Author / Sam Bunting

A recent addition to the Ullswater Valley food scene is marking 18 months in business with two AA accolades. After opening its doors to guests in May 2016, 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms in Pooley Bridge is celebrating one and half years of business with not one, but two AA awards: four gold stars for accommodation and their first rosette for food.

From a Bistro perspective, this puts the ‘restaurant with rooms’ into the top 10% of restaurants in the country. The AA Rosette scheme has long been established and successfully recognises cooking at different levels nationwide. The success or failure in achieving Rosettes is based on a single (sometimes multiple) visit to a hotel or restaurant. Essentially it’s a snapshot, whereby the entire meal is assessed.

For over 150 years, 1863 has quite literally been a cornerstone of the village. The property is set in the heart of Pooley Bridge, a short walk from the shores of Ullswater. It was built first as the village blacksmith’s and later became the post office. Now reimagined for the 21^st century, 1863 features a bar, bistro and seven elegant bedrooms. A family business, they say they enjoy getting the little things just right, welcoming guests back time and again to share in a slice of Lakeland paradise.

In 18 months since opening, the young team headed up by owners Anne and Mark Vause have welcomed ’over 15,000 locals and visitors from as far away as Hong Kong and New Zealand have enjoyed dinner in the Bistro while over 6000 have used 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms as a base for a short break to discover the beautiful Ullswater and Eden Valleys and of course the wider Lake District.

In the kitchen, Head Chef, Phil Corrie leads a small, young but talented and ambitious team comprising four chefs with a combined mean age of 20.5 years! Between them they’ve worked with 23 local, regional and national suppliers to create 115 different dishes plus 46 flavours of ice cream and sorbet.  That equates to over seven menus in 1863’s first 18 months, or put another way, one new dish served every three days! To add to that, Chef de Partie, Niall Frith was named ‘UK’s best Young Seafood Chef’ of the year recently in the coveted UK Seafood competition.

Head Chef Phil commented:

“I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved in our first 18 months of business. Recognition in the form of AA awards is wonderful and I’m so pleased that we’re really starting to make a mark professionally. But you know, nothing beats seeing new guests and regulars discovering something a little bit different when they eat with us. It’s such a pleasure to work with the 1863 team and just bring a bit of culinary enjoyment  into people’s hectic lives.”

When asked what the next 18 months holds, Phil’s not resting on his laurels. The young chef and graduate of Kendal College is focussed on building and expanding 1863 Bistro’s reputation both with customers and critics while pushing and developing his young team on the technical front.

Previously known as Elm House Bed and Breakfast, 1863’s owners, Mark and Anne Vause, moved to the area from Blackburn in 2008 and spent eight years running the award-winning B&B. In November 2015, the entrepreneurial couple had already made the ambitious decision to close to undertake a £300,000 refurbishment project and relaunch in early Summer 2016 as 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms. Despite the dreadful storms of Winter 2015/16 and ensuing challenges, the establishment opened on time and on budget in late May.

Mark commented:

“I still have to pinch myself daily when I think what we’ve managed over our first year and a half in business. We’ve evolved from a humble B&B to a ‘Restaurant with rooms’, expanded our team five-fold and achieved the AA gold standard for our rooms plus our first rosette for food. We count ourselves extremely lucky to work with such a dedicated team both front of house and in the kitchen and of course to have such loyal guests who dine and stay with us.

I wait with baited breath to see what the next 18 months bring….”

With a Christmas menu featuring festive-inspired flavours and turkey (but not as you might expect it!), the bistro opens at 6pm daily. Booking is strongly advised for bookings in December. To book, call 017684 86334. Gift vouchers to any denomination are available by calling direct on 017684 86334.  For further information and the Christmas menu, visit www.1863ullswater.co.uk.

November is here (and nearly over!). The trees and the hedgerows are now bare and the first snow has already dusted the tops of the fells – but while the landscape has taken on a distinctly wintery feel, the fire is on and the larder is full. From a chef’s perspective, I always get excited about Evesham celeriac and Brussel sprouts which are now becoming widely available and both feature on our festive menu – although as my grandma taught me, I stay clear until they’ve had a good bite of frost.

