Last updated at 09:43, Friday, 18 January 2013

A Lakeland hotel says it is already filling up for Christmas 2013.

The 40-bedroom Borrowdale Hotel, near Keswick, has taken 23 advance bookings for next Christmas and 20 for its New Year package.

Many are from guests who stayed last Christmas and enjoyed it so much they booked again on the spot.

The Borrowdale is part of the Lake District Hotels group, which also owns the nearby Lodore Falls Hotel, the Skiddaw and King’s Arms in Keswick, the Inn on the Lake at Ullswater, and The George in Penrith.

Director Kit Graves was delighted by the level of repeat business. She said: “Stephen Wilcock and his Borrowdale team worked hard to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves.

“The staff at our other hotels also pulled out all the stops and the feedback has been excellent.

“We are looking to the festive plan for 2013 and have already worked up some new ideas to keep our guests entertained and our offer as exciting as possible.”

The group doubled sales of gift vouchers last month, compared with December 2011. A cruise on Ullswater followed by afternoon tea at the Inn on the Lake was the most popular choice. There was also a 20 per cent rise in the number of guests taking lunch on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The Borrowdale spiced up its offer with home-made liqueurs and a hastily-organised wine tasting to entertain guests when the weather turned bad.

Its crowning glory, however, was the ‘Cumbrian breakfast dessert’ prepared by head chef Sebastien Gilli. The unique dessert was made to look like egg, beans, black pudding and toast.

The chef said: “The eggs were made with fromage frais and a delicious mango puree. The black-pudding effect was created with chocolate brownie and the baked beans were white chocolate beans in a raspberry sauce, served with toasted brioche.”

First published at 09:40, Friday, 18 January 2013
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk