THE countdown to the reopening of Kendal’s historic Castle Dairy Restaurant & Art Gallery is officially under way.

The apprentice-run fine dining restaurant will open its doors again for dinner on Saturday May 13 and for lunches and dinners from Wednesday May 17.

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It has been closed for almost 18 months since being caught in the wrath of Storm Desmond in December 2015.

After a lengthy drying out process and complete refurbishment, it might have a new-look, but the Dairy retains the same authentic and historic charm that makes it quite unlike any other dining venue around.

Housed in one of Kendal’s oldest and quirkiest buildings, a new staircase has been fitted, the fireplace has been reconditioned in the bar area, and the kitchen has been redesigned to a standard equal to some of the area’s best Michelin starred establishments.

In the run up to reopening, head chef Chris O’Callaghan has been building up his team of apprentices, and his new five-strong kitchen team have been busy learning about foraging, pickling and preserving, as well as familiarising themselves with the custom designed kitchen equipment and technology.

Guests dining at the intimate Chef’s Table will be privy to the kitchen action whilst savouring a mouth-watering tasting menu.

“There’s a lot of excitement building both within the Castle Dairy and further afield that we’ll soon be back in business and we can’t wait to get cooking," said Mr O'Callaghan. "It’s almost surreal that we’ve got an ultra modern kitchen, that’s quite unlike anywhere I’ve worked before, yet we’re going to be serving the food in a 14th century building.

"The two worlds are completely different, which just makes the Dairy an extra special place.

“Its early days but we’ve got big aspirations for the Dairy. We want people to come with high expectations but then to leave surprised that we’ve managed to exceed those expectations with our first class contemporary food and service.”

The Castle Dairy is open for lunches and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday. The first 40 diners to book online for dinner will receive 10 per cent off their total food bill. To book, visit: www.castledairy.co.uk/openingoffer.

For more information on the Castle Dairy, visit http://castledairy.co.uk