Linthwaite House appoints two new chefs

Linthwaite House has recently appointed two new chefs to head up the food offer at the luxury Lake District hotel.  

Linthwaite Houses’ more informal bar and conservatory menu, including the hotel’s breakfast, all-day offering and bar snack menus will be overseen by the hotel’s head chef Gerald Van Der Walt, whilst Simon Rogan’s Henrock, set overlooking the grounds will be overseen by head chef Mark McCabe, who will serve dishes inspired by Rogan’s travels around the world.

The two chefs, whilst delivering very different styles, will between them deliver a complimentary offer for Linthwaite’s resident and non-resident guests.

Van der Walt, from South Africa, has a wealth of experience including roles as head chef at The Greenhouse in Cape Town, at Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek, and more recently alongside Simon Rogan at Aulis and Rogan and Co.

McCabe, who is originally from Scotland, brings a wealth of experience and sustainability-minded ethos to the Henrock kitchen, honed during his time at The Ethicurean, which received a Michelin Green Star under his stewardship in 2022. 

Prior to his time at The Ethicurean, he was part of the team at Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage in Dorset, after training in kitchens in Paris as well as Lancashire.

For his part Van Der Walt has created a series of informal menus, each thoughtfully crafted to deliver choices in Linthwaite’s Bar and Conservatory. Breakfast features a selection of healthy options including fresh fruit, and cereals, as well as locally reared cured bacon and all the necessary ingredients for a typical English breakfast. 

The all-day menu features starters such as lobster roll, fried oxtail, followed by mains such cod and cheese and bacon burgers. Desserts feature chocolate pudding and lemon meringue choux bun.

The bar snack menu features light bites and nibble, such as roasted meatballs in tomato sauce, pickled radishes with smoked mackerel and cream cheese dip, as well as a charcuterie and cheese platter.

Guests can enjoy the atmosphere from couches, tableside, at the bar, or sit on the expansive wrap-around terrace with its views of Windermere and the Coniston Fells. 

Karen Irving, general manager at Linthwaite House, said: “We are hugely excited by the arrival of Gerald Van Der Walt at Linthwaite’s Bar and Conservatory and Mark McCabe at Henrock. Both chef appointments provide our guests with a tremendous opportunity to experience complimentary but very different culinary repertoires. Gerald’s dishes use the very best British produce, which he combines with influences and flavours from his culinary travels, providing a relaxed dining offer contrasting the seasonal gastronomic experiences delivered by Mark in Linthwaite’s fine dining restaurant, Henrock.”

Sam Ward, managing director of Simon Rogan’s restaurants, said: “It’s great to see Linthwaite House employ Gerald van der Walt, a Simon Rogan alumnus. Gerald is a hugely experienced chef whose culinary insight will play an important part in delivering Linthwaite’s Bar and Conservatory food and beverage service. His informal menus will only help to enhance the overall guest experience at the hotel, whilst firmly supporting the seasonal fine dining offer provided by Mark McCabe at Henrock.”