A HEAD chef has spoken of his amazement after his Lake District restaurant was awarded a coveted Michelin star – less than nine months after it opened.

Kevin Tickle, who is originally from Kirkby, has wowed industry experts with his culinary creations at Forest Side in Grasmere and won the eatery a precious one star in the 2017 edition of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland , the latest success in a long list of accolades.

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Mr Tickle's inspiration for good ingredients and fresh produce comes from growing up in the Furness countryside, and he has quickly climbed the career ladder, starting off part-time in a pub before training with Simon Rogan at L'Enclume and Rogan & Co in Cartmel.


His role at Forest Side gives him freedom to experiment with different cooking styles and he is known for changing the menu on a regular basis, sometimes daily, to make best use of 'super-seasonal' produce.

Speaking about his latest award, Mr Tickle said: "Being awarded a Michelin star is totally unexpected, I really didn't think I would be in the running this year.

"I can't describe how over the moon I am, it's been an amazing journey so far. I couldn't be prouder; this is a real team effort.

"The food we create is a reflection our collective passion for the amazing larder we are lucky to call home."

Mr Tickle is known for his 'foraging' skills, which he picked up while growing up in Kirkby, and often goes fishing in the Duddon Estuary and in search for edible herbs and plants in the Lake District valleys.


This philosophy has seen Forest Side become famous for its extensive Victorian-walled kitchen garden and abundant 46 acres of forageable grounds, home to more than 90 fruits and vegetables.

Sample dinner menus on the Forest Side website include dishes like venison pastrami, line caught halibut, campfire mushroom broth, and new season grouse, although produce frequently changes with the time of the year.

Mr Tickle and his team's triumph puts Forest Side truly on the list of gastronomy destinations in the North West, one of just four in Cumbria to be recognised on the Michelin list.

The others to be part of the elite club are L'Enclume, which won two stars, The Samling in Ambleside and The Gilpin Hotel in Windermere.

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The success at the Forest Side has been widely received in culinary circles as extraordinary since the hotel restaurant only opened at the start of the year .

In that time the venue has been named Best Kept Secret in the Tatler Awards 2016, been named Best Newcomer and one of the UK top 50 restaurants in the Waitrose Good Food Guide 2017 and been awarded three AA rosettes at the AA Hospitality Awards 2017.