Friday night is wine tasting night at the Borrowdale Hotel …

19 Apr 2011 No Comments

Friday night is wine tasting night at the Borrowdale Hotel …

If you are staying a few days, be sure to include a Friday night – that way you will be treated to a complementary wine tasting before dinner. Stephen Wilcock, the General Manager, is one of only 25 Master Sommeliers in Europe – he delights in helping diners choose the wine best suited to their palette and the dishes selected. With over 200 wines and champagnes in the superb new wine cellar, there’s plenty to choose from.

Great food and wine experiences The exciting partnership of a Head Chef with great flair and a Master Sommelier, allows the hotel to create new wine and dine experiences:

Forthcoming Wine and Dine Events:
21st June – ‘Bring Your Own Wine’ Dinner – Bring one of your favourite wines to dinner. Our Master Sommelier will choose the most interesting wine of the night and present the winner with a magnum of champagne – a fun evening for wine lovers.

June – Gosset Champagne and Cognac Frapin Dinner – A fantastic French evening with presentations from the wine growers.

4th July – Independence Day American Barbeque – Celebrate this special day with sizzling steaks and Californian wine.

by Dani in Borrowdale Hotel News, Local Events, Wine Tasting Tags: borrowdale, Borrowdale Hotel, Cumbria, derwentwater, events, keswick, Lake District, Lake District Hotels, wine

18 Apr 2011 No Comments

500,000 pizza’s later….

For more than 25 years the Loose Box Pizzeria in the Kings Arms Courtyard in Keswick has been the place for homemade pizza and pasta. Head Chef Alan Stevenson, (who has been there from day one) reckons he has cooked over ½ million pizzas for locals and tourists.

The restaurant has recently opened after a total refurbishment at a cost of more than £200,000 and newly named LB’s Pizza House has now opened – with a totally new style. The open plan kitchen has been extended and a new traditional pizza oven installed. The menu appeals to pizza and pasta lovers, but now also features nibbles, sharing dishes and exciting starters as well as main courses like the famous Veal Milanese and desserts like ‘Banana Mess’ (which must be tried to be believed). The new décor makes the restaurant light and airy with red leather sofa seating, light oak tables and chairs and fabulous iconic Italian pictures on the walls.

LB’s Pizza House is open daily from 12 – 2.30 pm for lunch and 6 – 10.00 pm (Fri & Sat until 10.30) for dinner. During Summer it is open all day and also serves al fresco in the courtyard.

To view more pictures of the LB’s CLICK HERE

by Dani in Kings Arms Hotel News, Lake District Hotels News Tags: chef, Cumbria, derwentwater, Family, Food and Drink, keswick, Kings Arms Hotel, Lake District, Lake District Hotels, LB's, pasta, Photographs, Pizza, wine

08 Apr 2011 No Comments

Keswick listed in Top Ten of Britain’s favourite small towns and cities …

Rough Guides, the British-based travel publisher asked Britons in a recent survey to name their favourite small city or town and Keswick has made it to the top ten.

The Top 10 towns and small cities chosen are
1. York
2. Bath
3. Brighton
4. Chester
5. St Ives
6. Durham
7. Whitby
8. Blackpool
9. Keswick
=10. Stratford Upon Avon =10. Cambridge

Comments from respondents to the survey on what made Keswick a favourite included the people, the scenery and the good food and pubs.
Linda Furniss Tourism Officer for Keswick Tourism Association says;
“This is fantastic news for tourism in Keswick and is just what we need to keep raising the profile of Keswick the Lake District we have so much unspoilt beauty on offer in Keswick so it is fantastic news that we have been recognised by our visitors and fans of Keswick.”
Linda continues; “We hope this great news will attract even more visitors to Keswick so they can experience for themselves the stunning scenery, amazing attractions and sample the quality accommodation we have to offer.”

A Rough Guides spokeswoman said the survey was conducted to highlight the huge number of destinations that hold an appeal for tourists outside Britain’s main cities, such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
“We think this is a really nice list, reflective of Britain’s charms” says a Rough Guides spokesperson.
“When people think of British cities it’s natural to think of London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Liverpool and the like, but our smaller cities and towns have an awful lot to offer. This list showcases the best of them across the country.”

About Keswick: Visit www.Keswick.org to find out what Keswick has to offer.

