‘L’Enclume’ and ‘Rogan & Co’, Cartmel
May 2023
I had been promising myself a trip to the Lake District for some years, so when last year L’Enclume won its third Michelin Star I decided that it was definitely time to revisit this beautiful pocket of England… Finally, last weekend we packed our bags and headed up north – it’s a long drive, around six hours, but we were hoping it would be worth it!
Opened by chef, Simon Rogan, twenty years ago, L’Enclume can be found in the village of Cartmel on the edge of the Lake District. These days Cartmel is home not only to L’Enclume but also its more casual sibling, Rogan & Co, plus 16 of their guest rooms dotted around the village, one of which would be our home for three nights. Rooms are decorated with comfort in mind and spotlight local craftsmanship, in fact on entering the room I was excited to be greeted by wonderful upholstery designed by my friend who lives in nearby Kendal (check out her ‘Fabrics of the Lakes’ at Cable & Blake here!). It all felt very personal, elegant yet welcoming; the right side of cosy.
Having settled into our room it was time to discover our surroundings. With its 12th-century priory, traditional stone houses and a picturesque river running through it, Cartmel is the quintessential English village. A couple of narrow streets lead onto a small square which has no less than three pubs, it was in one of these that Nick and I had our first supper and met up with my aforementioned friend. It was the perfect start to a bank holiday weekend, plus the sun was shining!
We woke the following day refreshed after our long drive and ready to discover the Lakes. Breakfast was served in Rogan & Co, unsurprisingly it was rather special; it included porridge with a hint of whiskey and a caramelised sugar topping, devilled eggs and cinnamon buns! After this morning ‘meal’ were were ready to hit the road again, our drive would take us deep into the Lake District to Keswick from where we took the awe-inspiring route around Borrowdale which had plenty of stops for photo opportunities (click here for details of this incredible drive!). Every corner we turned was picture postcard perfect – wow, how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful country!
Returning to Cartmel we were relaxed from our breathtaking day and hungry for the ‘first course’ of our gastronomic getaway…
In the heart of Cartmel, Rogan & Co can be found in a 14th-century building beside the pretty River Eea. Despite its low ceilings and rustic exposed beams, the restaurant is modern and elegant – perfect for the relaxed, informal dining experience it offers. However, don’t be fooled, the attention to detail in both the presentation and the quality of the food is far from relaxed… Guests choose from a three-course menu which is centred around the finest produce sourced from the Lake District and uses ingredients predominately harvested from their own farm (more about that later!). Having perused the menu we were greeted with a range of amuse bouche which they referred to as ‘snacks’ but I feel that they were far too sophisticated to be called that! There was as ‘Whipped Cod’s Roe & Nori Tartlet’, ‘Parmesan Sable, Pickled Garlic & Spinach Cream’ and ‘Truffle Pudding, Pickled Walnut’, plus the most perfect mini brioche loaf. Then we were on to the ‘real’ menu, for my first course I chose ‘Chalk Stream Trout Cured in Pine, Wye Valley Asparagus’ – which was beautifully fresh and elegant – a perfect starter. Nick’s ‘Crispy Chicken Wing, Preserved Beans, Pickled Trompette’ was equally impressive, the chicken was perfectly crisped yet the meat was wonderfully tender served in a comforting creamy bean purée with pickled trompettes. Our main courses were stunning to look at and did not disappoint the tastebuds. ‘Herdwick Lamb, Creamed Potato, Farm Spinach, Wild Garlic’ was a wonderfully seasonal dish – we had spied lots of wild garlic amongst the hedgerows earlier that day and it was great to see it in this dish, it was difficult to imagine a fresher more appropriate dish. ‘Goosnargh Guniea Hen, Sweetcorn, Broccoli, Tarragon’, was perfectly balanced, the meat was tender with a touch of sweetness from the corn and the subtle flavour of tarragon. Desserts didn’t disappoint… ‘Dark Chocolate Fondant with Apple Marigold’ was mysteriously presented, the rich fondant was hidden under a light apple and marigold foam, it was a wonderfully rich surprise cut by the airy texture of the foam. Nick chose ‘Set Wraysholme Yogurt, Rhubarb, Sorrel’, the rhubarb was the star of this dessert, who could have known yoghurt could be so good? In fact, by the end of the meal, we were so impressed with the quality and presentation of our meal that we were left wondering how L’Enclume could compete…
..But before our final gastronomic treat, we still had a full day to enjoy the Lakes…
Last year I had seen the ‘Beatrix Potter’ exhibition at the V&A, which highlighted her incredible life and her love of the Lake District, so a visit to the Lakes would not have been complete without a visit to her old home, Hill Top Farm. When Potter died in 1943, she left Hill Top to the National Trust with the proviso that it be kept exactly as she left it, complete with her furniture and china; stepping into this tiny cottage is like stepping into the past, it’s a joy to visit.
