A renowned Cumbrian chef has opened his latest Lake District restaurant.
Ryan Blackburn’s latest venture is The Schelly, a casual small plates eatery in Ambleside, next door to his flagship Michelin-starred restaurant The Old Stamp House.
The all-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.
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.
Diners will also be able to enjoy an extensive selection of wines from a range of small-scale growers, with many available by the glass or by the bottle. Each has been carefully sourced from around the UK and Europe by Ryan’s award-winning 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 near the pass allowing diners to watch the chefs in action preparing their dishes.
The Schelly is open Wednesday to Saturday noon to 2pm for lunch and from 5.30pm to 9pm for evening service.
There’s no need to book as it’s on a first come first served basis.
Ryan 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.
“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.’’
