£1m funding for Cumbrian cattle farmer and hotelier

A LAKE District hotelier and cattle rearer has secured £1m funding to refurbish three of his hotels and build a new barn for his herd of Japanese Wagyu cattle.

Jonathan Denby will use the money will be used to upgrade facilities at the Newby Bridge Hotel in Ulveston, the Damson Dene Hotel in Bowness and the Riverside Hotel in Kendal. 

He will also build a roundhouse barn at his High Lowscales Farm in the Duddon Valley to house his herd of Japanese Wagyu cattle – regarded as gourmet delicacy and served in his restaurants.

The herd are the first to be reared in England and were born using embryos and surrogate mothers. The calves are pampered with massages, classical music and local beer according to Japanese tradition, which is supposed to produce extra tasty meat.

Work has begun to refurbish 35 bedrooms and add a spa at the Damson Dere Hotel and a Temple of Vesta wedding chapel is being built in the grounds of the Newby Bridge Hotel. A project to upgrade all 47 bathrooms at the Riverside Hotel will begin in the next couple of weeks. 

Mr Denby said: “We hear that businesses and the economy are suffering because the banks are not lending any money, but my experience is the exact opposite. When I approached NatWest I thought they would either say no outright or offer me credit at a high rate of interest, however it proved to be an excellent time to borrow money. 

“Contractors and traders rates are also very competitive at present, so costs have fallen dramatically for building projects like this.”