17 Sep 2024
• Guests of SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel can now build their own tasting menu experience
• New lunch tasting menu at SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel
• For the first time since opening its doors, guests of Gilpin Spice will be able to choose from a selection of fresh and authentic sushi
PRESS RELEASE, LAKE DISTRICT: Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, which is home to two restaurants; the Michelin starred SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel and the contemporary pan Asian Gilpin Spice, has announced a trio of new enticing dining experiences which encompass a customisable evening tasting menu and new lunch service at SOURCE, as well as an authentic sushi menu at Gilpin Spice.
A Lake District foodie destination, Gilpin Hotel & Lake House has become known for constantly evolving and adapting its restaurant menus with guest experience in mind.
The new developments are no different, offering a guest-centric approach with innovative and unique offerings that encourage diners to indulge and expand their tastes. With a strong focus on sourcing the very best ingredients and supporting local producers, both restaurants believe in keeping the offering fresh but always encompassing seasonality, skill and choice.
Dinner at SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel
One Michelin Star restaurant SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel is overseen by executive chef, Ollie Bridgwater (formerly of Heston Blumenthal's three Michelin Star 'Fat Duck'), and combines exquisite produce, distinct flavours, seasonality, sustainability and precision, together with exceptional service, to create a fun, fine dining experience.
Where previously diners had a fixed culinary menu where dishes were set, as of August the team now offer both a longer and a shorter experience where both have an element of choice, allowing guests to pick their own starter, main course and dessert to completely tailor-make their own tasting menu.
Sample dishes include:
- Warm Savoury Donut, Lobster, Goose Liver - Creme Fraiche Custard
- Broad Beans, Peas, Salt Aged Creedy Carver Duck, Beetroot, XO, Parfait
- Hakodate Rice Pudding, Sesame, Miso, Sake
The above is served alongside a selection of appetisers and snacks.
Commenting on the change in menu format, executive chef, Ollie Bridgwater said: "Here at SOURCE we're passionate about personalisation and are keen to offer our guests choice when dining with us. With this in mind, we recently decided to 'shake up' our menu format, we still offer both a longer and a shorter experience, however now these menus contain some set signature courses as well as the option for guests to choose certain elements. It is essentially a fusion of an a la carte menu and a tasting menu! We continue to take guests on a culinary journey, as expected with a Michelin Starred restaurant, yet we offer them the flexibility to tailor the menu to create a dining experience that is completely personal to them every single time.”
Lunch at SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel
SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel has also launched a new lunch tasting menu which is now served on Fridays and Saturdays (sittings between 1pm and 2pm) and is priced at £75 per person. Taking guests on a midday journey of flavours and culinary innovation, guests can enjoy dishes such as Raw Orkney Scallop, Oyster Cream, Radish, Chilled Herb Gazpacho to start, Gaythorne Farm Pork Loin, Apple, Hispi Cabbage, Mustard as a main course, and for dessert Manjari Chocolate, Hazelnut, Cherry, PX, as well as snacks throughout.
Sushi at Gilpin Spice
Gilpin Spice is a firm favourite on the Lake District dining scene thanks to its vibrant interiors, upbeat atmosphere, open kitchen and enticing menu. Here the kitchen serves a selection of small plates and sharing pan-Asian dishes inspired by countries along the spice trail – spanning the Philippines, the Indian sub-continent, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and China.
And now, for the first time since opening its doors, guests will be able to choose from a selection of fresh and authentic sushi, including nigiri, sashimi and maki, as well as chef specials, taste buds will be taken on a journey of flavour.
General manager, Thomas Ferrante added: “At the heart of everything we do at Gilpin is the guest. We are always striving to give them that personal touch, go that extra mile and explore how we can enhance their experience to make it the very best it can be. Offering more choice and personalisation in both our restaurants cements this ethos. We want guests to try something new and exciting, but also have an element of autonomy and personal preference. We like to do things a little bit differently here and do not follow industry trends to a tee. Our Michelin Star restaurant is open seven days a week for dinner service, as well as for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays, and our pan-Asian restaurant's introduction of sushi will bring something new to both our hotel guests and local diners. Giving guests complete flexibility of how and when they dine really does matter to us.”
ENDS
Media contacts
For further details contact:
Kate Burke, Rachael Ashmore or Sarah Barnett at Q Communications
ABOUT GILPIN HOTEL & LAKE HOUSE
A Lake District setting filled with love and laughter – lots of luxury, and zero pretentiousness.
Located in the beautiful Lake District, just four miles from Windermere sits family owned and run Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, 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.
