The Old Stamp House

The Old Stamp House, cuisine inspired by Cumbria's heritage

The Old Stamp House is a restaurant whose culinary approach is built around Cumbria's food heritage. Its team draws on the region's history, landscape and coast to create seasonal menus in which every dish pays homage to the local gastronomic heritage, its people and its culture.

The restaurant offers lunch and dinner menus, as well as its own wine list.

The Cumbrian landscape and larder as a starting point

The establishment's cuisine is based on the larder that the region has shaped over thousands of years. The terrain of the Lake District's 13 valleys, its coasts and its uplands has historically shaped farming activity: the fertile coastal plains of the Solway are suited to dairy cattle, while the high, rugged fells are the habitat of the hardy Herdwick sheep and a haven for game such as partridge, venison and rabbit.

The windswept Irish Sea coast provides seasonal fish and seafood: sea bass, crab, langoustine, lobster and brown shrimp, from the Solway in the north to the wide expanse of Morecambe Bay in the south. Forageable herbs and flowers also grow along the shoreline. The wooded river valleys provide trout and salmon, pheasant and deer; the lakes, pike and charr; and the ancient woods and hedgerows, mushrooms, nuts, berries, herbs and flowers.

The influence of historical trade on local cuisine

The restaurant links its approach to the food heritage of the old counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, developed in part thanks to the trade in herbs and spices that arrived through the ports of Whitehaven and Maryport. From that tradition come preparations such as Westmorland Pepper Bread, Westmorland Apple Tansy, Grasmere Gingerbread, spiced Cumberland Sausage and Cumberland Rum Nicky, preparations that incorporate imported spices, sugar, molasses or rum.

A wine list selected by Ryan and Craig

The Old Stamp House wine list has been chosen by Ryan and Craig, who researched and tasted every entry before including it. Together with their wine merchant they designed a selection aimed at highlighting some of the world's most acclaimed wine regions and showcasing the flavours and characteristics those wines bring to the dishes they serve.

The selection includes a diverse and eclectic group of vineyards, with varietals and blends intended to directly complement the seasonal dishes crafted by Ryan Blackburn. The restaurant presents its wine list as offering diversity and good value for money, made up of producers dedicated to making quality wines.

Menus and services at the establishment

The restaurant's website features a lunch menu and a dinner menu, as well as the option to book a table. It also mentions a space called The Workshop, gift vouchers and The Schelly.