Bright future tinged with sadness

A major refurbishment of his existing Michelin-starred restaurant L'enclume is ongoing, a second eatery will open in Cartmel at the beginning of April, and two further guest bedrooms in the village are now available for booking.

Unfortunately, at a time when Simon should be relishing the challenges ahead, his deliberations are tinged with sadness.

A month ago Simon's right-hand man Jon Bradshaw died suddenly, aged 31, just four weeks after the birth of his second child.

When I meet Simon at L'enclume to discuss the future, it is only a few days since the funeral.

He hopes it might bring some closure on the tragedy that devastated the L'enclume team - but Jon was central to Simon's plans.

He was to have been head chef at a new eatery - Rogan & Co - situated in antique dealer Anthemion's former premises near the Priory (the shop has moved to an outlet on The Square). This would have fulfilled Jon's long-held ambition to run his own place.

Simon has now decided to share the role between two of the many chefs who have said they want to come back and work for him.

Simon Rogan, it seems, is flavour of the month with his peers, and with his customers, if not the Michelin inspectors who Simon had hoped would promote him to two star level.

It's no secret that Simon was considering opening a second restaurant in Henley, the discussions for which frequently required his presence. But Simon trusted Jon so implicitly that he didn't feel he always needed to be there in person' (as Michelin appears to require) and had no qualms about leaving him in charge.

And then business started booming in Cartmel to such an extent that the whole Henley idea was scrapped.

"There were four main reasons for looking down south. One, we thought we would never achieve the turnover we wanted here; two, we didn't think we would physically be allowed to expand and let the business grow; three, we needed another restaurant to pay for all the things that we wanted to do here. But most of all, we missed our friends and family," explained Simon, who hails from Hampshire.

Then, from last summer onwards, L'enclume's rooms started to enjoy 100 per cent occupancy, so the two beautifully-appointed new rooms couldn't be more timely. (There are a further three at L'enclume House, and six attached to the restaurant).

"The full occupancy carried through into January," said Simon, who couldn't believe his good fortune when he was also granted permission to extend the restaurant. The plans include a much larger conservatory and improved kitchen facilities as well as a stunning new look for the main dining area.

To resolve their fourth area of concern, Simon and his partner Penny Tapsall pledged to take more time out to visit their families and friends, safe in the knowledge that L'enclume was in Jon's capable hands.

With his death, however, that pledge has been put on the back-burner and Simon has returned to L'enclume's helm full-time where he is busy putting the finishing touches not only to his new look restaurant, but also an exciting new menu.

Modern and minimal' will be the order of the day - stylish furniture, avant garde crockery and glassware, no tablecloths to allow a more eye-catching stage' for the table art which will play a central role in the meal, and more space between tables so as not to inhibit the theatre' of the occasion "It will all be more in line with the style of the food," said Simon who has ditched a la carte completely to return to his widely-acclaimed ten, 15 and 24-course tasting menu format.

L'enclume will also no longer be open for lunch during the week - only Saturday and Sunday. And, when Rogan&Co opens in April, the restaurant will close for lunch altogether. That will allow the chefs to start later in the day but work longer into the evening - the continental way, suggested Simon, who gave me a grand tour of Rogan&Co, his first foray into the casual dining market.

Simon is loathe to call it a gastro-pub - he dislikes the term. What Rogan&Co will offer is simple food, cooked well "the sort of place I would like to go on my day off," added Simon, who has opted to use his surname not through vanity but under advisement about his branding.

Of course, there are likely to be very few days off over the coming year if Simon is to achieve his ambition of a second Michelin star.

He remains at a loss as to why he didn't get it this time.

"Expectations were very very high customers thought we would get a second star and it is human nature to listen to people and where they think you stand."

Simon would like to think that he failed because he wasn't good enough but fears his absences might have had more to do with it.

Well, Monsieur Bibendum, Simon Rogan is here to stay.

Just think, it could be high fives for Cumbria this time next year two stars for Simon; Sharrow Bay at Ullswater and Holbeck Ghyll at Windermere retain their stars once again; and down but definitely not out Chris Meredith, the head chef at Gilpin Lodge at Crook, gets back the star he's just lost.

Either way, we have much to be proud of - whatever Michelin says!

l L'enclume sous chef Mark Birchall has made it through to the regional final of the prestigious Roux Scholarship. If he is successful on March 6 he will go through to the national final in London on March 31.