Lake District sited on the gastronomic map
The Lake District has been named as one of the most prestigious places in England for fine dining as well as being a standard setter for the whole of the North West.
In a league table of the counties with the most Michelin-starred restaurants – Cumbria makes it into the top five in the whole of England with a staggering four establishments each achieving a star apiece. Three are in the Lake District and the other is just on the fringe of the national park in Cartmel.
Only Kent, Yorkshire and London fare better and Cumbria is tied in joint-fourth place with Devon, which also has four Michelin Star restaurants. Across the North West, Cumbria also leads the way with the likes of Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside each just having one Michelin star restaurant.
Cumbria also has as many Michelin star restaurants as the whole of Wales, more than Northern Ireland and just two less than the Republic of Ireland. The figures are contained in the new 2010 Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland, the results of which are annually announced in January.
Cumbria’s position on the nationwide food map has been bolstered this year after The Samling at Windermere successfully won back its Michelin star following its takeover last year by the prestigious Von Essen hotel and country house hotel group. Its sister hotel, The Sharrow Bay at Ullswater, also won a Michelin star. They join regular winners The Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere and and L’Enclume, Cartmel, to make up Cumbria’s leading four.
The Sharrow Bay, has won the Michelin star accolade 14 times in as many years and Lakes-based marketing manager Sam Hall of the group, described the double win as "fantastic news."
Holbeck Ghyll Country House Hotel has won it every year since 2000. Since establishing L’Enclume in 2002, restaurateur Simon Rogan has won a Michelin star every year since 2005.
Michelin star restaurants lure gastronomes from all corners of the globe and are famed for offering the crème de la crème of eating and dining experiences – particularly with international visitors.
Cumbria only has a population of half-a-million and the Lake District just over 42,000. While Cumbria is one of England’s largest counties it is also one of its least urbanised making its culinary prowess even more significant.
Ian Stephens, Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourism, said: “To have such a concentration of food excellence in the area is a prestigious honour for Cumbria’s restaurant and hotel industry. It also means our visitors and residents have the luxury of choice for somewhere special to dine that is among the most select company in the country.”
The Lake District and Cumbria has already been declared one of the best places for fine dining in the whole of the UK in the new gastro lovers’ bible, the Good Food Guide 2010.
Compiled by the scrupulously independent Which, it recommends a total of 28 great dining destinations across Cumbria – an increase of five on the 2009 edition.
Two restaurants make it into the prestigious Top 50 Best Restaurants in the UK – the critically-acclaimed L’Enclume, Cartmel, at #13 and the Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere at #23.
In the 2010 guide, Holbeck Ghyll is also listed as one of only six places in England with what the guide describes as a “Notable Wine List.”
Since the guide was founded in 1951, two restaurants have featured regularly almost every year – the Sharrow Bay, which has appeared 49 times in the last 59 years, and the Rothay Manor Hotel at Ambleside, for 41 years. White Moss House at Grasmere has also notched up 37 years in the guide.
Each establishment featured in the guide is awarded a “cooking score” out of ten. However, even a modest score of one is considered a significant achievement in the Good Food Guide.
Overall, Simon Rogan who runs both L’Enclume its sister eaterie in Cartmel, Rogan and Company, achieved the best score in Cumbria – notching eight out of 10.
A score of eight is described as: “A kitchen cooking close to or at the top of its game. Highly individual showing faultless technique and impressive artistry in dishes that are perfectly balanced for flavour, combination and texture. There is little room for disappointment here.”
