THE new executive chef at Lakeside Hotel and Spa has set his sights on enhancing the hotel’s dining experience by creating a series of new menus that combine traditional dining with a modern twist, as well as championing locally sourced and seasonal produce from the region.

Adrian Fenton joins the Lake District hotel with more than 22 years of experience working at hotels and restaurants throughout the North West, most recently as head chef at the four-star, two AA rosette Langdale Chase Hotel in Ambleside. Prior to this, Mr Fenton spent three years working at Clare House Hotel in Grange.

His immediate task is to review and refresh the hotel’s menus and he has already begun to implement new ideas, with a key focus on local ingredients.

“Food is very important to me, and it plays such a big role in our lives,” he said.

“Fundamentally, I want to make sure we are producing consistently great plates that make all of our guests and customers happy.

“Cumbria and the North West of England is home to some of the country’s finest seasonal produce, and we are looking to utilise this wherever possible throughout our new menus.

"We want to attract new customers with some great new dishes and exciting fine dining food, while continuing to deliver traditional classics that our customers love and come back for.”

With its conservatory and outdoor seating area, offering views of  Windermere, Adrian has also begun to look at ways to put his personal stamp on the hotel’s afternoon tea menu.

He said: "Our afternoon tea experience on the lake is hugely popular with guests and local residents alike.

“We are playing around with a few ideas on how to further enhance the menu for the summer months, including Pimms jelly, homemade Cumberland and apricot sausage rolls and wild strawberry and vanilla Battenberg cake.”