Festive dining in the Lake District: sweet treats & savoury eats

With the new Covid rules making daytime drinking very tricky, it seems that partaking in a spot of afternoon tea is the only acceptable way to enjoy a festive tipple during daylight hours. Not to worry though, because we have reimagined our 2020 festive dining menus to include something for everyone.

The Christmas period is known as a time for over-indulgence and making oneself merry, which is why this year we have launched two inventive foodie offerings that are each strong contenders for Christmas treat of the season.

After a turbulent year involving two separate hotel closures, we have gone all-out in terms of options, ingredients and taste. Some of the finest chefs across the group put their heads together to come up with two of our favourite festive delicacies that are bound to sway guests one way or the other… the question is, which one takes your fancy?

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Festive Afternoon Tea

The first treat up for grabs is our newly reimagined Festive Afternoon Tea that is available at the Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa and the Borrowdale Hotel located within the Borrowdale Valley. The assortment of sweet-treats are also available at the Inn on the Lake which sits on the shores of Ullswater.

As a firm favourite for the traditionalists out there, this aesthetic tower of festive-inspired delicacies includes a Spiced Mulled Wine Pear Rudolph’s Nose, Orange Bavarois Christmas Presents, Passion Fruit, Yuzu & Gingerbread Trifles among many others.

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Festive dining in the Lake District
Festive Afternoon Tea available at Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa, Borrowdale Hotel & Inn on the Lake – £24.95 per person

For this sweet offering, Executive Chef, Mark Harris, wanted to provide guests with a Yuletide-twist on the classic afternoon tea, but his main aim was to make the foodie spread a feast for the eyes as well as the taste-buds.

“Every year we see different hotels in the area spice up their traditional afternoon teas with festive flavours, but after what has turned out to be a disappointing year for many, we wanted to give guests one better when it came to festive dining in the Lake District. We’ve created a range of enticing delicacies on our Festive Afternoon Tea that truly have the ‘wow-factor’ from the moment they’re placed before your eyes to the moment you swallow.” – Mark Harris, Group Executive Chef

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Festive dining in the Lake District
Borrowdale Hotel Lounge

Yuletide Hikers Afternoon Board

The other contender for Christmas treat of the season is our Yuletide Hikers Afternoon Board which is available at the newly awarded 4* Skiddaw Hotel situated in Keswick’s Market Square.

For this treat, chefs sought to reimagine the quintessentially British tradition of Afternoon Tea, giving it a strong savoury influence. What’s more, this December the existing Hikers Picnic Board has been adapted to incorporate more festive ingredients that capture the essence of Christmas.

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Festive dining in the Lake District
Yuletide Hikers Afternoon Board – £31.95 for two people to share

The Hikers Picnic Board has been one of our best-selling gift vouchers since its launch following the Skiddaw Hotel’s ground floor refurbishment back in February 2020 and we are anticipating its Yuletide counterpart to be just as popular.

The savoury aspects of the board have been the main reason for piquing guests’ interests, with the sharing platter being a popular choice among walkers who have returned from the fells, but also with locals who have substituted their normal bar meal for this dish.

“We’re so happy to be open after lockdown 2.0 and hope that our festive offering will tempt people into the hotels this December. With very few Christmas events going on in the area, we hope that we can provide a little bit of sparkle to those who are looking to enjoy something with their family or bubble. With two wonderful options to choose from, festive dining in the Lake District has never been so easy!” – Dani Hope, Director of Lake District Hotels

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Festive dining in the Lake District
Skiddaw Hotel Conservatory

Book a table this December

If you wish to indulge on a bit of festive dining in the Lake District this Christmas, why not book a table at one (or all!) of our hotels this December. Find our times and prices of what’s available below.

Festive Afternoon Tea

Yuletide Hikers Picnic Board

  • Available at Skiddaw Hotel
  • Served from 12pm – 5pm
  • Available every day until 4th January
  • Priced at £31.95 for two-people

To book a table to enjoy your festive foodie treat of choice, call 0800 840 1240 to be directed to the right hotel.

Conservatory at the Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa

Purchase a Lake District Hotels gift voucher

Our brand new gift vouchers have been given a beautiful makeover – with stunning packaging and an even easier to use website, we’ve taken the stress out of Christmas shopping for you.

Choose from a variety of vouchers including Monetary Value, Luxury Afternoon Tea, Indulgent Spa Experiences, Overnight Breaks, Stocking Fillers plus much more!

  • Beautifully packaged
  • Add a personalised message
  • Super easy to order online

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