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We are delighted to announce that we’ve been names Editor’s Choice 2023 for Restaurant with Rooms by The Good Hotel Guide.

A Lake District-based restaurant with rooms, 1863, has firmly secured its place within the national food scene. Yesterday, Monday 25 September, the young and dynamic team led by Head Chef and Business Partner, Phil Corrie, received a coveted third AA Rosette at a star-studded, AA Hospitality Awards ceremony hosted by Claudia Winkleman, held at London’s iconic Grosvenor House.

From a culinary perspective, this third rosette puts 1863 into the top 10% of restaurants listed in the AA Guide. The AA Rosette scheme has long been established and successfully recognises cooking at different levels nationwide. The success in achieving Rosettes is based on multiple visits to the restaurant by a team of inspectors who have an unrivalled wealth of experience in assessing culinary excellence.

In their report, the AA inspector remarked that:
“Great skill and technique can be seen [in Phil’s cooking]” and “It is wonderful to be able to look back at the journey that [1863 Restaurant] has been on and to see the improvements that have been made over those years. This is a destination dining experience with wonderful provenance used along with accurate timing as well as thought and imagination given to the marriage of flavours.”

This accolade recognises the Ullswater restaurant’s unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional dining experience that showcases innovative, seasonal cooking served in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The team hope that this achievement will further establish 1863 as a destination for food enthusiasts and travellers from all over the UK and beyond seeking a remarkable dining experience in the Lake District.

On news of the AA announcement, Phil commented:

“I’m not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear or ten at the news that we’d been awarded a third AA rosette. It’s been a tough couple of years, coming through Covid and the inevitable challenges post-Covid presented in terms of staffing and cost of living crisis that has undoubtedly impacted the hospitality sector. But I’m just so proud of what we’re doing here and industry recognition in the form of awards is really very gratifying. The team are all working so hard and pulling together and I think customers see that and appreciate it. This award truly is a testament of passion and dedication of everyone involved, both past and present.”

When asked what 2024 holds, Phil is playing his cards close to his chest. This talented chef and graduate of Kendal College will undoubtedly ‘keep pushing’ – continually striving for better. However, right now, the focus is on the run up to Christmas and winter months ahead.

Summer Produce

As the end of July approaches, the bountiful summer season starts to come into fruition. Alan and Jean continue to supply an abundance for local produce from their garden in Watermillock, only 2 miles from the restaurant on the shores of Ullswater. The likes of strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and jostaberrries are only a few of the goodies they pick of us! For those who don’t know, a jostaberry is a really interesting complex-cross fruit bush which originates from Germany, a cross between a gooseberry and a blackcurrant. These little purple-black berries are sweet and luscious when ripe and super versatile with high levels of pectin which is great for jams and preserves. I love that Alan & Jean, who are committed to supplying the freshest produce, continue to supply us for another year. It really is good feeling that we can still support local individuals and cheers to them for keeping our larder stocked!

1863 by day is evolving!

This summer welcomes the addition of our 5 course lunch menu. The 1863 experience you’ve come to love, showcasing the seasons produce in 5 courses!  You can now enjoy both our 3 course or 5 course lunch menus on more days too, with lunch now being served Friday – Sunday. Find out more and see the sample menus here.

Summer Break

With only a handful of services left before our summer break, its very much full steam ahead. Our last service will be on Monday 25th July, then the staff will enjoy a well-earned break, returning for dinner service on Thursday 4th August.

I look forward to seeing more familiar faces and meeting new ones over summer. I’ll be back writing in August and thinking of all things Autumn, until then, make the most of the weather.

Phil

1863, the award-winning, Ullswater-based restaurant with rooms, is marking 2022 with the start of a new chapter. Head Chef, Phil Corrie, who has been with the business since it first opened in 2016, is stepping up to join owners Mark and Anne Vause, as a business partner.

Thanks to the incredibly hard work and significant investment made by the owners, this plucky little restaurant with rooms has become known for punching above its weight – delighting customers by day, by night, overnight and at home as the pandemic has seen it innovate and evolve with the support of its fans from around the country.

Phil (30) has garnered praise from customers and industry peers from the off. And as this new chapter begins, he’s brimming over with ideas as to how to build on the already considerable success the team has achieved so far.

Phil says:

“I’m absolutely delighted to be stepping up to join Mark and Anne as a business partner. 1863 has been a labour of love for all of us over the last six years. As we move forwards, I look forward to working with and welcoming new and old faces alike – both team members and customers; to reintroducing ‘1863 at Home’ on a permanent basis and to really pushing ourselves to achieve new culinary heights. We’re continually seeking out innovative and exciting suppliers and producers as we strive to create even better experiences for our guests.”

