Four pages of holiday ideas
JOSHUA KNAPMAN finds the ideal Lake District getaway at The Belsfield Hotel
IT was August in Britain, so naturally it was wet, windy and grey. But that didn’t dampen my excitement as we approached The Belsfield Hotel after an early train to the Lake District.
We did manage to see the sun rise in between stolen snoozes and the scenery was simply stunning.
As we got closer to the Lakes, I started feeling slightly underprepared. There were people on the train with massive backpacks, mountaineering gear and hiking sticks.
But as we pulled up to the hotel, it was clear this place was a little bit of luxury wedged into its slightly more adventurous surroundings.
THE HOTEL
THE Belsfield, which is the first and only Laura Ashely Hotel outside of London, enjoys a beautiful elevated position overlooking the lake below.
It takes mere minutes to get from the Belsfield’s back door to the pier, where you can pick up a boat or hop on a water cruise. Given its picturesque position, you expect pretty views, but from the window of our hotel room we could see far out across the lake – even when lying in bed. One morning we even woke up to discover a rainbow sitting over the water.
A little further into the village you’ll find the Beatrix Potter attraction – an interactive museum, which is ideal for kids and adults alike.
The room itself was beautifully decorated – of course with a wide range of Laura Ashley furniture, most of which could be bought from one of the many catalogues that just so happened to be dotted around.
It was split into a living space, a bedroom and a bathroom, each being equally impressive.
The living space boasted a large Samsung TV (as did the bedroom) as well as a sitting area and a fantastic drinks station, complete with a coffee pod machine and a jar of rhubarb and custard sweets.
Both the bedroom and lounge area had stunning views out onto the lake and were airy and bright, thanks to the natural light the large windows allowed in.
THE FOOD
THE Belsfield has two eateries on-site, the fine-dining restaurant along with the more casual brasserie.
The brasserie’s more relaxed nature certainly isn’t reflected in the quality of food. We ate here on our first night, and went for a three-course meal option.
A starter of ham hock, beautifully presented and served with a pea puree and crispy bacon garnish, tasted fantastic.
For the main course I opted for the intriguing duck and chilli sausages – which formed the centrepiece of the most up-market bangers and mash I think I’ve eaten, the well-balanced flavours offering a welcome twist to the traditional comfort food.
I couldn’t resist the cheese board to finish – this does cost an additional £2.50 on top of the set price, but was well worth indulging in.
Our waiter brought over the local cheeses and artisan crackers and proceeded to explain where each of the dairy delights had come from, which was a nice touch.
Breakfast was served in the restaurant each morning – and there was a wonderfully wide range of options on offer.
It’s a breakfast buffet with everything from pastries, continental-style meats and cheeses, fruits cereals and, of course, the cooked choices.
A fresh cafetière of coffee is included with the meal.
On our last night, we dined in the restaurant. Seated at our window table, looking directly out over the lake, there was a definite sense of anticipation that this five-course dinner would be special.
To start, an amuse bouche of creamed cauliflower arrived in an espresso cup, swiftly followed by the starters.
I chose the scallops and curried cauliflower. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the subtle flavours on the cauliflower complemented them surprisingly well.
A pallet-cleansing raspberry sorbet was brought out before the main course, and what followed was a perfect, medium rare fillet steak that had a real melt-in-the-mouth texture. This main course of superb steak with its red wine jus was among the highlights of the whole trip – a real stand-out dish.
For dessert I opted for the vanilla panna cotta in a strawberry and basil soup – I wasn’t sure what to expect here.
Luckily, the strawberries and basil were a wonderful pairing and the fruity, sweet liquid complimented the panna cotta beautifully.
All in all, this hotel is a foodie’s dream – and your meal-with-a-view is nice bonus too.