kitchen garden

We have our own Kitchen garden, which supplies as much quality fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs as we can, all grown using organic principles. There is a vast range of herbs, salads, fruit and vegetables, all grown especially so that our guests benefit from the freshest produce in season.
All the produce of the garden is supplied to our three hotels in the lake district, Damson Dene Hotel near Lake Windermere, Riverside Hotel in the centre of Kendal, and Newby Bridge Hotel overlooking Lake Windermere.
The kitchen garden is at Yewbarrow House in Grange Over Sands, and the gardens, which are featured in The Good Gardens Guide and the NGS Yellow book are open on designated days and by appointment for groups.

A Royal Inspection (from the Westmorland Gazette)
When one of our guests remarked that the summer pudding was the best he'd ever tasted and he'd tasted a few, Jonathan Denby hotel proprietor beamed with pride.

"That sort of comment makes all this worthwhile", said Jonathan Denby. The fruit for that particular pudding, which was made by Jonathan's wife Margaret by the way, and practically all the vegetables used at the Damson Dene Hotel, are grown in a stunning walled Victorian kitchen garden at the rear of the Denbys' Grange-over-Sands home.

The garden is located in a sheltered spot and has all the essentials; its own micro-climate - warmth, a lot of rain, and good soil; a lot of attention is paid to the soil. "We follow Prince Charles's dictum - double digging every year, well rotted manure twice a year and rotating crops. We do not use any chemicals, we're super organic".

For Damson Dene chef Mike Wilson, each day brings new delights. Mike makes use of whatever the garden has to offer - which is as it should be, one hundred per cent fresh, seasonal foods, forming the basis of an ever changing menu:

• Hot Berries marinated in a kirsch to accompany a fan of Galia melon
• Roasted Tomato Salad with a coriander and saffron mayonnaise
• Minted Mash, port wine jus and pickled shallots to accompany grilled Lakeland lamb cutlets
• An apple, Sage and Apricot Risotto, alongside pan-fried organic port fillet
• Side Vegetables of broccoli, runner beans, turnip and ratatouille
• It's certainly a new experience for me to be able to work with such fresh produce" added Mike.

Jonathan, who meticulously keeps a diary noting the kitchen garden's daily bounty, says Prince Charles's books on organic gardening have been an inspiration.

"He follows all the true organic methods" said Jonathan. "We're just so lucky being able to use all this wonderful produce in the hotel".

Text kindly permitted by the Westmorland Gazette