Hrishikesh Desai to take over Cumbria’s Farlam Hall as chef patron
Desai - who attracted a Michelin star for his cooking at the nearby The Gilpin Hotel’s HRiSHi restaurant - will relaunch the Brampton hotel and wedding venue’s Cedar Tree restaurant in April.
The overhauled restaurant will offer ‘simplicity with oodles of class and an unexpected twist to make guests smile’ with example dishes including Jerusalem artichoke velouté, paired with honey from the garden, served with a mushroom duxelles spiced cumin raviolo.
“Farlam Hall is a very special place with genuine Cumbrian warmth, understated elegance and a passionate yet relaxed team. It is a place of storytelling, and the food, superbly sourced wines, spirits, beers and ales are central to that,” Desai says.
“Its kitchen gardens, poly-tunnels and honeybees provide an abundance of produce as does the wider environment of farmland and freshwater streams. We’ll be using these ingredients from these sources to their full potential.”
Desai will be joined by Karen Baybutt, former managing director at The Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, where Desai also oversaw Gilpin Spice and Gilpin Grill.
American entrepreneurs Joseph Walter and Kathy Mares purchased Farlam Hall - a Relais & Châteaux property - in 2019 and redesigned its 12 rooms and six cottages to create ‘elegant and luxurious retreat for guests seeking a beautifully uncomplicated experience, off the beaten track of the Lake District’.
Desai has a top-flight cooking CV that includes time with Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in California and Les Maison de Bricourt and Le Chateau de Bagnol in France.
Earlier this year it was announced that chefs Tom Westerland, Ollie Bridgwater, and Aakash Ohol would oversee F&B at The Gilpin Hotel following Desai's departure.
