The day has finally come when Kevin and Nicola Tickle’s Heft has opened its doors following an extensive near year-long month refurbishment program. Heft, located in Newton-in-Cartmel, Cumbria, is housed inside a 17th-Century coaching inn and will be a place to showcase Kevin’s renowned mastery of modern British food.
It was back in the early part of August 2020 when Nicola and Kevin Tickle picked up the keys to the historic Inn, located in the heart of Newton in Cartmel. The Inn has a long and storied history of serving food and drink, and this can be traced back to the 17th Century when highwaymen were the first thing on the gossip agenda. In what is excellent news for the locals, its fine tradition is set to continue.
The food will be the star at the refurbished Inn, and heading the culinary side is Cumbrian-born Chef Kevin Tickle, a former Michelin Starred chef. Both Nicola and Kevin are local to the area. Kevin spent his childhood exploring, fishing, and foraging in the Cumbrian countryside, giving him a unique insight into nature that he’s brought into the delicious dishes he creates today. Whilst Nicola hails from a family who’ve farmed the Cumbrian fells for centuries.
With his wife Nicola, Kevin decided they needed an inn of their own, which was a bold but exciting decision. Perhaps their timing could’ve been better as during 2020, the country was still reeling from the onslaught of the pandemic, and refurbishing such a historic inn is not for the faint-hearted. However, after a huge amount of effort, which took nigh-on a year, they’ve realised their dreams, and the door to Heft has finally been officially opened.
Creating perfection takes time, so there is still some work the husband and wife team want to be done. Next on the agenda is completing five guest rooms. These will be styled by local interior design house Inkwood and will feature bespoke fabrics, with the final result being an ode to its rustic location. Once the second phase of works has been completed, Nicola and Kevin’s vision of the perfect Inn for food and lodgings will be complete.
With the restaurant and kitchen operational, reservations for lunch and dinner are now being taken. Lunch reservations are available on Friday and Saturday, and a three-course meal is priced at £35.00 per head. Dinner reservations are available for booking from Thursday through to Saturday, where a six-course tasting menu that includes a selection of snacks and a pre-dessert will be on offer.
Over the coming weeks, the Heft team will be adding more lunch and dinner services alongside a very different offering for Sunday’s. More information on what’s on offer for Sunday’s will be revealed in the near future.
Heft is Kevin and Nicola Tickle’s first venture. Once fully completed, it will provide sympathetically designed bedroom suites, a twenty-eight cover fine dining restaurant, and a delicious menu that will use locally reared and farmed produce.
For more information on Heft, to make bookings and keep up to date with developments, please visit www.hefthighnewton.co.uk.
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