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Dining at the Damson Dene is a real pleasure. Our menu changes
daily and offers a wide choice, using locally grown fresh produce
whenever possible, much of it from our own farm and our Victorian
kitchen garden. We are able to provide special dietary foods, vegetarian
meals and children's teas.
Furthermore, while you dine you can enjoy stunning views of the
hotels grounds and the Lakeland hills beyond.
Click here for SAMPLE MENUS and WINE LISTS
Homegrown Produce
We have our own Victorian kitchen garden, which supplies as much quality
fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs as we can, all grown using organic
principles. There is a vast range of herbs, salads, fruit and vegetables,
all grown especially so that our guests benefit from the freshest
produce in season.
At Lindisfarm we rear our own free range rare breed Pork, Herdwick Lamb
and traditional beef.
Our suppliers, for all the meat we do not rear ourselves, offer
complete traceability and give a guarantee of flavour and tenderness.
A Royal Inspection (from the Westmorland Gazette)
When one of our guests remarked that the summer pudding was the
best he'd ever tasted and he'd tasted a few, Jonathan Denby hotel
proprietor beamed with pride.
"That sort of comment makes all this worthwhile", said
Jonathan Denby. The fruit for that particular pudding, which was
made by Jonathan's wife Margaret by the way, and practically all
the vegetables used at the Damson Dene Hotel, are grown in a stunning
walled Victorian kitchen garden at the rear of the Denbys' Grange-over-Sands
home.
The garden is located in a sheltered spot and has all the essentials;
its own micro-climate - warmth, a lot of rain, and good soil; a
lot of attention is paid to the soil. "We follow Prince Charles's
dictum - double digging every year, well rotted manure twice a
year and rotating crops. We do not use any chemicals, we're super
organic".
For Damson Dene chef Mike Wilson, each day brings new delights.
Mike makes use of whatever the garden has to offer - which is as
it should be, one hundred per cent fresh, seasonal foods, forming
the basis of an ever changing menu:
· Hot Berries marinated in a kirsch to accompany a fan of
Galia melon
· Roasted Tomato Salad with a coriander and saffron mayonnaise
· Minted Mash, port wine jus and pickled shallots to accompany
grilled Lakeland lamb cutlets
· An apple, Sage and Apricot Risotto, alongside pan-fried
organic port fillet
· Side Vegetables of broccoli, runner beans, turnip and ratatouille
" It's certainly a new experience for me to be able to work
with such fresh produce" added Mike.
Jonathan, who meticulously keeps a diary noting the kitchen garden's
daily bounty, says Prince Charles's books on organic gardening
have been an inspiration.
"He follows all the true organic methods" said Jonathan. "We're
just so lucky being able to use all this wonderful produce in the
hotel".
Text kindly permitted by the Westmorland Gazette
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