• Ex Fat Duck sous chef joins the Gilpin team to oversee fine dining restaurant
• New restaurant - Knipe Grill at Gilpin Lake House - opens at the property
• Sustainability and local sourcing a top priority for Lake District 'dining destination'

Cumbria, UK, 2023 - Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, a five-star, family-run hotel near Windermere, is on course for becoming THE foodie destination of the region for 2023, with the appointment of three new high-profile chefs.

Ollie Bridgwater (ex Fat Duck), Aakash Ohol (ex HRiSHi), and Tom 'Westy' Westerland (ex Lucknam Park) will completely transform the F&B offering at Gilpin, leaving diners more than spoilt for choice with the development of three completely different dining experiences in one location.

Each will take on the role of overseeing the kitchen at one of the property's three onsite restaurants, the Michelin-starred HRiSHi (to be renamed SOURCE) and Gilpin Spice - both at Gilpin Hotel - and the newly opened Knipe Grill at Gilpin Lake House respectively.

From January, the chefs will begin to put their own stamp, creativity, and cooking techniques into practice: developing entirely new menus for the restaurants while also committing to more sustainable practices at every stage of the food production process.

Though the aim is to create three very different restaurants, headed up by three very different chefs, they will work together, sharing the same vision, commitment, passion and values, built on sustainable sourcing with low to no food miles and supporting local producers.

Under the guidance of owner Barney Cunliffe, the property will also introduce its' strategy for sustainability. This will include new procedures and techniques for procurement, scrutinising the supply chain and developing a new Culinary Centre, complete with its own on-site butchery, and working with local farms and specific herds.

Further sustainability developments are to be announced in the new year.

The new appointments...

Ollie Bridgwater – Executive Chef – HRiSHi – to be renamed SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel)

SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel

source /sɔːs / A place where something originates, where development and growth are nurtured

Taking up the role of executive chef at Gilpin's one Michelin starred, AA four rosette restaurant is Ollie Bridgwater. Ollie joins Gilpin from Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, possibly the most innovative and successful restaurant in the UK's history, which next year is due to celebrate an astonishing quarter of a century of three Michelin stars. 

Bringing new techniques, skills, creativity and imagination honed in one of the most competitive, demanding and pressurised roles in the industry, Ollie's appointment is a real coup for the region's burgeoning fine dining scene.

Prior to joining the team at Gilpin, Ollie was with Heston for eight years, starting at the Hind's Head and then moving to The Fat Duck, where he was Sous Chef for five years. As well as a wealth of culinary expertise, he has also been trained in modern management techniques by specialist coaches, adept in achieving the very best from elite sports teams.

His aim is to create his own unique Lake District restaurant with sourcing, local produce and sustainability at the top of his agenda. All of course topped with a sprinkling of culinary magic and storytelling that pushes the boundaries of what diners have come to expect at this popular fine dining establishment.

Talking of his appointment Ollie said:

“I'm very grateful for the opportunity here with Barney and Zoë, there is a lot of history here, a lot of family; I want to respect that and protect the legacy. It does mean a lot to be chosen for this role. I visited before I knew I was coming to work here and I always thought it was a very special place, so I'm very excited to get started on this project.

“The new menu will be seasonal produce led, and we will be looking into the sustainable aspects of absolutely everything we do, that will be an important cornerstone. We'll be collaborating across all three restaurants to use each animal nose to tail, ensuring nothing is wasted.

“Style-wise, I'm not going to try and replicate what I've been doing at The Fat Duck, but of course there will be strong influences. I do have some particular dishes in mind but I'm keeping them under wraps for now.”

Aakash Ohol – Head Chef – Gilpin Spice

Gilpin Spice

spice |spʌɪs|  An aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavour food

The door has opened for one of Gilpin's most-esteemed members of its brigade Aakash Ohol, previously sous chef at HRiSHi, to take the reigns as head chef of Gilpin Spice. A popular and well-respected senior member of the kitchen at Gilpin's Michelin-starred restaurant, Aakash's progression to the top role at Gilpin Spice was a natural next step. Prior to his role at HRiSHi he was already a long established, five-star head chef of Asian cuisine in Goa, India, catering to a very discerning clientele. 

