History of The Grange
The present house is thought to be about two hundred years old; it is also believed to have been the principle farmhouse of Oborne and to have been the largest in the surrounding area. As far as we know The Grange continued to be a working farm until it was bought for residential use in the early 20th century; by that time much of the farmland had been sold and only a few acres remained.
The Grange as a Hotel
In 1976, Mauro Lupi, an Italian businessman looking for a suitable site for a new restaurant, bought The Grange. The conversion took quite some time, not least because mains water and electricity had to be installed. The Grange Restaurant opened later that year, serving traditional Italian cuisine. The Grange was a huge success and it soon gained a reputation throughout Dorset and Somerset; many guests would even arrive by helicopter! Soon afterwards, Mauro realised the tremendous potential for a hotel in the area and in the early 1980's he converted the first floor of the house to four hotel bedrooms. Within weeks the rooms were full with Italian businessmen who were visiting Westland Helicopters at Yeovil.
The Grange Today
Thirty years on, The Grange has grown and evolved; still a popular local restaurant, it now has eighteen bedrooms and two function rooms, and is a popular venue for weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties and business meetings.
Who's Who at The Grange
Today, the hotel is owned by Karenza and Ken Mathews and is managed by their daughter Jennifer together with her husband Jonathan Fletcher. Jennifer obtained a degree in Drama and Theatre Studies at The University of London while Jon graduated in Environmental Science at Kingston University. Having travelled around the world together, Jennifer and Jon returned to Brighton and managed the family hotel there. The family bought The Grange at Oborne in July 2003. Both Jennifer and Jon have qualifications in management, they hold qualifications from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and Jon holds the British Institute of Innkeeping's National Certificate for Licensees.
The head chef is Nick Holt. Nick trained at Thanet College, Kent before working at The Park Lane Hilton Hotel, London and various restaurants in France and County Cork, Ireland. In more recent years Nick achieved three AA Rosettes as head chef at The Wallets Court Hotel in Westcliffe, Kent. Nick is ably supported by the sous chef Julian Batten and junior sous chef Thomas Jones.
Jeremy Messenger is the assistant manager of the hotel. Born in nearby Sherborne, Jeremy studied finance and banking at Loughborough University before returning to Dorset and working at the hotel.
Maureen White is the head housekeeper at The Grange. Maureen has many years service in large corporate hotels and smaller, family run hotels in the Dorset and Somerset area. She has seen it all!