About the Survey: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2090 adults, of which 1491 gave an opinion. Fieldwork was undertaken between 20^th -22nd December 2010. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). The Top 10 list of favourite small cities or towns was drawn from the responses of 1,491 respondents. The number of respondents voting for each city in the Top 10 were: York (68), Bath (57), Brighton (46), Chester (35), St Ives (30), Durham (27), Whitby (26), Blackpool (22), Keswick (21) Cambridge (18), Stratford Upon Avon (18)

About Rough Guides: Rough Guides is a leading travel content provider with more than 700 travel guides, gift-books, reference titles, maps, phrasebooks, bespoke custom publishing guides and digital products, including eBooks and mobile applications. Start your journey at www.roughguides.com. Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth™

by Dani in Lake District Hotels News, Local Events Tags: borrowdale, Cumbria, derwentwater, keswick, Lake District, Lake District Hotels

07 Apr 2011 No Comments

Discover Wedding Day Romance by the Falls

Choosing your dream wedding venue is undoubtedly one of the biggest decisions when planning your big day. Not only should it set the scene, it must also provide a fabulous backdrop for pictures and the lifetime of memories you will treasure. Insight would therefore like to recommend our dream venue The Lodore Falls Hotel …

For over 200 years, the Lodore Falls Hotel has been nestled at the heart of the Borrowdale Valley in the Lake District – officially recognised as the UK’s most romantic destination.

Perfect for pictures
There could be no finer place for a romantic break or a wedding celebration, with over 40 acres of grounds that include its very own waterfall, a pack horse bridge as well as perfectly manicured award-winning gardens and frontage to Lake Derwentwater. You could even arrive in style on the launch which calls at the jetty.

The Lodore Falls Hotel has much to offer – and with a choice of four function suites brides can have a small intimate ceremony, or a much larger, grander affair catering for up to 130 guests for the wedding and 150 guests for evening receptions. There are lounges with lake views, cosy fireside lounges and a fantastic setting for dinner in their Lake View restaurant which serves creative, locally sourced dishes.

Feature bedrooms
The 69 beautifully appointed bedrooms are designed with comfort and luxury in mind and most overlook the river, mountains or lake. You can of course have the honeymoon suite, together with a champagne breakfast to see in your first day of married life! Other feature rooms are unique in their own right – especially the pretty Tower Room, which has a 180 degree spectacular view of lake and mountains and a romantic roll top bath. It is a popular choice for newlyweds.

SPA and Beauty treatments
Relax in the Falls Health & Beauty – a beauty salon and spa with leisure facilities that make it ideal for pre wedding pampering. There are numerous treatments and packages that cater for girly pampering as well as de-stressing massages to combat any last minute nerves and stresses! And for the men, the Turkish wet shave is a must.

The ultimate experience in luxurious relaxation comes in the form of an outdoor hot tub, complete with lake views – perfect for unwinding before or after the big day itself.

Personal attention
Whatever the season, every effort will be made to ensure your big day is magical; a red carpet, toast master, magicians, bands and live entertainment, every detail can be catered for. And because your wedding breakfast is so important, the hotel’s head chef of 20 years will tailor your menu to your exact requirements.

Enjoy a Lake District break
Even if you aren’t planning a Lake District wedding, you can still enjoy the splendour of the Lodore Falls Hotel. It’s very family friendly and you can experience an array of activities during your stay, from active adventure to the simply relaxation of a romantic weekend away. One thing is for sure, the infamous afternoon tea with a glass of bubbly is not to be missed!

Visit www.lakedistricthotels.net for more information, including a detailed wedding brochure on 017687 77285

by Dani in Lake District Hotels News, Lodore Falls Hotel News Tags: borrowdale, Breaks, Cumbria, derwentwater, events, Food and Drink, Health & Beauty, keswick, Lake District, Lake District Hotels, Lodore Falls Hotel, Photographs, wedding

21 Mar 2011 No Comments

Wine of the Month from Lake District Hotels Master Sommelier …

Each month our very own Master Sommelier, Stephen Wilcock will describe two new Wines that he thinks are perfect for the time of year.

These wines can be found in Borrowdale Hotel wine cellar and tasting room which glass fronted doors that entice you in from the dining room. The cellar beautifully displays the wine and champagne collection in rich wooden racking that’s skilfully lit to highlight key bottles.

The first one is a Rosé Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Its made from the Merlot grape variety by Kate Radburnd . With a colour of strawberries and a smell of fresh berries, nettles this is a refreshing classy wine. The ripe Merlot fruit was crushed and pressed and the skins left in contact with the wine with just enough time to give a delicate rose coloured juice and strawberry fruits and some spice notes on the palate.

The second wine is Alto Pampas del Sur Pinot Noir, Mendoza, 2010. This intense ruby red Pinot Noir displays floral notes, especially violets and wild roses, and has a fresh and young palate. The Pinot noir is the great red grape from Burgundy, but this wine from the Mendoza in Argentina. It produces a very fruity plumy wine, full of fruit and not too heavy Perfect to accompany beef and lamb dishes that do not have to much spice and just nice on its own. Very very drinkable.

by Dani in Borrowdale Hotel News, Lake District Hotels News, Wine Tasting Tags: borrowdale, Borrowdale Hotel, Cumbria, derwentwater, Lake District, Lake District Hotels, master sommelier, wine, wine cellar

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