As some of you may know, I trained at Kendal College graduating in 2012. Earlier this month, I was invited back to do a Guest Chef evening in the college’s restaurant. I remember working with chefs in the past doing these evenings – Simon Rogan of L’enclume and Stephen Doughety of First Floor Cafe @ Lakeland were personal highlights for me, so it was an honour to be asked to lead one of these evenings as a returning student.

I put together a 6-course tasting menu compiled of 1863 dishes past and present and worked with the students to give them an insight into the style of food we offer here. The night was a great success and received really good feedback from the restaurants guests. The students were a pleasure to work with and Kendal College are still at the top of their game, training some of the most talented chefs in the area – great for the industry and great for the future of the Cumbrian food scene.

And now on to Christmas. Anne and her team of helpers will be busy this coming weekend putting up the decorations (keep an eye on their progress on social media!) but my focus remains on the kitchen. Our Yuletide menu has a good sense of seasonality (just as you would expect) without being a typical Christmas menu. I’ve taken flavours of the festive season and incorporated them throughout the menu to give a little sense of something yet subtly familiar. Celeriac and Brussel sprouts are on there – as is turkey, just not quite as you’d expect it. I know Mark’s looking forward to the Clementine tart while I’m quietly excited about the addition of Douglas Fir as a flavour – have a look here.

Whilst currently thinking of Christmas, I’m working on a New Year’s Eve menu to celebrate how far we have come over the last year. It’s going to be a real showcase and offer a glimpse into the development for next year at 1863. Although the evening is already sold out, we’ll publish the menu for you to take a look at on 1 December. It’s such an exciting time and I’m already looking forward to our first tasting event of 2018!

As the end of August approaches, the bountiful summer season starts draws to a close with the last deliveries of Alan’s strawberries and blackcurrants. Without wishing the fine weather away, I can’t help but start to turn my mind to dishes with a slightly more autumnal feel. At this time of year, the hedgerows are starting to groan under the weight of brambles, blackberries, rosehips, elderberries and much more – a forager’s paradise. There have been many firsts for me in 2017, and this month was no exception. The humble rowan berry has come into my life. Though it may sound strange, it genuinely never occurred to me to forage for these little bunches of red and orange berries until suggested by our in-house ‘flower-fairy’ Pauline.

After further research, I’ve learnt that rowan berries feature prominently in nordic cookery. In true Scandi-style, they are pickled and turned into syrups –  a slightly different treatment compared to the rowan berry jelly with which we would more commonly associate the berries here in Cumbria.

NB: Please note that eaten raw these little berries do upset the liver so it is important they are cooked!

Talking of foraging, this month I stumbled across some home-made of Elderberry wine from 2010. At the time the wine was so tart it just got buried at the back of a cupboard…until now. The depth of flavour is somewhat satisfying, and it has mellowed beautifully. I’m looking forward to using this wine as a seasoning to an up-and-coming dish.

With glorious hedgerow delights comes the Glorious Twelfth.  The Glorious twelfth refers to August 12th – the first day of the shooting season in Great Britain. The game act of 1831 ensures the red grouse are left alone through the summer months while the young are still dependant on their mothers. The seasons then lasts until December. These birds generally have a diet consisting of moorland heather, which gives them a rich, distinctly gamey flavour which gradually develops over the course of the season. Our first grouse dish will be appearing on the menu on the 18th August from the upland fells and moors of the Borders. Keep an eye out on social media for updates!

And finally…as I type there’s  a clear blue sky and bright sunshine outside the window but I’m quietly turning my thoughts to colder months considering what the second 1863 Christmas menu will look like…

I found myself longing for a mince pie and some Christmas Cake the other day whilst putting pen to paper over this year’s festive preparations. The challenge I’ve set myself for this year is trying to create and deliver a menu that is suitably Christmas-sy and full of festive flavour, but that has the 1863 ‘twist’ and element of surprise.