And what of Anne and Mark?  Well, after 14 years of long hours and hard graft creating what was Elm House Guest House and is now 1863, Mark and Anne are taking a step back from the day-to-day running to afford them a better work life balance and free them up to concentrate on plans for further improvements and development of the property.  Fortunately, Phil was the natural choice to entrust the continued growth and success of 1863 to.

Mark commented:

“2022 felt like the right time to make this change. We have several exciting opportunities on the horizon including building new adjacent accommodation that has full planning permission in place. This in turn will allow us to add a ground-floor suite  and expand the main kitchen. With all this in mind, we had no hesitation in offering Phil a well-deserved partnership in the business.  Not only has he been Head Chef since the restaurant opened in 2016, but he has also been General Manager since 2018 and is no stranger to the day-to-day running. We know that with Phil in charge, 1863 has a bright and exciting future.”  

So whilst guests might not see Anne and Mark around as much, they will still be there in the background undertaking everything from serving breakfast to room maintenance, building development and paperwork!

Located in Pooley Bridge, 1863 Restaurant with Rooms has 2AA Rosettes for culinary excellence and are the winners of the 2018 Cumbria Life ‘Readers award’ and the highly-coveted 2019 ‘Taste’ Award in the Cumbria Tourism Awards.

To book a room, a meal by day or night visit www.1863ullswater.co.uk.

The team from 1863, the Ullswater-based restaurant with rooms, are raising a glass to celebrate reopening on Thursday 20 May – its fifth birthday. As restrictions continue to ease, this plucky little restaurant with rooms, known for punching above its weight, reopens to guests by day, by night, overnight and at home as the pandemic has seen it innovate and evolve with the support of its fans from around the country.

Owner, Mark Vause, commented:

“Never in a month of Sundays did I think we’d be marking our fifth birthday by re-opening our business for a third time in 18 months because of a pandemic. But here we are, and we’re absolutely delighted to be able to say that, as we are all too aware that other businesses have not been so fortunate. Now the team’s focus is very much on doing what we do best – welcoming back guests and creating fabulous food.”

And the diary is looking busy. While evening dining and rooms are in high demand until late Summer, 1863 ‘by day’ (Saturdays and Sundays only) has good availability.

Head Chef and General Manager, Phil Corrie commented:

“We simply would not be here without the support of our customers from around Cumbria and indeed the UK. Thanks to them we’ve been able to launch two new initiatives despite lockdown. What lockdown did for us in a positive way was it actually allowed us to really look at the 1863 as a whole, take a step back and see where we could improve and how we could expand previous offerings.”

‘1863 by day’ came first, offering guests the chance to experience 1863 at lunchtime; it’s proved very popular, especially in the summer months as diners take advantage of the venue’s private courtyard garden area.

The November lockdown saw the team trial yet another new model – ‘1863 at home’ – weekly food boxes delivered nationwide. This was a very different model to their usual day-to-day running and took some getting used to at first.

Phil continued:

“Initially we thought this was just a way to engage with customers during lockdown however it turned out a major added benefit was that ‘at home’ really helped us keep our tight-knit team together throughout the more difficult lockdown winter months.”

And it’s become clear that there’s a real desire to see ‘1863 at Home’ continue as a regular offering. To facilitate this, the business has hired two more local people to join the team full-time. With just under two weeks to go until reopening, it’s safe to say the team is ready and raring to go!

Located in Pooley Bridge, 1863 Restaurant with Rooms has 2AA Rosettes for culinary excellence and are the winners of the 2018 Cumbria Life ‘Readers award’ and the highly-coveted 2019 ‘Taste’ Award in the Cumbria Tourism Awards.

To book a room, a meal by day or night or to order an ‘at home’ food box for delivery, visit www.1863ullswater.co.uk.

 

An Ullswater-based restaurant with rooms, 1863, is celebrating Christmas early as news emerged last week that the young and dynamic team have secured a second AA Rosette along with a Breakfast Award in a recent AA inspection!

These two accolades round off an impressive 12 months: in late 2017, the team received four gold AA stars for their accommodation along with their first AA rosette for food. Back in March 2018, they were finalists in both the ‘Taste’ and ‘Guest Accommodation’ categories in the coveted Cumbria Tourism Awards while they won the ‘Readers’ Award’ in the Cumbria Life Food and Drink Awards.

 

From a food perspective, this second rosette puts 1863 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.

 

Recognising what a special combination of skill and dedication they have in their team, owners Anne and Mark Vause have also taken the decision to broaden the remit of ambitious, young head chef, Phil Corrie by appointing him General Manager.

