In 2002, he established his debut restaurant L’Enclume in the Lake District village of Cartmel, with a focus on hyperlocal and seasonal ingredients. Ever since Simon and the restaurant have been at the forefront of the UK dining scene.
Simon Rogan’s restaurants hold the farm-to-table philosophy at their core, with each focused on the ingredients grown at Simon’s farm in the Cartmel Valley, known as Our Farm, located less than half a mile from Simon’s flagship restaurant L’Enclume. Here, Simon and his team work throughout the year to grow vegetables, herbs, fruit, and flowers, studying the seasons, soil, and weather patterns closely to ensure growing methods never stand still.
The produce they grow is the driving force behind everything Simon and his team undertake. The farm is an extension of the kitchen, and everyone gets involved, working side by side with the farmers to develop a complete understanding of their ingredients. Because they grow everything themselves, this means that they have total control over the quality of their supply. This also means that the menus at each of the restaurants change constantly to showcase what’s best at any given time of the year, highlighting the natural tastes, textures, and fragrances of the quality produce grown at Our Farm, making vegetables, fruits, and flowers the stars of the plate.
There are currently four restaurants in the Lake District that Simon has established over the years: L’Enclume, Rogan & Co, Aulis Cartmel, and Henrock at Linthwaite House. Each is distinctive in its own right, delivering an individually unique dining experience for its guests.
L’Enclume, founded in the historic medieval village of Cartmel, is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading dining destinations. The restaurant, sitting in a 13th-century former blacksmith’s workshop, has been at the heart of all that Simon has strived to create for over two decades. It was awarded its third Michelin star in February 2022, making it the first restaurant in the north of England to receive this accolade, coinciding with the restaurant and the group’s 20th anniversary. Alongside that, the restaurant was ranked as the world’s best in La Liste, with Simon being the first British chef to achieve this.
RECOMMENDED READING
- Our Farm: Simon Rogan’s unique Cartmel dining concept
- Simon Rogan opens L’Enclume themed food shop in Cartmel
- Michelin star L'Enclume in Cartmel celebrates 20th anniversary
On the other hand, situated in an atmospheric 14th-century building beside the River Eea in Cartmel, Simon’s Michelin-starred neighbourhood restaurant, Rogan & Co, offers a more informal and relaxed approach to Simon’s food. Here, menus are regularly re-imagined, featuring comforting dishes skilfully prepared using the finest produce sourced from the Lake District and ingredients predominantly harvested from Our Farm.
Adjacent to L’Enclume sits Aulis Cartmel, which serves to provide a ‘behind the scenes’ chef's table experience at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant. Limited to only six guests for lunch or dinner, guests can enjoy L’Enclume dishes whilst learning about Simon’s creative processes and how he and his chefs work with ingredients from Our Farm.
By contrast, Henrock, which opened its doors in 2019, is located in a contemporary country house hotel known as Linthwaite House. With sweeping views across Lake Windermere, Henrock showcases natural, perfectly seasonal ingredients in a relaxed, informal setting. The dishes served in the restaurant are inspired by Simon’s international restaurants, making use of techniques discovered in each of those locations and exotic produce grown on Our Farm.
These four restaurants operate alongside Our Shop in Cavendish Square Cartmel, which retails an array of kitchenalia, larder essentials, hampers, and gift items.
Home By Simon Rogan creates monthly changing menus that showcase seasonal twists on Simon’s signature style and dishes to be enjoyed at home including exclusive menus created for both Christmas and New Year.
Academy By Simon Rogan, launched in 2021 in collaboration with Kendal College to fill the skills gap in hospitality by delivering a bespoke hands-on learning experience aimed at nurturing future talent in the form of chefs and restaurant team members.
To find out more visit www.simonrogan.co.uk or @rogan_simon