Rolling in the deep

ALTHOUGH some speculate that the Windermere char (Calvinus alpinus), one of very few fish that can survive in the deep, icy waters of inland lakes, was introduced to the Lake District by Roman legionnaries, most likely, it was landlocked by the retreat of the ice sheets during the Pleistocene epoch. This iconic Lakeland salmonid (below) was ever a rarity, however, over time, it’s been reduced to a paltry, but still significant, biomass of spawning fish that inhabit the deeper and dimly lit coldwater zones of Lake Windermere.

It was netted to near-extinction during the 1800s, predominantly to supply the London market with its delicate pink flesh, as a preserved or potted dish, and catches dwindled.

Char numbers vary, but their presence is thought to act as an ecological barometer for the environmental health of the water, although increasing temperature, recreational watersports and pollution have further contributed to a steady decline in numbers. Its recognition by the Slow Food movement as an ‘at risk’ species has led local Michelin-starred chef Kevin Tickle, of The Forest Side Hotel, Grasmere, to investigate its status and reintroduce it as an eminently traceable product, potted in traditional style, using aromatic ingredients, including dehydrated sea fennel, from his restaurant’s kitchen garden.

Supplied with specimen fish by lifelong Windermere char fisher Peter Haslam, Mr Tickle is working with South Lakes ceramic artists Milesmoore to replicate the traditional ‘char pots’, albeit with a contemporary twist, to add to the flavour of his eclectic tasting menu. ‘The security of the Windermere char’s future is essential,’ he says. ‘Hopefully, its reintroduction to our menus will strengthen interest in its protection and heritage.’ Mike Warner