Inspired By Nature
As we embrace the colder, shorter days restaurant Eight at Gazegill by Doug Crampton is the perfect place to enjoy all that nature has to offer throughout the winter season, writes Gail Bailey
Since opening its doors earlier this year Eight at Gazegill continues to surprise and delight customers with a perfect combination of nature led farming and the masterful kitchen experience brought by acclaimed chef Doug Crampton. As Restaurant Manager Kim Talbot explains: “The core of Gazegill’s farming ethos threads seamlessly into the restaurant and our menus are driven by a passion for local, seasonal and organic food, combined with the commitment to sustainable farming.”
Chef Patron Doug Crampton is the former Head Chef at James Martin Manchester and has worked alongside James Martin since the restaurant’s launch in 2013 with a focus on producing menus which offer a mix of classic British cuisine: “Doug has a wealth of knowledge and shares the commitment of Gazegill Organics for a true farm to fork offering, which makes the collaboration at Eight at Gazegill the perfect pairing,” says Kim.
The menus at Eight at Gazegill offer the very best each season has to offer and in winter this means a focus on hearty dishes and game such as Downham Estate venison loin with smoked beetroot, wild spiced kofta pine and sloe gin, followed by a Gazegill apple tart served with ‘Emma’s Dairy’ raw milk soft serve ice cream and garnished with brambles and meadowsweet: “Our menus change as the seasons do and Doug and the team are highly skilled in creating the perfect dishes with the ingredients nature has to offer.”
Sunday lunches remain as popular as ever and booking is highly recommended. Kim says: “At only £45 for three courses our Sunday lunches are the perfect thing to do on a crisp winter’s day in the countryside. Our customers enjoy Gazegill organic roast sirloin with red wine gravy and dripping roasties, Yorkshire pudding, our renowned BBQ carrots, Doddington cauliflower cheese and organic greens – it doesn’t get much better!”
Over the winter months there is a change of opening times during the day with brunch being served between 10 and 12 noon and lunch from 12 until 3pm – perfect for walkers: “We open Thursday through until Sunday with brunch, lunch, tapas, dinner and Sunday lunch menus ensuring we cater for all, including children who are very welcome at Eight at Gazegill. We even have a fully enclosed play area so parents can relax while their children play happily in a safe space – surrounded by nature,” Kim adds.
A successful foragers event was held in October hosted jointly by Eight at Gazegill and professional forager Craig Worrall of Edible Leeds – a specialist wild food forager, teacher and chef who has been teaching, cooking, writing and experimenting with wild foods for 15 years.
“Craig is a big advocate of wild foods and the natural world, for a host of reasons, including health and wellbeing and a deeper understanding of nature,” explains Kim. “We feel very lucky to be working with him and will be holding a second Foragers Feast at the end of January 2025 where customers can join us for fabulous food and listen to Craig and Doug join together to share their passion for food with a focus on reconnecting people to the natural world.”
At Eight at Gazegill it is less about specific signature dishes and all about showcasing the best of the produce coming from the farm at any given time: “An example of this are our Forager’s Chipolatas which have zero food miles,” says Kim. “We use our own organic pork, seasoned with ingredients that are foraged from the fields and hedgerows and then glazed with our own honey.
“Eight at Gazegill by Doug Crampton is a celebration of our own organic meat and local artisan producers and championing sustainability, quality and an accessible, welcoming restaurant for all,” says Kim. “Welcome to the dining experience that has a conscious obligation to nature and a creative dedication in the kitchen!”
Lower Gazegill Farm
Dancer Lane, Rimington
Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 4EE
01200 445519
reservations@eightatgazegill.co.uk
eightatgazegill.co.uk