Not far from Hill Top, there’s the car ferry which you can take across Lake Windermere; it offered us another viewpoint for seeing the Lakes before meandering along the little ‘Postman Pat’ lanes back to Cartmel…and L’Enclume!…
L’Enclume is French for ‘anvil’, which may seem a strange name for a restaurant until you realise that the restaurant is housed in the old premises of the village blacksmiths. Many of the building’s historic features have been retained and sit comfortably with the modern Scandi-style table settings – it’s all very slick. The beauty of this mix is that it gives it a ‘dressed down’ style, which makes this Michelin three-star restaurant feel enormously relaxed – there is no pretentiousness. The staff likewise are very welcoming, this is a gastronomic experience they want you to enjoy and remember. Seated at our tables we were handed an envelope, it contained our tasting menu which we were invited to open and peruse or to leave unopened and enjoy the courses as a surprise – Nick and I can never resist a surprise, so our envelope remained temptingly on the table! The tasting menu consisted of fifteen courses – yes fifteen! Normally when I review a restaurant I describe the dishes of each course, but fear not I’m not going to describe these fifteen courses, but highlight a few of our favourites…
As the courses unfolded, one of the things which hit me was the beauty of each and every course. The presentation was exquisite, more so than I have ever experienced. Every aspect was thought through from the cutlery and plates which reflected the restaurant’s past as a Blacksmith to the smallest edible flower placed perfectly on a dish. The freshness of the produce was electrifying – even the smallest kernel of sweetcorn sung with flavour. L’Enclume has its own twelve-acre farm with the aim of developing a menu which is truly traceable, it’s farm-to-table at its very best. Growers and chefs work side-by-side to create ingredients for use in both Rogan & Co and L’Enclume, but it is truly at L’Enclume that this farming philosophy shines through the elaborate layers of flavour they incorporate into the menu. ‘Boltardy Beetroot, Rosehip and Chalk Stream Trout Tart, Juices infused with Perilla’, had fantastically earthy flavours but with a subtle sweet and aniseed flavour from the rosehip and perilla – it was extremely sophisticated. ‘Raw Mackeral in Coal Oil, Noriko Kohlrabi and Marigold’, may not sound pretty but believe me was incredibly beautiful to look at and tasted fantastic, who knew that Marigold could add such a punch to a dish? ‘West Coast Turbot, Wye Valley Asparagus, Razor Clams, Pike Perch Roe’, was, it goes without saying, cooked to perfection but it was the layers of flavour from the salty broth that took the turbot to extraordinary levels. Before dessert, there was ‘Turnworth Cheese, Malt Crumb, Quince and Lemon Thyme’, what a palette cleanser it was! The creamy cheese was lifted by the malt crumb and a touch of citrus from the quince and lemon thyme – it was all so very fresh. ‘Yorkshire Rhubarb, Pumpkin Seed and Fig Leaf, Caramelised molasses, Oxalis’ was a piece of ‘sugared art’ whilst the signature dessert, ‘Anvil Carmel Mousse, Miso, Apple and Spruce’, was deservedly the ‘signature’ of L’Enclume – layers of sweet, salty deliciousness with a subtle hint of pine – so clever!
Our meal was choreographed to perfection from the waiting staff gliding around our table, delivering and describing the artfully prepared dishes with pride and enthusiasm to the layers of intense flavours and textures that the chefs (and growers) had designed. It was an experience that Nick and I feel fortunate to have had and one we will least forget. Yes, it cost a pretty penny, but what a show it was!..
Menu Mistress 