Ryan Blackburn to close Ambleside restaurant Kysty and launch two new projects

The chef owner has decided not to renew the lease on the site, with Kysty’s final service taking place on 26 July.

Blackburn, who is also chef-patron of Michelin-starred Old Stamp House, intends to then open two new ventures in the village later this summer, both located next to his flagship restaurant. All of the Kysty team will be retained for his new projects.

The first will be a small plates casual dining restaurant called The Schelly. Named after a rare freshwater fish, found exclusively in Brothers Water, Haweswater, Red Tarn and Ullswater, it will be located directly above Old Stamp House, and will seat up to 24 walk-in guests, with the option of being able to host an additional six guests at a bookable table located close to the pass.

The Schelly will serve 'a relaxed menu' using the very best locally sourced produce and wines from a range of small-scale growers.

The second project will be a private dining space and development kitchen called the Workshop at The Old Stamp House. Located in the Old Stamp House courtyard, the space will be housed in a former tailor’s workshop and will seat up to eight guests at a bespoke dining table with guests able to fully interact with the chefs who will cook and serve them.  

"We’re proud of what we as a team have achieved at Kysty since we opened the doors in the summer of 2018, but the time was right to examine the direction we wanted to take," says Blackburn.

"As a result, we’ve taken what some people might think is a bold decision to close the restaurant, but the reality is it was the right time. With the renewal of the lease and the prospect of investing heavily to transform the space further, it simply wasn’t viable.

"Happily, new opportunities presented themselves some time ago, and ever since we’ve been quietly getting on with transforming our two new sites."

Both sites are due to open mid to late August.