Hold that thought and I’ll explain more next time.

Phil

A recent addition to the Ullswater Valley food scene is celebrating an astonishing first year of business. 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms in Pooley Bridge opened its doors to guests in May 2016 with a flourish of Victorian-inspired chic and a keen young Head Chef eager to make waves on the Cumbrian food scene.

For over 150 years, 1863 has quite literally been a cornerstone of the village. The property is set in the heart of Pooley Bridge, a short walk from the shores of Ullswater. It was built first as the village blacksmith’s and later became the post office. Now reimagined for the 21st century, 1863 features a bar, bistro and seven elegant bedrooms. A family business, they say they enjoy getting the little things just right, welcoming guests back time and again to share in a slice of Lakeland paradise.

Twelve months on and ‘the proof’ as they say ‘is in the pudding.’ Over 10,000 locals and visitors from as far away as Hong Kong and New Zealand have enjoyed dinner in the Bistro while over 3500 have used 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms as a base for a short break to discover the beautiful Ullswater and Eden Valleys and of course the wider Lake District.

Meanwhile, over in the the Kitchen, the team is almost unrecognisable. One year ago, Head Chef, Phil Corrie was holding the fort on his own. Today, thanks to a lot of hard work and skill, Phil (25) is joined by four other chefs with a combined mean age of 19.6 years! Between them they’ve worked with 21 local, regional and national suppliers to create 104 different dishes plus 46 flavours of ice cream and sorbet.  That equates to over seven menus in 1863’s first year, or put another way, one new dish served every three days!

Head Chef Phil commented:
“To have the chance to be involved in a new business venture right from the off is on most Head Chefs’ bucket lists. I’ve enjoyed every moment of the last year and am so proud of all we’ve achieved together. I’ve particularly enjoyed the opportunity to create innovative, seasonal menus using produce that really is as local as it could be – Jean’s fantastic kitchen garden veg, Henry’s pungent mint and my mum’s raspberries!”

When asked what year two holds, Phil’s not resting on his laurels. The young chef and graduate of Kendal College is focussed on building and expanding 1863 Bistro’s reputation both with customers and critics while pushing and developing his young team on the technical front.

Previously known as Elm House Bed and Breakfast, 1863’s owners, Mark and Anne Vause, moved to the area from Blackburn in 2008 and spent eight years running the award-winning B&B. In November 2015, the entrepreneurial couple had already made the ambitious decision to close to undertake a £300,000 refurbishment project and relaunch in early Summer 2016 as 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms. Despite the dreadful storms of Winter 2015/16 and ensuing challenges, the establishment opened on time and on budget in late May.

Mark commented:
“Quite honestly – it’s been astonishing. You always hope that people are going to like what you’ve created but we’ve just been so taken aback at the support and appetite (!) our customers have for 1863. But perhaps beyond the welcome, the food and the rooms, I think maybe they appreciate that we’re a close knit team, we work hard and are constantly looking to the future and ways to make their visits to us unexpected and even more enjoyable.”

With a brand new summer menu out now, a newly expanded wine list due out in early July, two new luxury suites available from late July plus a series of popular Tasting Evenings throughout the year, there’s no sign that the 1863 pace is going to abate anytime soon.

1863 is open year round; the bar opens at 2pm with a ‘Bite to Eat’ menu, the bistro opens at 6pm daily. Booking is strongly advised for the Bistro. To book a table call 017684 86334.
For further information and the latest menu visit www.1863ullwater.co.uk.

ENDS

For further information or images please contact Sam Bunting on
07866 492 891 or at sam_bunting@hotmail.com

Notes to the Editor
• INVITE TO JOURNALISTS: If you’d like to come and review our Bistro, please contact Sam on 07866 492 891 to arrange a suitable time
• A selection of images is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uai1kkqkehl3nzx/AAA4MV4LM_TyAXdwxjhe3zB8a?dl=0
• Mark and Anne Vause are available for interview. Please contact Sam on 07866 492 891 or at sam_bunting@hotmail.com to arrange a suitable time