Holiday Let - Welcome Basket

Tea bags, milk, biscuits. Small amounts of bread/rolls, butter and maybe a couple of eggs.

Maybe a home made muffin or similar instead of the biscuits.

Last year, in a cottage we rented , these items were left on a welcome tray...teabags, a small jar of coffee, sugar, a pint of milk in the fridge, a packet of biscuits and a bottle of wine. and was welcome indeed.

...and don't forget loo rolls for the bathroom.

The most important things in holiday cottages are staples for the cupboards: salt, pepper, washing up liquid, cling film, tin foil, soap, dishwasher tabs, laundry powder etc.

Whenever we go to a holiday cottage we always take our own tea bags, coffee . The best welcome pack we had was a homemade fruit cake and a bottle of wine. Yes and it's useful to have the cleaning products, tin foil, salt, pepper, herbs etc in the kitchen.

Usually the previous occupants leave some washing up liquid I find.Dishwasher tabs are very expensive, but yes, salt and pepper would be a good idea.

The cottages we go to usually leave an amount of local produce. So e,g. Dales left heavy cake and Wensleydale cheese amongst other stuff. Quite nice idea.

We were left a tray with tea, coffee, milk, biscuits and a loaf of bread.
The trouble is I didn't know we were getting this so had duplicated everything!
May be a good idea to mention this in your lettings info.

I always take a few bits from home such as foil and dishwasher tablets anyway.

We go to some holiday cottages in North Wales. There is always a welcome hamper. Welsh tea , milk, butter, marmalade or jam, small packet of cereal, bread, and eggs , Oh and biscuits. Sometimes a small pot plant to take home. All beautifully presented and local produce.

Done a few of these, the favourite had a cake from a local bakery with the name of the bakery and instructions for how to get there. We loved it and went to buy another one straight away. maybe if there are some local delicacies you like you could do the same. (I did wonder if the owners got discount for promoting the shop)

We have found it varies. There is usually milk, cheese and butter in the frig, and on the work surface, often in a basket, tea bags, a jar of coffee, marmalade or honey, small pkts of cereal, a bottle of wine, bread and biscuits. A friend of mine, who has just started letting a cottage, always leaves fresh scones or a cake she has made. Some also leave flowers. The most basic provisions we have been left were two sachets of coffee, two tea bags, and tubs of long-life milk. Most places also leave jay cloths, rubber gloves, w.u.l. and dishwasher tabs.

I think something local gives a personal touch, (Welsh cakes, Devon scones & clotted cream etc.).
Teabags, coffee and sugar all in individual wrappers can be obtained from a cash & carry like Mackro, (I don't like half used bags of sugar or hall full jars of someone else's coffee.) Milk and maybe a bottle of wine. If children are coming, some little biscuits or chocolate bunnies, and most importantly a packet of dog treats if you allow pets!
I guess it depends how much you are charging, but if it is luxury standard, add in some flowers, soaps and enough dishwasher tablets for a few days. The clue is in the word SELF catering, so I would only expect enough on arrival to refresh me before I got in my own shopping.

We stayed a few times at a lovely farm cottage in Cornwall and the lady owner always left a basket of fresh scones, jam and clotted cream for your arrival. It was such a treat and worth going back for

We usually find things like sugar, pepper and salt and other condiments, in a cupboard. Kitchen roll and spare loo paper is also usually provided. Often there's a utility drawer with string, scissors, a torch, local OS map, spare bulbs etc.
Information from other guests, or from the owner, about local restaurants is useful. A few paperbacks or DVDs, though we always have our own.
Good luck with your enterprise.

The content ofwelcome baskets varis hugely in my experience. The last cottage we had in South Wales last year was a half loaf of white sliced bread and a punnet of cherry tomatoes - a welcome basket was advertised in the blurb so I felt rather annoyed at that meagre offering.
The year before in the Yorkshire Dales we had fresh crusty bread, milk, tea bags, biscuits, crisps, chocolate, a cake , a bottle of wine in the fridge and some coffee pods which was lovely and we hadn't expected so much. This last cottage was the same price as the first one but much better appointed. the first one even kept the heating controls on their side of the house - never met such meanness - we went home early.

We stayed recently in a very expensive property and were greeted with the basics. Bearing in mind the house was for 15 I felt being left 2 dishwasher tablets was rather mean! I would like to find fresh milk, tea, eggs, bread so if we arrived late we could at least feed ourselves. I usually take half the fridge contents with me anyway. In addition to dishwasher tabs I would expect J cloths, loo cleaner, washing up liquid, plenty of T cloths, refuse bags, foil and cling film,

My favourite self-catering cottage (sleeps 2) is attached to the owner's home.
Her "welcome tray" is simply a jug of milk in the fridge, a plate of 4 scones & butter or other freshly home-baked cake, and a vase of freshly cut garden flowers.
In the kichen cupboard she leaves individual tea/coffee/chocolate/sugar sachets, salt & pepper only. (And loo rolls!)
Being situated in a small Yorkshire village with an excellent general store,a bakery, a choice of three good eating places and a mobile fish & chip van on a Wednesday, all within 200 metres of the front door, there is no need for the owner to do other than provide the personalised "touch" that she does.

The location of your holiday cottage Jude will determine what your guests might need & find useful. Our cottage owner also provides public transport info, parking discs, laminated OS maps,outdoor boot scrapers, brushes & a tap!
Hope all goes well - are you opening for Easter?

We had a lovely welcome basket in a cottage near Exeter with lots of local produce. We have generally found that the basket is an addition to the basics left in the kitchen.

Thank you all for such helpful input, and your kind good wishes for our new enterprise. In answer to your question 'PoshGran' we're already open for short breaks and out of season, and definitely for Easter.

Once again, thanks all.

We have a holiday let in the Lake District. I'm beginning to feel a bit inadequate! The thing is, we live an hour and a half away, so I'm not able to pop in with home-made scones and clotted cream,(much as I would like to) and I don't feel I could ask the cleaner to do this. We have only had the cottage less than 2 years and isn't isn't anything posh (3 star) - just a comfy place that allows dogs and is mostly let to couples and walkers. We have carried on with what the previous owner did - coffee and tea bags, a couple of packets of biscuits and some of those little pots of milk. We leave plentiful supplies of washing up liquid, dishwasher tabs, loo rolls etc. We are in the centre of a village, so it is easy to pick up supplies.

We went to a holiday cottage in North Wales which had all the everyday essentials supplied but also a fruit basket and a bottle of local wine, it was such a beautiful cottage we've been back twice.

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