presentation box of 6 Luxury Handmade Chocolates will include a selection of delicious flavour combinations such as: Caramel (Milk), Champagne (White), Coconut (Dark), Coffee (Milk), Kirsch (Dark), Orange (Milk).

If you'd like to make your stay at Hawthorn Farm that extra bit special, or if you're celebrating a birthday or an anniversary while you're with us, then our luxury upgrade package will be just the thing.

Why not surprise your loved one (or treat yourself!) to our specially selected items so they feel particularly pampered... Add our "Luxury Upgrade" package to your booking and we will arrange for it to be delivered to your cottage for when you arrive, or on a special date of your choice. The pack is suitable to 2 people, but you can purchase multiples if you wish to treat more people in your party!

Contents of the Hawthorn Farm Luxury Pack

Fluffy white dressing gowns: Our dressing gowns are extra soft and extra large and snuggly. If you love them so much you'd like to take them home with you, they can be purchased for £40 each!

Luxury toiletries: A selection of delightful smelling toiletries to create a "spa experience" in your cottage.

Sparkling Water: Two 1-litre bottles of Kingsdown Sparkling Water. The Kingsdown source is situated in the heart of the North Downs, just outside the village of Kingsdown, fifteen miles from the cathedral city of Canterbury. It is the chalk of the North Downs which provides the key to Kingsdown’s purity and quality.

Fresh Fruit: A generous selection of fresh fruit for you to enjoy (locally grown where possible, and when in season)

 Kent Crisps: A sharing packet of award-winning hand-cooked crisps, made using Red Tractor assured, British-grown potatoes.

Please note: We may need to substitute any of the above items for a close equivalent, depending on availability and season.

For that extra special touch, why not add some Kentish Sparkling Wine and handmade chocolates to your order too?

To ensure your stay at Hawthorn Farm is as comfortable and accessible as possible, we have a range of mobility equipment available for our guests to borrow. These items are designed to provide extra support and independence within your cottage.

Bedroom Support

• Bed Rails – Specifically designed for use with our 4ft adjustable bed to provide security and assistance when repositioning.
• Wedge Pillow – Ideal for those who need to remain elevated for comfort or respiratory support during the night.
• Waterproof Mattress Protectors – Available to provide discreet and practical peace of mind.
  
  

Bathroom & Showering

• Adjustable Shower Chair – A sturdy, height-adjustable seat with armrests to make showering safer and more relaxing.
• Static Shower Stool – A compact, backless option for those who require a simple perch while bathing.
  
  

Moving Around

• Walking Frame – A stable aid to assist with balance and movement throughout the cottage and patio areas.
• Rollator Walker - A folding rollator with a padded seat and locking brakes. Features height-adjustable handles and an under-seat bag; particularly useful for when you're going out and about.
• Threshold Ramp – A portable ramp to help smooth the transition over the back doorway to Primrose Cottage - just in case the small raised threshold proves challenging. (The front door is a low threshold door, so shouldn't be a problem.)

Availability & Booking: We have one set of equipment available to ensure our guests in Primrose Cottage are well-catered for; however, if you're staying in one of our other cottages, we may be able to lend you any of these on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure your chosen essentials are ready for your arrival, please let us know your requirements as soon as possible.