All change at the Gilpin – who are the new chefs?

Ollie Bridgwater, formerly sous chef at Heston Blumenthal's the Fat Duck in Bray, will be joining Gilpin on 10 January as executive chef to run the soon-to-be re-named HRiSHi restaurant, with his new menu fully rolled out by April.

Bridgwater left the three Michelin-starred Fat Duck last year, and is looking forward to working with the "outstanding local produce" in the region.

"There's a lot of history here, so it's a big responsibility," he says. "It's a special place. The new menu will be seasonal and produce-led, working with local producers. And sustainability will be key, with all three restaurants collaborating when it comes to, say, using the whole animal.

"I'm looking forward to being in the fold and seeing where we can take it with the team here."

The recently opened Grill at Gilpin Lake House will be headed up by award-winning Welsh chef Tom ‘Westy' Westerland, formerly of Lucknam Park and Ember at Crockers in Henley-on-Thames.

"It's a massive honour to be able to add to the history of a place like Gilpin," he says. "You can't help but be inspired by what's out there in the Lake District. It's stunning, and it's got to have some of the best produce in the country."

As head chef Westy plans to bring his own style to the restaurant, with a new menu launching in January which will have a focus on cooking with fire.

"I've always loved playing around on barbecues," he says. "My food is fun. It's a modern take on British food, and about showcasing one or two things on the plate and executing them really well. A lot of my food is about storytelling.

"One of my signature dishes is Kentucky fried octopus, so I'd love to transform that into something more Cumbrian and local, maybe using game. And I'll be using different techniques with charcoal to get it into every part of the menu, including desserts."

Former sous chef at HRiSHi, Aakash Ohol, is taking the helm as head chef at the third restaurant, Gilpin Spice. "It's a chance to elevate what we already have, bringing my heritage along with that of my team, who are from different countries," he says.

"My food should elevate the sense of what people know about other countries. A country in a bowl; not the exact cuisine, but certainly a sense of it."

For Barney Cunliffe and his wife Zoë, who run Gilpin on a day-to-day basis, sustainability is key. This includes reducing food miles, a ‘nose to tail' ethos across the restaurants, and their ‘vertical farm', which has been a year in development.

"We can grow 1,380 plants, with three types of growing methods, and can recreate the optimum growing conditions for flavour," says Barney. "For our professional kitchens, it's about consistency. We'll be able to produce flavours that no one else can experience.

"Essentially, we want the least carbon for the most flavour on the plate, and we'll be able to measure that."

The couple are clearly excited about the new changes at Gilpin.

"HRiSHi is going to have a name change, and will be Lake District focused while keeping to a Michelin star standard," says Zoë noting that the complete menu and new concept will be launched in April. "At Spice, Aakash has a lot of ideas, but it will keep the same vibe that works so well. The Grill is new, and Tom will bring a lot of fun to that.

"The key thing for us is the three chefs working together. It's a fresh start for all of them, and for the teams working with them."