DINING OUT Tom Kerridge on why

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL

This year, spring isn’t just a time for new growth in your garden, it’s also a chance for the hospitality industry to put a devastating year behind it. Here, landlord and chef Tom Kerridge reveals why supporting your local pub, restaurant or hotel is more important than ever before...

Words: Rob Davis.

THE NEW YEAR is usually a pretty flat time for the hospitality industry. We’re stuffed from Christmas, all spent up, and determined to follow a new year’s resolution to eat more healthily, cut down on booze or lose weight... and those are hardly conditions which are music to the ears of publicans and chefs.

But this year is different. Worse. Much worse. And that’s why it’s incumbent on us all to support our local pubs, restaurants, coffee shops and hotels to ensure they can claw back some of the lost ground from a miserable 2020.

“Pubs are the living rooms of the whole community,” says Tom Kerridge. “They are spaces where people connect, they get rid of loneliness. People connect in pubs and restaurants.”

“They’re so important particularly at times like these. And now, there are so many places that are losing money hand over fist.

“Places that were close to breaking even, or just making a very small profit, pre-lockdown, now being locked down and coming out the other side, the profit margins are just not there to be able to repay any loans, let alone break even or make any money.” The hospitality industry accounts for 10% of UK employment, 6% of businesses and 5% of GDP. It’s is the third largest private sector employer in the UK after retail and social work – double the size of financial services and bigger than automotive, pharmaceuticals and aerospace sectors combined.

It creates £130bn in economic activity and generates £38bn of tax receipts for the Exchequer, funding vital services whilst employing 2,900,000 people.

The message, then is not only simple, but it’s also not that unpleasant to follow. This month and in the months that follow, it’s imperative that we dine out, drink up, and support as many local independent pubs, restaurants and coffee shops as possible.

“If we don’t use those pubs, restaurants and coffee shops, they won’t be there in the future. If you don’t just call in for a couple of drinks or just a coffee and a slice of cake every now and then, or for that Friday night meal, that pub’s not going to be there. They need your help to survive, please support your local!”

n Over the page we’ve selected a few of our favourite Rutland and Stamford venues as a reminder of what they have to offer their customers this season. Meanwhile Tom’s series Saving Britain’s Pubs, is on BBC iPlayer now.

>> Are you seeking a memorable dining out experience this spring? These are our recommendations to help you support the industry...

1. The Chubby Castor...

In the village of Castor near Stamford, chef Adebola Adeshina has created a fine dining restaurant to rival anywhere you could dine in the city, but in considerably prettier surroundings. Adebola’s dishes are brilliant in terms of their flavour, and technically proficient in terms of their chefcraft, but also remarkably pretty, imaginative and well-presented with elaborate touches like the wood-scented smoke under cloches and homemade flatbreads and focaccia. Bread, amuse bouche and pre-desserts are served to all diners, whilst good wine recommendations appear alongside each item, and local suppliers from across the county are used to create dishes. Adebola’s presentation also extends to some pretty stunning looking tableware too, and his exclusive range is now offered for sale in partnership with Goodfellows... see later in the edition!

n The Chubby Castor, Peterborough Road, Castor, PE5 7AX. Call 01733 380 801 or see www.thechubbycastor.com. Laura Totten of The Crown in Uppingham spotted a gap in the local dining scene which she reckoned failed to provide a mid-way point between fish ‘n’ chips and fine dining in the town. Happily she has fulfilled the brief of creating a great pub restaurant for families, couples and groups of friends to enjoy homemade stone-baked pizzas (popular with the post-school run trade) to small dishes, akin to tapas, and dishes with Mediterranean influences. Fine dining wasn’t the aim, but customer satisfaction was, and in that respect, Laura and the team have nailed the brief brilliantly. Chargrilled squid starter with beetroot, cucumber and yuzu mayonnaise.

3. The Bewicke Arms, Hallaton...

If you’re seeking romantic dining this month, there are few prettier pub restaurants around than Hallaton’s Bewicke Arms, which current owners Erin and John took on last year. Wonky beams, open fires and stunning looking food and a really simple menu of people-pleasers are highlights, and if you’re dining ‘à deux’ this month we’d nudge you towards the intimate little dining area we nicknamed ‘snogger’s corner’ when we visited in Autumn. A superb pub restaurant with bags of n The Bewicke Arms, Eastgate, Hallaton, LE16 8UB. Call 07511 785593 or see www.thebewicke.com.

2. The Crown, Uppingham

character and charm! n The Crown Inn, High Street East, Uppingham, LE15 9PY. Call 01572 822302 or see www.crownuppingham.co.uk.

4. Barnsdale Lodge, Exton...

Introducing a dining room that needs no... um, introduction. Barnsdale Lodge is one of the most well-respected and popular hotels, restaurants and meeting places in Rutland, headed up by Ed Burrows and Warren Browning with a team who are as friendly and as professional as you could wish. The former farmhouse dates back to 1760 and was converted into a hotel 1989, now incorporating 46 bedrooms, and several dining rooms including private dining spaces for family events plus the it’s our belief that we all deserve a treat this spring. There’s nowhere in the area quite like Hambleton Hall in terms of its stunning dining, beautiful setting, and the welcome of its absolutely lovely team. Daily-changing menus, dishes that are (almost) too pretty to eat and the provenance of its ingredients such as those from the hotel’s kitchen garden: it’s little wonder Hambleton Hall has been in possession of its Michelin Star for a longer period than any other UK restaurant. n Hambleton Hall, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8TH. Call 01572 756991 or see www.hambletonhall.com.

Vettriano Room with its artwork, and the garden room which is light and airy. Menus change throughout the year to reflect seasonality and Head Chef David Bukowicki and his team make the most of local ingredients including those from its own kitchen garden to create really satisfying dishes. It’s a great place to enjoy launch or a coffee whilst getting a bit of fresh air walking around the

n Barnsdale Lodge Hotel The Avenue, Exton, Oakham Rutland, LE15 8AH. Call 01572 724678 or see www.barnsdalelodge.co.uk.

5. Hambleton Hall...

Christmas was flat and 2020 was a write-off, so reservoir!

Duck Salad at The Engine Yard.

Dining Out: Going a little further afield...

Naturally we’re keen advocates of enjoying Stamford and Rutland’s best pubs, restaurants and hotels, but if you were inclined to venture a little further, we promise the trip will be worth it... n If you’ve a touch of cabin fever, and you’re seeking an afternoon ride out Belvoir Castle’s Engine Yard is a really charming luxury shopping village – delis; gift shops, homewares; garden centre – with The Fuel Tank restaurant and Balloon Bar at its heart. n The Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, has lots of Edwardian charm, beautiful Harold Peto grounds and a series of events throughout the year... look our for the village’s 1940s Festival usually held in July.

01526 352411, www.petwood.co.uk. n Orton Hall, Peterborough boasts a stunning location and has its own spa. Choose from fine dining in the Huntley Restaurant or relaxed quality in the Ramblewood Inn.