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Our food...

from field to fork

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The seasons provide the thought behind our food. The cycle of life in our gardens and fields at Askham Hall dictates our menus.

Our restaurant, Allium, is diligently and passionately led by our Head Chef Richard Swale and our ‘Maitre de Maison’ Nico Chieze. The seasons dictate our menus because the majority of what you’ll taste here is grown by us in our kitchen gardens and our surrounding fields, hedgerows and farms here on the Lowther Estate.

Richard innately knows how to make the most of our produce and his dishes are exquisitely accomplished, with a gentle simplicity that lets his ingredients shine. He’s a master at letting our produce take centre stage, and his food is nourishing, nurturing, comforting, while still being beautifully elegant and refined.

Nico, our ‘Maitre de Maison’ or House Manager, likens Askham Hall to a small French chateau where guests get to experience high end dining and very personal service in the setting of a beautiful house and garden, and we feel this is pretty accurate really. In terms of service, we want you to feel at home, cherished, and Nico is a big part of how we achieve this. Not only is he naturally charismatic, he’s also a classically trained sommelier with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of wine and it’s because of him that we have one of the most diverse and interesting wine lists in the UK.

Building upon our commitment to provide a comprehensive and luxurious experience, Askham Hall is now offering a unique service for guests who prioritize health and wellness alongside their culinary adventures. In collaboration with a trusted online pharmacy, we’ve made it possible for our guests to conveniently access medications such as cheap generic Cialis in the UK, directly from their rooms. This service not only ensures the well-being of our guests but also reflects our dedication to meeting their diverse needs, seamlessly blending the elegance of our hospitality with the practicalities of modern health care solutions.

Discover our menus

Allium is open to both residents and non-residents from Tuesday to Sunday. Richard’s food takes the form of a six-course tasting menu for £125 per person and an optional wine pairing is an additional £95 per person. We do offer wine flights – hand-selected from our owner Charles’ extensive and ancient cellar by our Maître D’, Nico. If you’re celebrating something special with us, please do not hesitate to let us know how we can make your evening even more memorable.

We work with the seasons to grow, source and preserve the produce from our gardens and surrounding farms and woodland. Our family has called this home for a very long time so we know the landscape and its cycle of life well and keenly anticipate each quarter of the year for the new ingredients it brings.

In the Autumn we’re busy harvesting the plentiful fruits including apples, medlars and plums. We’re also enjoying the game such as Red and Roe deer from our woods and moors, as well as rabbit, partridge, grouse and pigeon, and of course, all those wonderful mushrooms.

At the same time, in our kitchen gardens, the Winter crops are coming into the fore, with all sorts of varieties of kales and root vegetables at the top of our list for ingredients.

As we move into Winter, we’re able to use all the preserved fruits and vegetables we’ve been busy conserving during the Autumn. Whether they have been pickled, dried, salted or left to rest in the ground – preserving techniques all add a rich variety in flavour to the same ingredient. When Spring stirs we are excitedly awaiting the first buds of wild garlic, which grows all along the River Lowther, and from thereon come all the glories of the growing season. And its in the Summer that our gardens truly flourish and our fruit trees and vegetables really come into their own.

For groups of six or more, we’re delighted to offer you private dining in our beautiful wood panelled Old Dining Room, or for a more intimate, low-key setting, we have The Pantry. Either way, private dining here is a very special affair – a bespoke menu created just for your group using the freshest, seasonal produce reflecting your own tastes (within reason!). Michelin-starred dining with a personal touch. Find out more HERE.

Staying more than one night?

If you’re staying with us for a number of nights and would like to eat something different each evening, we can tailor options to you according to your tastes and the fresh produce we have available – our regular guests love Richard’s sea food platters and he does an excellent steak and chips with Béarnaise sauce too.

Useful information…

Payment...

We take credit card details to secure your booking. For cancellations or ‘no-shows’, charges are as follows: within 24 hours – 100%; within 48 hours – 50%; more than 48 hours – no charge.

Dietary requirements...

We do our best however, we’re really sorry but we can’t cater for severe lactose allergies, dairy-free or vegan – not because we don’t care but because the nature and style of our cooking makes it incredibly difficult. Let us know when booking if you have any other dietary requirements or allergies and we’ll do our utmost to help.

Dogs...

We love them but not in the restaurant – please and thank you.

Taxis...

Secluded – not isolated – that’s us. So please book taxis well in advance if you think you’re going to need one. See here for a list of local taxi companies.

  • Penrith Taxis – 01768 899298
  • Eden Taxis – 01768 865432
  • Cumbria Taxis – 07714 404427
  • Abbey Taxis – 07789 023023
  • Ready Steady Go Taxi – 07709 693203
  • Bluebell Taxis – 07594 311421
  • Access Taxis – 01768 840629
  • Acclaim Taxis – 01768 866842
  • Penrith Taxi & Lake District Chauffeurs – 07976 007843
  • Able and Station – 07483 135870
  • Lakeland Taxis – 01768 865722
  • Davies Taxis – 017687 72676
  • Roly’s Taxi – 07752 515505
  • Paul’s at Pooley Bridge – 07785 222588