On the move, Mark commented:

“We are a 20 strong team which means that while we might be larger than people initially think, we are still agile enough to take good business decisions at a pace. Phil is an exciting young chef and a joy to work with. He knows the team inside out and we feel is best placed to manage the day to day direction of both the team and the food as we keep pushing forward.”

 

However, that does not mean that Mark and Anne will be taking a back seat. They are still very present in all things 1863. When they’re not working the floor with the rest of the Front of House team, you’ll find them serving drinks from the bar to the many loyal customers the business has secured over the last two years.

 

 

On news of the award, Head Chef and now General Manager Phil commented:

“I’m not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear or ten at the news that we’d been awarded a second AA rosette. I’m so proud of what we’re doing here and industry recognition in the form of awards is really very gratifying. The team are all working so hard and pulling together and I think customers see that and appreciate it.”

 

When asked what 2019 holds, Phil is unusually reserved. The young chef and graduate of Kendal College will undoubtedly always be striving for better, however, right now he claims the focus is on Christmas and ensuring that each and every dish that goes out deserves its AA rosettes.

 

With a choice of two Christmas menus – A La Carte or Tasting – featuring festive-inspired flavours (but no turkey this year – they’ve gone for goose!), the restaurant opens at 6pm daily. Booking is strongly advised for bookings in December. To book, call 017684 86334 or book online. Gift vouchers are available online hereor by calling direct on 017684 86334.  For further information and the Christmas A La Carte and Tasting menus, visit www.1863ullswater.co.uk.

 

The news last week that Ullswater Droving is back for a second year was met with delight from residents and visitors to the Ullswater valley alike. Set to take place on Friday 26 October, the weekend nearest the old festival of Samhain, which marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the “darker half” of the year –musicians, street performers, a giant wolf lantern and locals wearing masks and carrying flaming torches join the herd at the Ullswater Droving for a unique Halloween celebration steeped in tradition.

 

As the great day fast approaches, local businesses both large and small are keen to support this event and hope to see it become part of the annual calendar. With the scheduled closure of the temporary bridge in Autumn 2019, comes a stark reminder of the dark days and months that followed in the wake of Storm Desmond when the valley was literally cleaved in two as Pooley Bridge fell.

 

Keen to show the valley is now (and will remain!) open for business, no less than ten local businesses have sponsored the event organised by Eden Arts helping to boost funding from both Eden District Council, Barton Parish Council and the Lake District National Park. 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms, Another Place, Chestnut House, Granny Dowbekin’s, Hillcroft Park, The Crown, The Sun Inn Ullswater Steamers and Waterside House Campsitehave joined forces and literally put their money where their mouths are to help make this event happen. Some of them will also be offering further support in the form of food and drink ‘pop-ups’ on the Melodrome Stage field.

 

Mark Vause, owner of 1863 Bar Bistro Rooms and Ullswater Droving sponsor commented:

“We’re all so pleased that 2018 will see another Ullswater Droving. We’re very grateful to all our funders and sponsors – Eden Arts and Eden District Council in particular – for this fantastic opportunity. We very much hope that this will be the first in a series of events we are planning to stage over the next 18 months that will help raise the profile of Pooley Bridge as ‘open for business’ in the lead up to and during the bridge closure in 2019/20.”

 

5.10pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners (think New Orleans meets 90s club classics) depart from Aira Force Jettyon Ullswater Steamers – why not join them on them on the boat?

5.30pm:  Visitors gather at the steamer jetty to take up their flaming torches (please sign up in advance) and welcome the musicians

6.00pm:  Steamer arrives. Mr Wilson’s Second Liners lead the torch light procession through Pooley Bridge to the field behind the Sun Inn. This year the band will be accompanied by The Wolf animal lantern which was sponsored by Ullswater Steamers in 2017.

6.30pm:  Procession arrives at field behind Sun Inn for the lighting of the bonfire.

Hot Dogs, burgers and mulled wine courtesy of The Sun Inn, popular award-winning bistro 1863 will be offering tastings, soup and prosecco or if it’s gin you’re after, Chestnut House will be on hand to help. Further afield both Granny Dowbekin’s and Tree Tops will be open late.

6.40pm: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners take to the stage

7.40pm: Dopesickfly continue the music on the Melodrome Stage

8.45pm: The party continues around the village’s pubs, restaurants and cafes

 

Can you help? 

In order to make this event a success – we need you!

Wood for the bonfire– we need plenty of wood for our huge bonfire – if you can help, please drop it down into the field behind The Sun by 8pm, Wednesday 24 October

Building the Bonfire – all hands on deck to build the bonfire at 3pm on Thursday 25 October – just email heather@edenarts.co.uk and turn up ready for the

elements!

Carry a Torch – join the procession as a flaming torch-bearer. You must be over 16 – please register online by visiting www.winterdroving.uk

 

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.