Top chef provides French style at Lake District food festival

One of the North West’s most renowned chefs will be taking charge of the kitchen for a special night of Classic French cuisine during the first Waterhead Food Festival in the Lake District next week.

Steven Doherty was head chef at one of London’s most prestigious restaurants, Le Gavroche, under mentor Albert Roux. He became the first British person to be head chef of a three-Michelin Star establishment before going on to oversee the whole Roux empire.

The Classic French night will be on Thursday 20th November, the third day of the five day food festival at The Waterhead Hotel’s Bay Restaurant, which aims to give some of Cumbria’s best local produce a new twist.

Steven’s specially created menu brings to the festival the best of Le Gavroche in the 80s and 90s. It includes dishes like Game Terrine served with toast and Cumbrian butter, baby gherkins and pickles; Roast Breast of Duck in an orange sauce, served with a fondant potato and salad mimosa; and Poached Pear Dijonnaise.

Steven Doherty says: “My menu for the festival will give people the chance to try some traditional French food without all the foams, squirts and spots on the plate! It’s just good, real food that I think people will enjoy.”

Steven Doherty started as an apprentice at the Savoy and worked for many years in haute cuisine restaurants and Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe. He has taught Gordon Ramsay and is now the chairman of judges for the Gordon Ramsay Scholarship.

Matt Stanaway, the manager of The Waterhead Hotel, says: “We’re really pleased that Steven Doherty will be at our first food festival. We couldn’t have anyone better for our Classic French evening than someone with experience running one of the country’s top French restaurants. The menu Steven has come up with promises a real gastronomic treat.”

The festival at The Waterhead Hotel’s Bay Restaurant will run from Tuesday 18th to Saturday the 22nd of November. Each night will have a different theme. As well as the Classic French evening there will also be a Historic Cumbria menu, Modern British and East meets West.

Throughout the festival diners will be able to watch the chefs in action in the kitchen on screens set up in the Bay Restaurant. There will also be opportunities to meet local producers.

The festival starts on Tuesday 18th November with a 21 course Cumbrian taster menu for lunch. On Wednesday the 19th there will be Historic Cumbria menu for dinner in the Bay Restaurant. After the Classic French evening on the 20th the festival continues with an East Meets West evening on the 21st and a Modern British evening on Saturday 22nd.

Dinner during the festival will be £30 per person for a three course meal.

The Waterhead Hotel is also offering a special dinner, bed and breakfast package for the food festival. Prices start from £83 per person per night.

More information on the festival is available at elh.co.uk/restaurants.