The Skiddaw Dining Club brings a series of carefully curated dining events to the heart of Keswick in the Lake District, celebrating seasonal ingredients, bold flavours and memorable food experiences. Led by Head Chef Bobby, each Dining Club menu is designed start to finish to be an experience that showcases the team’s creativity.
Plus, enjoy discounted tickets, 10% off dining on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (minimum spend applies), a free birthday drink — and best of all, membership is completely free. Join HERE.
From relaxed, sociable evenings to immersive chef-led experiences, the Dining Club offers something a little different for food lovers in the Lake District. Whether you’re drawn to seasonal tasting menus, international flavours or vibrant themed nights, each event is created with care, passion and attention to detail.
Read on to discover the upcoming Skiddaw Dining Club events and see which ones take your fancy…
Mardi Gras arrives in the Lake District for one unforgettable evening, as Brasserie 31 brings the spirit of New Orleans to Keswick. Inspired by Louisiana’s Carnival traditions, this Dining Club event is a celebration of indulgent flavours, shared plates and vibrant celebration.
Drawing on classic Creole and Cajun influences, the Mardi Gras menu reimagines traditional dishes with Skiddaw flair, featuring slow-cooked favourites, warming spices and generous plates made for lingering over. The experience is brought to life by candlelit tables dressed in purple, green and gold, a jazz soundtrack echoing Bourbon Street, and the warm, welcoming hospitality that defines an evening at Skiddaw.
Guests are encouraged to embrace the Mardi Gras spirit by dressing for the occasion — whether that’s flashes of purple, green and gold or a touch of masked mystery — with a Best Dressed prize adding a playful nod to tradition.
What’s included:
Five-course Mardi Gras menu featuring Creole, Cajun and Southern-inspired dishes
Optional wine or cocktail pairings are available to purchase on the night
Jazz soundtrack inspired by the soul of New Orleans
Prize for Best Dressed Guest
A colourful, flavour-packed evening that brightens up your winter.
Celebrate the arrival of Spring with a special Skiddaw Dining Club evening at Brasserie 31 in Keswick, hosted by Head Chef Bobby. This chef-led event marks the launch of his new spring–summer menu, created to showcase the very best of seasonal Cumbrian produce in the heart of the Lake District.
Guests will enjoy an intimate multi-course tasting menu, highlighting fresh, vibrant ingredients and creative dishes inspired by the changing seasons. Between courses, Head Chef Bobby will share insights into the inspiration behind the menu, the ingredients used and the journey from foraging to plating — offering a behind-the-scenes look at how each dish comes together.
Think of this evening as an exclusive preview of the new menu — a rare opportunity to taste the highlights before they officially launch, brought to life with chef storytelling, personal touches and a strong connection to the local landscape.
What’s included:
Multi-course seasonal tasting menu
Optional wine flight
Chef commentary and insights between courses
Back by popular demand, Catalan Nights returns with even more flavour, as Head Chef Bobby hosts a relaxed and sociable evening inspired by his 20 years living and cooking across Spain, with a particular passion for the bold, rustic dishes of Catalonia.
Guests can look forward to a vibrant Spanish tapas buffet, filled with traditional and regional favourites — from smoky chorizo and paprika-roasted potatoes, to slow-cooked meats, marinated seafood, and zingy vegetable dishes. Bobby will share stories between courses from his time in Spanish kitchens, weaving together food, culture, and the secrets of great tapas.
Designed to mirror a true Catalan feast, the night is informal and convivial, with plenty of opportunity to graze, chat and soak up the taste of summer.
What’s included:
Authentic Spanish tapas buffet
Complimentary sangria on arrival
Optional wine flight or additional sangria available to purchase
Sangria demonstration hosted by Neels
Live chef storytelling, sharing tales of Catalonia, tradition and tapas
A fun, welcoming evening as part of our friendly Dining Club community
Born and raised on a farm in Zimbabwe in an Afrikaans family, Neels invites you to reminisce with him and explore the food and drink influences of this distinctive culture.
Afrikaners are descendants mainly of Dutch settlers, with significant Belgian, German, French and Portuguese influences. Their cuisine draws on these European roots, enriched over time by the cooks who prepared the food — many of whom were Cape Malays, Muslim descendants of enslaved people brought from Indonesia. They introduced the aromatic spices that remain a hallmark of traditional Afrikaans cooking today.
When Afrikaners left the Cape and migrated north — strongly “encouraged” by the British — life on the move demanded adaptation. This shaped both the ingredients used and the methods of cooking. Game was plentiful, and to this day meat remains central to Afrikaans cuisine, whether grilled on a braai (barbecue) or slowly stewed in a potjie (a small, round cast-iron pot).
The Great Trek took families to the Free State, the Transvaal, and, for the more adventurous, to Rhodesia — later Zimbabwe — where these culinary traditions continued to evolve.
With Neels as your guide, this evening’s menu brings that journey to life — from farm and fire to table — through the stories, traditions and flavours of Afrikaans cooking.
What’s included:
Multi-course Zimbabwean dinner with South African influences
Optional South African wine flight available to purchase
Personal stories and cultural insights shared between courses
A warm taste of Southern African hospitality, right here in the Lake District
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