Ryan and Craig Blackburn, the brothers behind the Michelin-starred Old Stamp House in Ambleside, have received more accolades for their Lake District dining hotspot.
The Lake District restaurateurs have been included in the Kuits NRB Top Fifty Power List 2023, unveiled last month (14th March) at Northern Restaurant & Bar, Manchester’s hospitality trade show.
Tommy Banks, The Black Swan, Oldstead, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Northcote, Langho, and Christopher Laidler, Climat, Manchester were among 11 new additions to the list.
A team of hospitality specialists selects the list from the north of England and honours operators who have succeeded commercially and critically in the previous year.
Three special prizes were also presented to enterprises that had a great year. Marko Husak and Mayur Patel of Bundobust, John Ennis and Matthew Farrell of the Graffiti Spirits Group, who manage locations in Liverpool and Manchester, and Andy Haygarth and Matt Robson of Manchester’s NQ64, a vintage gaming bar in the city’s Northern Quarter, were among them.
“Craig and I are always a little bit taken aback when you receive recognition for what we do every day,” said The Old Stamp House’s chef patron Ryan Blackburn. We are both really enthusiastic about what we do and believe in continually expanding and developing it. Hospitality has experienced and continues to confront several obstacles, but this award demonstrates that hard effort and persistence pay off, especially when you have an equally determined staff on your side. So, congratulations to everyone on this year’s list, and keep up the good work in making the north of England the UK’s most vibrant dining destination.”
“This year’s list has revealed a steady churn of operators, with an influx of new entrants,” stated Chris Brazier, Group Event Director for Northern Restaurant & Bar. While challenges remain for the industry, it’s encouraging to see the tone shift from one of survival and resilience to one of ambition and opportunity for some operators. Now and in the future, there are new Gastropubs, hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants, casual dining operators, and immersive leisure sites to be commended and observed.
Many operators report that the start to the year has exceeded expectations, owing to changing consumer behaviour as well as the tenacity and talent of Northern Hospitality operators. Let us all hope that this trend continues and that 2023 is filled with exciting launches, expansion, and innovation.”
A former British Military Officer, Eddie went on to study History and then Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University. A keen outdoorsman, he has co-written several books on Outdoor Survival and Wild Camping. Now living in Penrith, Ed is a keen fellrunner.
