OPEN FOR BUSINESS Celebrating the

FOOD

FOR THOUGHT

After loneliness and lockdown, summer is here and this month we can all once again enjoy a drink or a meal with friends and family. And we should do just that because hospitality deserves our support and our custom now, more than ever, says Kate Nicholls...

Words: Rob Davis.

IT’S SERIOUS FOOD FOR THOUGHT, says Kate Nicholls of UK Hospitality Industry, the group responsible for representing the sector to the government. It’s an easy sell, after months of lockdown and loneliness, to encourage people to hurry back to their favourite restaurants, hotels, pubs and coffee shops, but as if we needed any extra inducement, Kate (pictured right) was only too keen to tell us why the industry deserves our support post-lockdown. “Hospitality is a vibrant, dynamic and innovative sector delivering vital jobs, growth and investment in the heart of our local communities and to the national economy,” says Kate. “We are also a big sector within the economy, with a £130bn turnover and whilst we account for 5% of the country’s GDP, 90% of businesses in the hospitality sector are local SMEs.”

The hospitality sector is the UK’s third largest employer, and provides 9% of all UK jobs, employing 3.2m directly plus another 2.8m incidentally. Its economic contribution to the UK is bigger than the automotive, aeronautic and pharmaceutical industries combined. That makes it twice as important to the economy than the financial services industry and provides the Chancellor with £39bn of tax receipts. This month as the hospitality sector cautiously reopens, initially outdoors and then eventually with indoor dining allowed from 17th May, it’s imperative that everyone, right across Lincolnshire, does their bit and returns to their favourite pub, restaurant, hotel or coffee shop. We’ve all missed family and friends, so the opportunity to help out this absolutely vital and much loved sector of the economy, whilst reuniting with those we’ve missed during lockdown, is one that’s simply too important to pass up. Over the page we’ve a few suggestions places to dine at a time when eating out to help out has never been so important. >>

This month we present our recommendations for those hoping to once again enjoy dining out. Please note pictured dishes and dates are subject to alteration... please call to book and confirm details.

1. The Petwood Hotel...

It’s renowned for its Dambusters heritage, but the appeal of the Petwood Hotel goes way beyond just history. The hotel’s Petwood Suite, Garden Room and Terrace Bar have all enjoyed a refurbishment during lockdown and the grounds of this pretty Edwardian icon stand out as some of the best in the county, which means that whether you dine outdoors from 12th April or indoors from 17th May, you’ll enjoy polished service, great dining and a really lovely setting in which to reunite with friends and family. Remember that The Petwood Hotel also offers brilliant afternoon teas so if you’ve missed being able to catch up, book now to enjoy a reunion in the sunshine with finger sandwiches, homemade cakes and patisserie and of course, good conversation in a beautiful setting! Definitely recommended and a huge favourite of ours!

The Petwood Hotel, Stixwould Road, Woodhall Spa LN10 6QG, 01526 352411, www.petwood.co.uk. n

2. The Black Horse...

Authenticity is always a winner and Gosberton’s Black Horse pub restaurant is an authentic, traditional but very good option for relaxed dining. Dishes are well-presented, made with ingredients locally sourced where possible and there’s a nice garden and marquee in the grounds of the pub restaurant which will make a great setting when the sun shines and prior to a full reopening on 17th May. Just make sure you save room for one of the restaurant’s beautifully presented and delicious desserts... after lockdown, you deserve a treat!

The Black Horse, Gosberton Risegate, Spalding PE11 4ET. Call 01775 840995, www.theblackhorse-gr.co.uk. n

3. The Cross Keys at Grasby...

What a simple pleasure it is to sit down with friends or family and enjoy a Sunday lunch... especially when it’s cooked for you! If you’re wondering where to go for that compelling combination of a really top class Sunday lunch but a lovely relaxed setting too, we’ll direct you to The Cross Keys at Grasby, between Caistor and Brigg. In the kitchen is the stellar talent of Steph Barker. A team equally skilled at front of house includes partner Malika Garwell who ensures the pub restaurant’s service is every bit as good as the food. Combine that with a setting on the edge of Grasby with views over rolling countryside towards Lincoln Cathedral and you’ve a potent recommendation for a great dining experience.

The Cross Keys Inn, Grasby, Barnetby DN38 6AQ. Call 01652 628247 or see www.crosskeys-grasby.co.uk. n

4. Ye Olde Red Lion at Bicker...

5. The Lincoln Hotel...

Rediscover the joy of Uphill Lincoln this summer as Bailgate and Steep Hill reopen for business. And where better to dine? We’re keen to recommend The Lincoln Hotel, with its quirky architecture but genuinely wonderful dining experience. A generous terrace in front of the hotel provides al fresco dining opportunities or somewhere to enjoy a glass of wine, whilst Billy Frost – formerly of The Ritz on London’s Piccadilly – makes the most of local ingredients to create anything from fine dining style dishes under the Green Room name to morning coffee and cake in the lounge, ideal for a reunion with friends. As if that couldn’t get any better, the view of the adjacent Cathedral in unsurpassed!

There are plenty of reasons to recommend Ye Olde Red Lion near Bicker. So many, in fact, that it’s difficult to know where to start. It’s owned by a farming family, which is directly reflected by the freshness and the quality of the ingredients that Head Chef Marcus Franklin and his brigade work with. Next, there’s the setting. It’s a 350 year old cosy country inn that’s every bit as good as that sounds, and as well as the little nooks and indoor spaces – subdivided in a manner that’s cosy, really quite commensurate with character of the place – there’s also a very pretty garden area overlooking farmland that’s highly recommended before May’s full indoor reopening across the hospitality industry. And finally, there’s the food. A stunning... stunning... Sunday lunch, brilliantly presented dishes bursting with flavour and colour, and the pub restaurant’s Lincolnshire Tapas option; featuring small but perfectly formed dishes!

Open for Business

The Lincoln Hotel, Eastgate, Lincoln LN2 1PN. Call 01522 520348 or see www.thelincolnhotel.com. n

Ye Olde Red Lion, Bicker, Boston PE20 3EF. Call 01775 821200 or see www.redlion bicker.co.uk n Government guidance at the time of going to press states that from 12th April restaurants and pubs may serve alcohol outdoors. Indoor dining may resume from 17th May for up to six people.

6. And finally... Hambleton Hall!

Our final recommendation is a little further afield but my gosh... it’s worth the journey! The Relais & Châteaux affiliated Hambleton Hall was created 40 years ago by Tim & Stefa Hart and the hotel rapidly achieved a Michelin star, plus four AA Rosettes for its impeccable dining experience. Head Chef Aaron Patterson has been at the helm since 1992 and is returning to the kitchen this month bursting with ideas for new dishes. There are 17 bedrooms, too, and breathtaking gardens to the rear of the hotel, which slope down towards Rutland Water with its impressive views. There’s a slight premium to pay for the dining experience but once you’ve experienced the food, the service and the setting, you’ll see exactly where your investment in pleasure has gone.

Hambleton Hall, Ketton Road, Oakham LE15 8TH. Call 01572 756991 or see www.hambletonhall.com. n