THE owner of a popular Somerset hotel has celebrated his 21st anniversary of when he took over the venue.

Nick Taplin, a North Somerset local, took over Congresbury's Cadbury House on May 5, 2003.

Before it became what it is today, it was known as Cadbury House & Country Club. The venue was popular for revellers who would make their way through the sycamore and horse chestnut lined driveway to enjoy fun times with hunt balls, medieval banquets and charity evenings.

The hotel, including its old kidney shaped swimming pool, was popular amongst many. It is even rumoured that cricketer Ian Botham was thrown in during a party.

Nick invested into the property, hoping to make it a hotspot for fitness and well-being, as well as renowned for delicious food.

In 2006, the multi award-winning health club opened its doors on the grounds, which was followed in 2007 by the opening of the refurbished hotel.

In 2009, the hotel was rebranded as a DoubleTree by Hilton. The year after, the total number of rooms was increased to 132.

Also in 2010, the on-site restaurant re-opened as a Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill.

For Nick, this is a highlight for his time at the hotel, as it spawned his restaurant franchise business, Black and White Hospitality.

Speaking about his time at the hotel, which is one of the largest employers in the area, Nick said: “It’s been quite the journey but what a journey it’s been.

“When I first took hold of the keys to this amazing property little did I think I’d still be here 21 years later.

"When I reflect on what’s been achieved it always brings a smile to my face and I’d like to thank everyone who has been part of this journey from team members to suppliers. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

"It’s quite awe inspiring when you start to look back at what we’ve achieved. There have been some amazing highs but also a few lows. Who can forget the credit crunch and more recently the Covid pandemic! But we’ve remained resolute and stuck together as a team and that is why we were able to ride out those tricky times.

“Looking ahead, I’m incredibly optimistic for the future of Cadbury House. The first quarter of 2024 has been very positive with occupancy of the hotel doing really well. There are plenty of events planned which are always well attended by local people and we’ll be hosting many weddings in the coming months."