The Ashton

Eating

James used to do three course meals for guests but found that most wanted something simpler. So now he offers a plat du jour, such as a smoked chicken tagolini, hot smoked mackerel tart, spanish chorizo soup, or cheese and onion tart. Finish off with some good local cheeses and chutneys, or a sticky toffee pudding (which nearby Cartmel claims to have invented). There’s a good little range of wines, beers and spirits (no cider alas), though don’t expect to find chardonnay – it’s one of James’ pet hates! Evening meals are served between 4 and 9pm.

Breakfast, served 7.30-10.30 am weekdays and 8-11 am at weekends, includes the usual buffet of cereals and fruit juices (sadly not freshly squeezed), and a special daily dish – when we visited it was poached pears with blueberries, yoghurt and toasted almonds. There’s an imaginative choice of hot dishes – we had Port of Lancaster Smokehouse’s smoked salmon, with scrambled egg, though it was a close run choice with the pancakes with maple syrup and dry cured bacon. If you go for the works, the bacon and sausages, both from the butchers in Milnthorpe, are superb.

Lunches are available on request between 12 and 2pm – soups, salads, sandwiches and, of course, cake.

If you want to venture out to eat in the evening, James has a good list of recommended places. Top of the list is a French bistro in town called Quite Simply French, followed by Bistro 26. If you’re after rural gastronomy, head for The Highwayman Inn at Burrow, near Kirkby Lonsdale. Try the Morecambe Bay brown shrimps. And wash them down with glass of Lancaster Blonde, the local beer.