A SOUTH Lakeland chef is set to open a new shop next to his two Michelin star restaurant as part of a series of expansions.

With Cartmel already heralded as a culinary destination, AA’s Chef of the Year Simon Rogan will champion the village through a series of new developments over the coming months.

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Mr Rogan’s latest projects include the chef’s table and development kitchen experience Aulis, the shop opening, as well as an in-house bakery.

‘The Shop’ is Rogan’s first foray into retail and promises to become an essential part of the Simon Rogan experience in Cartmel. Blending into the charming architecture of the village, ‘The Shop’ will be home to an array of products of local origin, continuing Mr Rogan’s commitment to supporting the area.

The Shop will sell L’Enclume keepsakes such as aprons for keen cooks, branded cookware, small kitchen appliances, and some edible produce too - guests who stay in L’Enclume’s rooms will recognise many of the products on sale. For visitors to Cartmel, the shop will showcase the talents of the region and will offer a chance to take a piece of Cumbria home.

After being extensively remodelled and refurbished Mr Rogan is also re-launching the chef’s table and development kitchen, Aulis, which will be adjacent to L’Enclume. He has labelled it the most high-tech cooking facility in the country. Aulis offers guests the opportunity to preview the chef’s creative work and enjoy dishes before they are officially introduced to the Michelin menu. Aulis will be the experimental hub for Mr Rogan and his accomplished team of chefs.

The six-seater table offers the opportunity to book individual spaces or the table in its entirety for an exclusive ‘up close and personal’ with the chefs as they prepare and serve the bespoke dinner menus.

“Cartmel is incredibly important to me – it has been home for a long time and I hope that the opening of the shop will answer something we hear from guests – that they want to have a part of their experience in the village to take home with them," said Mr Rogan. "I’m looking forward to creating another asset to our magical village, welcoming our first visitors through the door later this year.”

He will also be introducing a small bakery, again set in close proximity to L’Enclume and with a huge wood burning oven at its heart. While predominantly there to create fresh baked goods to be served at the restaurants, the bakery is yet another dimension that reinforces Rogan’s ethos of using fresh and locally-sourced ingredients with traditional methods wherever possible.