Aulis

Simon Rogan’s Lake District restaurant L’Enclume, has today been awarded its third Michelin star, making it the first ever restaurant in the north of England to do so.

The announcement makes Simon the third English chef to receive the coveted three-star status, L’Enclume being one of eight restaurants in the UK and 134 restaurants worldwide.

The year 2022 marks two decades since Simon opened the doors of L’Enclume in a former blacksmiths workshop in the historic village of Cartmel. The restaurant has risen to international prominence for its hyper-seasonal and traceable tasting menus alongside Simon’s pioneering work in the farm-to-fork movement. Awarded the newly created Michelin green star in 2021 for its efforts in the sustainability sphere, L’Enclume uses ingredients harvested predominantly on ‘Our Farm’, Simon’s very own farm located a mile from the restaurant in the Cartmel Valley, alongside produce from other leading Lake District producers.

Simon, who is celebrating L’Enclume’s 20th anniversary this year, said:

‘You could say it’s fantastic timing that we’ve received this news 20 years since I opened the doors of L’Enclume, which feels like forever but also just like yesterday. Following the win of our second star nine years ago, achieving a third star has always been front of mind and something we’ve been striving for every day; be it through the evolution of our dishes and honing of our service-style, the meticulous work undertaken on Our Farm, or how we work to make every one of our guests feel, from when they enter the restaurant to the moment they leave. We might have grown our operation over the past two decades, but we’ve remained true to our core ethos and maintained the close-knit community feel amongst our team, whilst all this time proudly remaining as an independent restaurant group. This is an incredible week for us all and it’s going to take some time for it to truly sink in, but we will be celebrating this moment for a long time to come.’

L’Enclume received its first Michelin star in 2005, a second star in 2013, and its third star in 2022, holds the number one spot in the UK Good Food Guide and a score of 10/10, five AA Rosettes.

L’Enclume is overseen by Head Chef Paul Burgalieres, Restaurant Manager Graeme Cumine and Head Sommelier Valentin Mouillard, Executive Chef of Simon’s north-west restaurants Tom Barnes and Operations Manager Nicolas Perdrier. Working alongside Simon to oversee the group globally is Managing Director Sam Ward. The name L’Enclume is taken from the French word for anvil, a traditional blacksmiths tool and the restaurant’s emblem.