An innovative loyalty card scheme introduced by a historic four-star country hotel is set to welcome its 200th member.

The scheme was introduced at the Priest House Hotel, Kings Mills, Castle Donington and means that the cardholder can eat for free at the hotel's AA two rosette restaurant or at the brasserie when there are minimum of two at a table. 

There are other discounts and benefits in the scheme which was brought in earlier this year.

"This scheme has increased the number of people locally who are rediscovering the Priest House as a venue for fine dining in the restaurant or brasserie," said general manager Martin Page.

New head chef Marcus Hall has introduced more locally-sourced food for the menus with a particular emphasis on most meat coming from the Chatsworth Estate.

Situated near East Midlands Airport, close to the M1 and M42, and within easy reach of Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, the hotel is being increasingly used by business representatives for informal meetings over coffee as well as being able to host more formal events.

Forty bedrooms in the main hotel building and 17th-century cottages have recently undergone a partial refurbishment costing more than £50,000. This has included sprucing up the soft furnishings to standardise the decor.

The Priest House, which can trace its history alongside the River Trent to the Doomsday Book, is part of The Hand Picked Hotels group.