The Finest Eats | Heft

Heft: Modern British Dining with a Cumbrian Soul

Situated in Newton in Cartmel, just south of the Lake District, Heft is a 17th-century inn run by Kevin and Nicola Tickle, offering five guest rooms, a welcoming bar with quality beers and carefully selected wines, and seasonal small plates and snacks that give a taste of the restaurant’s menu. The restaurant itself showcases Kevin Tickle’s modern British cuisine through an eight course tasting menu, crafted from locally reared and farmed produce, reflecting his deep connection to the Cumbrian landscape.

Both Kevin and Nicola are profoundly rooted in Cumbria. Nicola’s family has farmed the fells and valleys of the Lake District since the 1600s, while Kevin, born on the Furness Peninsula, learned to forage, fish, and work with the natural rhythms of the lakes, becks, heaths, and sea from an early age. This intimate knowledge of the local environment forms the backbone of Kevin’s cooking, allowing him to create dishes that are not only skillfully prepared but also deeply connected to the region’s seasons and produce.

A Taste of Heft

Leaning into its Cumbrian heritage, Heft’s sample dinner menu showcases comforting, deeply rooted flavours: Herdwick hogget rump; a Dale End Cheddar, onion and Worcester croustade; monkfish with mussel and cauliflower curry; and a considered selection of cheeses served with onion chutney, truffle honey and crackers.

See below for a selection of Heft’s standout dishes from earlier this year.

From left to right: Herdwick dumpling and broth, Town Head Farm Herdwick hogget, violet artichoke, minted yew’s curd

Credit: Jenny Jones Photography

Monkfish, mussel & cauliflower curry

Credit: Jenny Jones Photography

Gooseberry Gimlet

Onion, onion, onion, mint

Credit: Jenny Jones Photography

Heft has proudly held a Michelin star for three consecutive years, a testament to its outstanding culinary excellence since first receiving the distinction in March 2023. The restaurant has also earned a place in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 and has impressively climbed 54 places on the UK Top 100 list as of January 2025, further cementing its reputation as one of the country’s most acclaimed dining destinations.

Check out Heft’s links below and reserve a table now.

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