Gilpin is dedicated to nourishment, recuperation, and relaxation, and is made up of two hotels on two separate estates, just over a mile away from each other. Gilpin Hotel is home to two restaurants, one Michelin starred restaurant SOURCE at Gilpin Hotel with chef Ollie Bridgwater in the kitchen, and one laid-back pan Asian restaurant Gilpin Spice. Most rooms have their very own private hot tubs, some with private spas. Hotel-come-country-house, Gilpin Lake House, is a sanctuary set in 100 acres of private grounds, where just six rooms share a heated indoor pool, sauna, outdoor hot tubs, and spa treatment rooms overlooking the small private lake.
Gilpin is the ideal location for special celebrations, including birthdays, minimoons, proposals, honeymoons, babymoons and anniversaries; it is also the ultimate destination for rest and recovery, romance, spending time with dear friends and loved ones, or to simply to awaken the senses.
GILPIN HOTEL
Set in 21 acres of country gardens, moors and woodland, Gilpin Hotel has a Michelin starred restaurant, a casual pan Asian restaurant, a Champagne Bar, lounge and terraces, a relaxing Spa Space as well as resident llamas, alpacas and micro pigs.
All bedrooms have incredible Lakeland views, leading directly onto the gardens and are made up of:
- 8 Classic and Master bedrooms in the main house
- 6 Junior Suites in the main house, with their own patio area and cedarwood hot tubs overlooking the gardens
- 6 large open plan Garden Suites which have their own decked garden and cedarwood hot tubs
- 5 detached Spa Lodges with individual ensuite spas (treatment beds, steam room, rainmaker shower and stone bath inside, hydrotherapy hot tub and sauna outside)
- 5 detached Spa Suites set back from the main house and are overlooked by nothing but countryside. Each has:
- A bedroom overhanging a private pond at one end
- A huge open plan lounge, bar and bathroom with a hanging fire and a huge circular stone bath in the centre leading, all out to the extensive decking
- A private outdoor hot tub
- A separate spa room with a steam room, sauna, state-of-the-art automated massage chair, plus a traditional massage bed with infrared
GILPIN LAKE HOUSE
Just over a mile away from Gilpin Hotel, Gilpin Lake House* is a true sanctuary far away from the crowds, but just a stone's throw from the breath-taking lakes and fells. With just six rooms it has the feel of a country house yet with all the services of a luxury hotel. Quiet, untouched, and devoid of traffic or people, whether sitting by the fire in the lounge, on the jetty, in the swimming pool, in one of the hot tubs – Champagne in hand – or enjoying a couples' spa treatment overlooking the lake, the views instil a sense of peace and calm.
Gilpin Lake House sits on the banks of the Knipe Tarn, in 100-acres of breath-taking grounds, with stunning interiors to match the beauty of the natural surroundings. Set within the grounds, the viewpoint “Cat's Crag” has 360-degree Lakeland views with a herd of wild deer living nearby. Guests can walk around the lake and the gardens, swim in or row on the lake, and in the local area there are some beautiful runs and bike trails, coarse fishing for the initiated to enjoy.
*Gilpin Lake House is also available as an idyllic wedding venue and for exclusive use.
BOOKING DETAILS
- Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Crook Road, Windermere, Cumbria (015394 88818; thegilpin.co.uk)
- Spa Suites start from £900 per night in summer / £730 per night in winter
- Spa Lodges start at £715 per night in summer / £580 per night in winter
- Garden Suites start from £535 per night in summer / £430 per night in winter
- Junior Suites start from £485 per night in summer / £395 per night in winter
- Master Bedrooms start from £390 per night in summer / £315 per night in winter
- Classic Bedrooms start from £325 per night in summer / £260 per night in winter
- Gilpin Lake House Bedrooms start from £535 per night in summer / £430 per night in winter
- Spa treatments start at £90 per person
- Spa Suite hampers from £60
BACKGROUND
An AA 5 Red Star, PoB and 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.
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 36 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. 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-two of the rooms have their own private hot tubs and some have in-room spa facilities. There are private gardens, a wonderful golf course opposite and delightful walks from the door.
SLIGHTLY PERFECT
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.
“If you can't actually be at Gilpin Hotel in the Lake District, then being transported there is the next best thing. Instead of a dry, official history, owner John Cunliffe's memoir charts how idyllic memories of holidaying at Gilpin with his grandmother just after the war turned into a slightly eccentric passion, and finally a thriving business.
“Many visitors have been called back to this enchanting spot, but none so powerfully as that small boy, who, following a career in the hotel business spanning New York, Jamaica and the City of London, could eventually, with his wife Chris, buy back Gilpin and create something truly special.
“Honest, funny and always clear-eyed about the sheer hard work that goes into this kind of obsession, and full of insights into the unique challenges of sustaining that rarest of spots – a great family-run hotel – Slightly Perfect does justice to Gilpin and a life in hospitality.”
Olivia Cole
Literary Editor, British GQ
