Longtown should develop itself as a food town with a reputation for quality restaurants and suppliers, according to the owner of Netherby Hall.

Gerald Smith and his wife Margo have invested millions in the restoration of the grade II listed mansion and the nearby Pentonbridge Inn.

They want to see the pub become a Michelin-starred restaurant that attracts food tourists from around UK and hope that it will support a food ecosystem in the area.

Gerald says: “Longtown becoming a ‘food town’ with top notch local butchers, fishmongers, bakers and delicatessens and a choice of really good restaurants would be even better than being just one beacon of excellence in the area.

“The ultimate sign of success would therefore be the creation of a broader ecosystem of producers, suppliers and retailers and the emergence of more direct competitors.”

Gerald, a fund holder with Baillie Gifford, wants the Pentonbridge Inn to be a one or two star Michelin fine dining experience, but still wants the bar to be welcoming and affordable for locals.

“We are also the local pub and we really do want to be a focus for the community and a place where you can come with your dog and not feel that Pentonbridge Inn is not for you,” he says.

The pub reopened in September after an extensive refurbishment costing over £1 million and recently extended its opening times to provide meals during the week as well as weekends.

The fine dining experience is being developed by husband and wife chef duo and Marcus Wareing’s protégés Jake and Cassie White. They arrived in Cumbria from the two Michelin starred restaurant, Marcus at The Berkeley in London, where they were head chef and pastry chef respectively.

But Netherby Hall estates manager Ken Ruthven cautions that official recognition of their efforts cannot happen until 2019.

“The Michelin inspectors will come for two or three assessments before they award you a star so the earliest that they do their visits and then decide to make an award is 2019,” he says.

In the meantime Ken and the team at the Pentonbridge Inn are on a PR and marketing drive with recent reviews in The Telegraph and The Times helping to build momentum behind the project.

Its success is already helping the local economy with an emphasis on using local suppliers. Meat is sourced from Lake District Farmers and Stonehouse Smokery. Fish comes from the Solway Firth and suppliers such as Celtic Seafare.

The Longtown Laundry has the contract to keep all the linen clean, Latimers of Langholm and SPK Joinery have played their part in making the bedrooms so impressive and the restoration work has been completed using contractors from within a 50-mile radius.

  • The Pentonbridge Inn has been shortlisted for two awards in the Cumbria Life Food and Drink Awards 2018. It is a finalist in the Dining Pub of the Year and Best Newcomer categories. For a full list of finalists, click the link below.