Michelin-starred chef opens latest Lake District venture
Michelin-starred chef, Ryan Blackburn, has opened a new venture, The Schelly, in the Lake District tourist town of Ambleside.
It follows the closure in July of his neighbourhood restaurant, Kysty, after six years, at the end of July.
The Schelly, Ryan’s new casual small plates eatery, is located on Church Street, next door to the chef’s flagship Michelin-starred restaurant, The Old Stamp House.
The new restaurant is set to serve a relaxed menu featuring Ryan’s innovative interpretation of classic dishes from The Old Stamp House menu, alongside an array of dishes inspired by his travels and love of different cultures worldwide.
Each dish set to feature in the seasonally changing menu has been carefully chosen and created to maximise the very best of what’s in season to deliver exciting and inspired plates of food.
Dishes include Cartmel Valley Cumberland Sausage & Egg Yolk Sauce, Potted Shrimp & Curried Cauliflower, Yew Tree Farm Herdwick Hogget Shoulder with Mint & Anchovy Salad, Fish of the Day Cooked on the Bone, with Brown Butter Capers & Parsley, and to finish Cheesecake with Macerated Raspberries.
Alongside that, diners will also be able to enjoy an extensive selection of wines from a range of small-scale growers, with many wines available by the glass or by the bottle.
Each has been carefully sourced from around the UK and Europe by Ryan’s sommelier team.
Named after a rare freshwater fish, found exclusively in only four Lake District locations – Brothers Water, Haweswater, Red Tarn and Ullswater – The Schelly seats up to 24 walk-in guests, as well as a further six guests at a bookable table located close to the pass allowing diners to watch the chefs in action preparing their dishes.
Chef-owner, Ryan Blackburn, said: ‘’The Schelly is a new chapter for us. It’s designed to be an informal place where you can enjoy nibbles and small plates of food with a glass of wine while you catch up with friends or enjoy a relaxed lunch or dinner in elegant yet unstuffy surroundings.
“Over the last few weeks, the team has been busy putting the finishing touches to the interior and exterior of the building and refining the menus and wine list so that we can hit the ground running.”
He added: “From start to finish we’ve ensured that we’ve treated the building as sympathetically as possible during the work we’ve carried out.
“It’s a fascinating space that’s played a part in Ambleside’s commercial life in various forms over the years, which threw up one or two challenges for us, but we adapted to them, and we hope our guests will like what we’ve created.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve created. As restaurateurs, we always try to innovate and do something a little bit different and hopefully, The Schelly shows off a little of what we are about.’’
