Kath and Liam Berney, leading Lake District restaurateurs have hailed Cumbria an emerging foodie location. Liam Berney, who owns Whinlatter’s Cottage in the Wood with his spouse Kath, is celebrating after the dining establishment retained its Michelin star.
Liam stated the county was a destination to be watched closely by foodies after 3 brand-new Cumbrian facilities scooped stars.
Cumbria now has 10 Michelin star restaurants, plus one location that has three – making it the county with the most stars in the UK beyond London. Cottage in the Wood’s head chef is Sam Miller, who has operated in some of Europe’s leading restaurants, and spent more than 5 years as executive sous chef at the renowned Copenhagen dining establishment, Noma, regularly voted the world’s finest dining establishment during that duration.
Whinlatter’s Cottage in the Wood, a 17th century training inn has a 30-cover restaurant and nine rooms. The venue, which goes back to 1646, is renowned for its dining, with the restaurant with being noted in the leading 100 dining establishments in the UK by the National Restaurant Awards, along with being voted one of the UK’s Top 50 Hotels.
Liam said:” Everybody is really pleased we have actually kept it, mind you everyone enjoys here, we have a very happy team! But it is just excellent, everyone is feeling fantastic. It is a real lift – a genuinely prompt lift because it has been, for everybody across the county, a difficult few years. Michelin is a very strong brand name, and we have a good deal of regard for it and the method it operates. The whole thing has been extremely satisfying, but it is not about awards and honours, it has to do with complete satisfaction and pleasure for visitors who are here for an unique occasion or for a stay. But we constantly put consumers very first and attempt not to get carried away with awards.”
The restaurant owner included that he felt Cumbria was not a place to undervalue in the world of food. He stated: “You can’t ignore the amount of Michelin facilities we now have. I think Cumbria is truly emerging as a foodie destination. It is just great, and everybody benefits from it, not just the hotels and Michelin places. There are lots of small companies including cafes and takeaways doing some excellent stuff up here and we need to not undervalue those businesses. We’re in a very fortunate position as we have tremendous fruit and vegetables and farmers here in Cumbria, it’s all of a very high quality.”
Heft, near Cartmel, won a Michelin star for the first time, as did The Samling in Windermere and the Pentonbridge Inn, near Carlisle. L’Enclume at Cartmel retained its three-star status. Also holding their Michelin stars for 2023 were Allium at Askham Hall, the Pet and Weapon in Skelton, The Forest Side in Grasmere, The Old Stamp Home in Ambleside and Rogan & Co in Cartmel.
Kath and Liam are preparing to retire and have put Cottage in the Wood on the market for ₤ 1.5 million.
Kath Beattie studied Journalism at The University of Central Lancashire and now writes for several Travel publications. She recently moved to The Lake District and enjoys walking her 3 dogs every day across the fells.