Aakash has exciting plans to transform the menu at Gilpin Spice which is renowned locally for its inspired fusion of Asian-influenced cuisine. Aakash views the property's new sustainable and sourcing strategy as a particular positive for Gilpin Spice, throwing down a challenge that he hopes will lift the new menu to new realms of possibility.

Talking of his plans for the menu at Gilpin Spice, Aakash said:

“I'm very ambitious to take Gilpin Spice even further from the great foundations laid already. My recent experience in HRiSHi has served to refine and develop my culinary abilities and ideas.

“I want to present 'a country in a bowl', not the exact cuisine but a sense of it at least. I have a lot of ideas in my head and I'm looking forward to creating them. India has a lot of different spices, every city it is different. The same with the Philippines, China, Japan, Vietnam; finding the exciting dishes and bringing them here, that is the main idea right now.”

“The thing I'm most looking forward to is seeing my guests' reaction to the food. The kitchen at Spice is open so diners are right in front of me and the team, we can see them, we can ask them what they think - especially along the chefs table which surrounds the kitchen. If they keep coming back again and again, I know they enjoy the food.”

Tom 'Westy' Westerland – Head Chef – Knipe Grill at Gilpin Lake House

Knipe Grill at Gilpin Lake House

Gilpin Lake House sits on Knipe Tarn, which in Old Norse means 'small lake in place of high rocks'

Welsh chef Tom 'Westy' Westerland has joined the team to head up the kitchen at Gilpin's newest restaurant, Knipe Grill at Gilpin Lake House, where guests can dine in a truly extraordinary location with panoramic views of the lake.

For five years, Westy trained at Restaurant Hywel Jones, the well-revered fine dining offering at Relais & Châteaux Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, which has retained its Michelin star since 2006.

Westy was also head chef of the Brasserie at Lucknam Park, where he discovered and refined his passion for grill cooking, especially on coal, combining this with Michelin techniques to enhance the quality. Hisvision for Knipe Grill at Gilpin Lake House is to create a menu that is fun, entertaining, nostalgic and taps into a sense of playfulness to create memorable, talkworthy dishes. Often, he takes inspiration from household products, such as his signature Branston pickle butter, which is both fun and sublime. 

Westy proudly holds the enviable title of National Chef of the Year for Wales, and his dragons are already on display at the Lake House. Talking of his arrival in the Lake District and his vision for the restaurant, he said:

“I've never seen anything like the Lake District before, it's a fantastic region. To see some of the vistas and some of the views, you can't help but be inspired by what's out there. It also has some of the best produce in the country thanks to the environment it is being grown in and being reared in.

“I plan on bringing my own style to the restaurant. My food is very fun, there's always a bit of a story behind it. So, I'll be focusing in on storytelling and communicating that to the guests so that they know the background of the dish and what the inspiration was behind it.

“My inspiration comes from my love of food. I've always loved going out and eating and playing around on barbecues. My food is based around cooking with charcoal and different woods. Some of my ideas come from driving around an area - I have a notebook with me all the time and I'll jot down things I see that could transfer into my cooking, like the pine trees surrounding the Lake House for example. Being somewhere like this, where you have so much inspiration around you, it's a fantastic tool to work with.”

The three appointments come with the news of the departure of chef Hrishikesh Desai, who held the position of Executive Chef at Gilpin Hotel &Lake House for the past seven years.

Owner Barney Cunliffe added:

“Whenever something major changes within an organisation you must look at it as an opportunity to re-examine what you're doing and find ways to make positive changes for the future. We are very sad to see Hrishikesh go, but we are happy to see him follow his dreams; the whole team and we wish him lots of luck for the future.

“Rather than try to emulate what we had, Zoë and I felt that it was time to try something new and with the opening of our new restaurant at the Lake House, it felt like the ideal time to begin to diversify our culinary offering.

“We took this opportunity to appoint a new chef in each restaurant, and while the three chefs will work in partnership, each restaurant will be run independently. Ultimately, our aim is for our guests to be spoilt for choice and for Gilpin to be a complete foodie destination. One that's built on a sustainable ethos. 

“Sustainability has always been important to us, and now we have the chance to do something really extraordinary, with all chefs working together to ensure there is next to no food waste, something we believe will magnify their creativity as they strive to use every single part of the animal.”

