Owners of Lakes Inn & Restaurant celebrate their first year since opening
It’s been 12-months since Heft opened its doors in the Lake District village of High Newton.
The renovation and refurbishment of the historic 17th century former coaching Inn by owners Kevin and Nicola Tickle has certainly created a stylish and very popular addition to the Lake District’s fine dining scene. Which has already earned a place in the Estrella Damm UK top 50 gastropub list at number 33, and a listing in the 2022 Michelin Guide as well.
Inside, Heft now boasts a welcoming and contemporary bar area serving quality local beers, cocktails and mocktails as well as a carefully curated selection of wines to sit alongside the Inn’s range of bar nibbles and snacks.
There’s also a 28 cover fine-dining restaurant, serving up chef patron Kevin’s Tickle’s unique take on modern British food. Current highlights from the six-course evening tasting menu, include: Shetland mussel kebab glazed in cucumber garum and savoury tzatziki, Herdwick hogget from Town Head Farm, violet artichoke, lamb fat sauerkraut, minted yow’s curd and Wye Valley gooseberries, raw Jersey cow’s milk, pine and very French toast.
Heft’s iconic Sunday Service also sees a trio of new arrivals too, including Herdwick hogget hind shank, cooked in hay, with our sauerkraut and minted yow’s curd, Monkfish tail roasted in dulse, charred pak choi, seaweed and apple salsa and Cherry and Meadowsweet Chantilly tart.
Kevin Tickle said: “We got the keys two years ago, just before the pandemic kicked in. We then spent the best part of 12 months, which included a couple more lockdowns and all that went with it, working on Heft, finally opening the restaurant doors in late July last year.’’
Tickle added: ‘’It’s difficult to believe it’s already been a year. It’s hugely satisfying that people are getting to know about us and come here just to eat my food. Setting up and running your own business is a lot of hard work. But it’s great to be the boss and to be able to realise your dreams.
Every chef wants their own restaurant, but the reality is it takes lots of hard graft to get there, but we’re fortunate that we have the support of a dedicated team and really lovely customers in the village, and from further afield too – we just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported us, tried our food and kept coming back.’’
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