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CASTLE DAIRY by Carl Housbey
Whilst carrying out background research for one of my previous articles I discovered that around 18 million people visit The Lake District each year, and I wonder how many of them drive straight past Kendal on the bypass in their rush to get to the South Lakes without considering what is available in the town.
I have to be the first to hold my hand up, and admit that I was one of those people until I took part in the Cannonball Chef Awards 2017. One of our many stops that year was Castle Dairy, where we sampled the excellent food created by Chris O’ Callaghan and his team, and presented them with an award. So, I think it is about time I tell you what you’ ve been missing.
The building which originates from the 14th century had been used as a restaurant for several years, unfortunately like much of the town it was devastated by the floods of 2015. However, 18 months and a few million pounds later the restaurant reopened with a shiny new state of the art kitchen and a new Chef, Chris O’ Callaghan. Chris previously worked at many high end restaurants including several Michelin starred establishments so he certainly knows his craft.
When dining here you can either choose the main restaurant which is divided up into several cosy intimate areas, or up to four of you can sit in the kitchen at the Chefs Table, which is what I was lucky enough to do on this occasion. Whichever you opt for you can be sure of the same excellent food, and high standard of friendly service from the whole team.
The menus change on a regular basis to take full advantage of the best available local ingredients, and there is plenty of choice to tantalise your tastebuds whether you are an omnivore like me, a vegetarian, or even a vegan. I couldn’ t decide what to have as it all sounded delicious so I took the easy option by having a bit of everything in the form of a 12 course tasting menu. There is not enough space available to tell you about all of the dishes, so I will just pick out a few and you will have to go to experience the rest yourself.
We started off with several delightful snacks and a glass of Champagne before tucking in to a superb Beef Tartare that had been topped with grated Smoked Eel. This was followed by generously cut slivers of Beetroot Cured Salmon served with gingerbread, and a horseradish ice cream, absolutely delicious and one of my favourite courses of the night. Next was a dish containing various textures of Celeriac including a rich velouté which complemented the accompanying Confit Chicken perfectly.
All of the dishes we had showcased the fine lakeland produce, none more so than the perfectly cooked loin of venison that was so tender it almost melted in the mouth, as did the soft succulent Cumbrian Ham inside our next dish which was a brioche pie topped with a slice of air dried ham that rivals anything you could get from Spain.
Two of the most famous items from the region are Sticky Toffee Pudding and Kendal Mint Cake, both of which Chris uses to great effect in his desserts. His light as a feather interpretation of Sticky Toffee Pudding works particularly well with the matched glass of Pedro Ximenez that recreates the rich sauce of the original. Our final dish of Kendal Mint Cake and Chocolate is possibly his signature dessert and always reminds me of an After Eight, and who can resist one or two those after dinner? Not me.
The whole evening was excellent and such good value for money that it simply can’ t be missed. However, the restaurant is currently closed for two weeks to allow the team to take a well-earned break, and will reopen on 3rd October, so I strongly suggest you take this opportunity to reserve a table by clicking on www. castledairy. co. uk or by telephone on 01539 814756 before the other 17,999,999 people beat you to it.
Why not follow me on Twitter @ carlhousbey to see what else I get up to.
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