The north's only Three Michelin Star restaurant L'Enclume has been forced to increase the price of its full tasting menu by more than £50 to a massive £250 per person. Bosses at the acclaimed restaurant blame the cost of living crisis for the huge price increase on their fine dining offering in the Lake District that will come into effect from June.
The high-end Cartmel restaurant became the first in the north of England to gain a third star in the Michelin Guide published earlier this year, considered the highest accolade in the foodie world. But bosses have made it clear the rises in the cost of living - rather than the accolade - are to blame for the increase.
The full tasting menu created by acclaimed chef Simon Rogan will now set diners back £250 - up from the previous price of £195. Meanwhile a £100 lunch menu at the restaurant is no longer available, with just the £250 tasting menus at lunchtimes from June instead.
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While recent guests have been typically full of praise for the food, several have found the prices harder to swallow. One online reviewer, Chris Gilbane, from Manchester, said: “Prices are rocketing up to £250 per head in June and at that price we are unlikely to be returning...
"That’s simply too much when you add in drinks, service and somewhere to stay. Would I eat at L’Enclume again? Yes at their current prices, no at their new prices.”
But restaurant bosses have stressed the price rises are beyond their control - putting them down to rising fuel prices, which have a knock-on effect on delivery costs of ingredients, crockery and flowers. Sam Ward, managing director for Rogan’s restaurants, told The Times the decision was "purely economical", and similar to the pinch being felt throughout the industry.
He said: "The rapid change that’s happened over the past three months means that restaurants either don’t respond and take the losses or they raise their prices. Every single thing that we spend money on has gone up in price.
"Labour is a big one. We are committed to pay people to give them a decent standard of living. We will not have the price of our menus subsidised by our team making any sort of sacrifice.”
Mr Ward added that the thin margins of restaurants had made things significantly more difficult, and described some of the costs faced by L'Enclume as "astronomical".
He said all diners with pre-booked reservations have been informed of the price increase. The tasting menu price does not include any drinks - you can add a taster wine flight for £90 per person, signature wine flight for £135 per person or go to town on the select wine flight for £275 each.
L'Enclume also has five AA Rosettes and was awarded its first Michelin star in 2005 and second in 2013. The restaurant is acclaimed chef patron Simon Rogan's flagship venue.
A former blacksmiths workshop, its name is the French word for anvil, a traditional blacksmiths tool, and serves as the restaurant’s emblem.
The business also offers 16 bedrooms dotted around Cartmel Village, with guests able to book a two-night package and experience a meal at two of Simon's restaurants. Simon was previously the head chef at The French restaurant inside Manchester's historic Midland Hotel.
He had hoped to replicate his Michelin success in Manchester, the pursuit of which was featured in a high-profile documentary aired on the BBC. But despite his best efforts The French did not win a Star under his stewardship - and he parted ways with the Midland three years into a five year contract back in 2016.
He left the restaurant under the charge of award-winning chef Adam Reid. The restaurant is now branded Adam Reid at The French and is currently ranked number 11 in the Waitrose Good Food Guide as well as holding 4 AA Rosettes.
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