Burtree Winter Wonderland Christmas Experience: The Yorkshire farm which turns into a magical Christmas experience

“I’m busy with everything,” says Dawn. “I love Croft Feeds, I would love to go back to showing cattle, I love maintaining the standard of my suckler herd, through feed rations, and the mill is as busy as ever, and now with Burtree Country House, the varied visitor accommodation and all the events and special parties it’s just taken off.

“When I first bought this house and the farm, I knew that Burtree was a beautiful place, overlooking the White Horse of Kilburn I knew we were in the right location to deliver a wonderful experience for visitors. I’m a people person. I always want the best for my customers that use Croft Feeds, my team who work with me and now my visitors here at Burtree. This was always my dream.

“I still have much more to do. I still have to convert the courtyard into a swimming pool and spa, some of which, the spa I hope, will open next year. The swimming pool and restaurant may take a couple of years, but I am opening a coffee shop and a bar on the site next year and Burtree Country House is now, if I may say, rather posh.

“I love the feed mill and that side more than anything. It’s something I’ve grown totally myself and is about me working with and putting together exactly the right nutritional requirement for every one of our customers’ herds. I want to put Croft Feeds back higher up my agenda next year, but right now it’s Christmas at Burtree!

Dawn lights up with a beaming smile that radiates her own warmth of personality of someone who is not just a feed mill owner, nutritionist, farmer, leisure host, but also mum of two young daughters Jess and Aira with her partner Geraint who works in the mill and has sheep.

“Burtree Winter Wonderland Christmas Experience starts today, and is all about making memories for everyone who comes, from the wonderment on a child’s face to the happiness that brings to mums, dads, grandparents, guardians and really everyone.

“Our Christmas is about everybody having an experience they will never forget with their families in the lovely surroundings here that include the folly I had built just after we all came out of Covid, a chapel-like ruin in the gardens.

“That was the time when I set my own dreams together to create dreams and memories that will last a lifetime for others. I’ve tried to take us all back to those magical, traditional days when children’s minds were free of today’s digital clutter and instead give them rides on a pony, with Mary and Joseph; give them time and space to not only write a card to Santa, but to meet him and, because of the way we do things here, spend quality time with him before he gets too busy, and of course get an early gift from him; and have the opportunity of a picture taken with Santa on his real sleigh and with his reindeer in real snow; and even dance with Santa at our very own special Burtree Christmas Party.

“That’s only part of it. We have an enchanted gingerbread house and we have Burtree’s Hansel & Gretel in their own Christmas movie where the adults can also enjoy refreshments including their complimentary glass of mulled wine and mince pie while the children can enjoy a Christmas drink with chocolate. And Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without party games, even a Christmas karaoke and making a snowman, and walking through our illuminated magical Christmas Wonderland while traditional Christmas carols are played.

Dawn tells of how very different the transformation will be from the very different, family fun of Burtree Hallowe’en, but also how her team delights in it all.

“Burtree is certainly changing with the times, and with the times of year and how we can give people a smile. Burtree Christmas is most definitely a traditional magical family Christmas event. I have someone who comes down from Scotland every year to play Joseph and we have one of the girls here who plays Mary.

“My team all get involved so much and bring it all to life. Next year we will keep our focus on events. We’ve had Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night events this year, we’re having the Christmas Experience from this weekend to Christmas Eve and we have more to come for 2024.

“We’ve only been a holiday accommodation and events venue for such a short time but with us having Burtree Country House now offering four bedrooms and a hot-tub, a big events tipi, two holiday tipis, a tree house that offers accommodation for two adults and two children and with another being built, and the folly, we have also hosted seven parties this year and run the events, and we’ve had visitors every weekend.

“We only just started all this properly in August 2022, but it has gone through the roof. It has taken over everything in the past year, and the farm has adjusted to fit around tourism and leisure. Leisure, the farm and the mill now work hand-in-hand.

Dawn’s cattle are also now providing some of the food that is consumed by her guests.

“I have 25 suckler cows with about twelve of them being native breeds, such as Galloway and the rest either Limousin or British Blue. We also fatten up to 250 store cattle through each year and we process some of the stock produced to make beef sausages and beef burgers that go into barbecue packs. I have a butcher on site, who looks after the cattle, who does it really well. We also use other beef we process in the meals for those who stay at Burtree Country House or the treehouse or in the tipis. It’s something else we intend to do more of too.

“My vision for 2024 is that we will continue growing all of the enterprises as I now have a great team in place and everything up and running successfully.

“I really enjoy seeing guests enjoying themselves, whether it is when they are having their breakfasts at Burtree Country House or coming here for our Burtree Winter Wonderland Christmas Experience.

If you’d like to know more visit: https://burtreechristmas.com/