At Birchall Tea we pride ourselves on delivering teas of exceptional quality and flavour. Only the best ingredients and production techniques are used to create our blends. It was these great values that we were looking for when selecting the restaurants to feature in our fine food tour of The Lake District.
An area famed for its natural beauty it also boasts some of the finest restaurants in the UK. All of the restaurants we’ve selected below source the best local produce and have a dedication to creating dishes of great flavour. We urge you to give them a try!
Askham Hall
Askham Hall is really a bohemian-style home from home with a wonderful vegetable patch, elds and ponds with animals, set right in the heart of an incredibly productive area for wild food, game and meat. The focus is very much on the connection between the kitchen, the seasons and the local ecosystem. Head chef is Richard Swale (la Maison de Marc Veyrat, Annecy, Noma, and a protégé of Anthony Demetre and John Burton Race). His menus are inspired by his time at Noma and la Maison, both of which are run by pioneers of finding delicate flavours from local wild herbs and plants and balancing them with the best meats and vegetables. It truly is a wonderful place to visit at any time of year.
The Forest Side
Fairytale gothic mansion, Forest side is the fulfillment of a romantic dream. Set in the magical Lake District landscape of Wordsworth’s Grasmere, this beautiful house charmed visitors for over a century before falling into disrepair. But, like sleeping beauty, Forest Side has been reawakened. Enchanting gardens are emerging from the wilderness while their fabulous rooms are fit for any prince or princess. In the kitchen talented head chef Kevin Tickle, conjures up menus inspired by the walled garden and the countryside beyond.
For Kevin, foraging is not just a trend it’s a way of being, something he’s done all his life. Using local suppliers and supporting the rural economy is not a marketing gimmick but an obvious choice. It is this unwavering drive to extract flavour from the Cumbrian Landscape that makes Kevin’s food so special, and which results in menus that deliver truly unique taste combinations and a fantastic dining experience.
Rogan & Company
Simon Rogan moved to the picturesque village of Cartmel, Cumbria, in 2002 to set up L’Enclume, and in 2008, he opened Rogan & Company, his second restaurant in the village. Rogan & Company features Simon’s signature contemporary cooking style in a more informal setting. Vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers are supplied from Simon’s 12-acre natural farm, just outside Cartmel. The Head Chef is Ashley Bennett, who works closely with Simon and the L’Enclume team.
The Inn on The Lake
We were very lucky to spend some time at the spectacular Inn on the Lake, in Glenridding recently. This award winning 4 star hotel has 15 acres of grounds, with lawns sweeping the shores of Lake Ullswater, looking towards the magnificent Helvellyn Mountain range.
The 2 AA rosette award-winning Lake View restaurant provides something for all tastes. A very accomplished kitchen team, lead by experienced head chef, Mark Harris, produces a very fine dining experience with an emphasis on local produce.
Our Fine food tour, takes you right through the heart of the majestic Lake District National Park.