Family owned and run Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, is an elegant, relaxing haven of luxury which offers the ultimate in wellness experiences. Awarded the coveted 5 Red Star Accreditation by The AA in 2021, which “recognises the top level of excellence in hospitality awarded to a hotel by the organisation”, guests can expect warm smiles, stunning culinary experiences, exquisite décor, real fires and friendly, unpretentious service.  

ENDS 

Editor's notes 

An AA 5 Red Star, Relais & Châteaux hotel, Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is run by Zoë and Barney Cunliffe, having joined Barney's parents, John and Christine Cunliffe in 2001.

Built as a private house in 1901, John Cunliffe's grandmother bought Gilpin Lodge in 1919, just four years after Beatrix Potter made nearby Hill Top her home, and a few years later bought Knipe Tarn, then a simple fishing lodge (now Gilpin Lake House).

Sold out of the family as a private house in 1968, by the time Chris and John bought it back in 1987, Gilpin Lodge had been converted into a humble bed and breakfast. Having run hotels around the world, from New York to Cyprus, Jamaica and London, Chris and John decided to move back to the Lakes and begin the transformation of John's grandma's house into a luxurious hotel.

Six generations of Cunliffes have been associated with the two estates: John's grandmother Harriet, her siblings Gertie, Adgie, Beatrice, Maud and Eric, John's aunt Barbara, his father Professor Tony Cunliffe, John and Chris themselves, and their two sons, Barney and Ben. Barney and his wife Zoë now run the hotel and have a daughter Xiá; they collaborate with Barney's architect brother Ben on new developments.

Sadly, John passed away suddenly in April 2020 after a short illness with cancer, and too soon afterwards Chris was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in November 2022. Just weeks before he died, John proudly received freshly printed copies of his cherished book, “Slightly Perfect”, and just two weeks before she died, Chris was refurbishing one of the bedrooms, insisting she was absolutely fine! The tributes from fellow hoteliers respecting their tremendous and varied contributions to the industry were incredibly heart-warming for the family. They are very much missed.

John's book “Slightly Perfect” is about the hospitality industry, the loves, joys, challenges – and the hard graft! In the book, a winner in the Hunter Davies Lakeland Book of the Year 2020, he tells how we survived terrorism, foot and mouth, 9/11, the financial crash of 2008, hedging and many other difficult situations, and now we can add a global pandemic to that list. Olivia Cole at GQ Magazine has described it perfectly (see overleaf).

Since 1987 the Cunliffes have created one of England's finest modern country house hotels, a haven of calm, style and great comfort, a year-round retreat with just 39 rooms and suites across both estates. Unless taking the Lake House as exclusive use, there are no children under the age of seven, and no weddings or conferences to disturb the tranquillity. 

One of the teams' favourite things that guests say is that when they think of Gilpin, they think of love and laughter – the teams', and theirs, which is a really lovely compliment. At the heart of Gilpin is a very passionate family and team, dedicated to creating lasting memories for their guests, who return time and again for romance, celebrations and escapes. At Gilpin, hospitality starts with a very warm welcome and ends with a friendly goodbye, with extraordinary service, exquisite décor and stunning culinary experiences in between.          

Each year various parts of the hotel are refurbished, with further developments keeping them ahead of the curve (see overleaf for a timeline). The hotel interiors are stylish, comfortable and warm, always with a touch of home; the sumptuous bedrooms are individually designed and furnished, with crisp white linen, luxurious bathrooms, exquisite fabrics, wonderful upholstery and delicious art.  

A welcoming and friendly family-run hotel with a long-standing team (two of the management team have been at Gilpin over thirty years, and many others over five or ten years). When guests return, they know the team, and, above all, the family and team know them personally and love making them feel valued and 'at home'.  

The only Relais & Châteaux hotel in the southern Lake District, in a very quiet location – far from the hustle and bustle of the crowds, but only a stone's throw from the breath-taking lakes and fells, and just twenty minutes from the M6 motorway. Twenty eight of the rooms have their own hot tubs and some have in-room spa facilities. There are private gardens, a wonderful golf course opposite and delightful walks from the door.