A MAJOR South Lakes entertainment venue has announced the acquisition of a Michelin-Star chef.

The Brewery Arts Centre made the announcement earlier this week, as it gears up for a long-awaited reopening in September.

Bosses at the Kendal arts and entertainment hub hope the addition of new chef, Steven Doherty, can bolster its upcoming reopening drive.

The anticipated reopening comes on the back of a challenging lockdown period which saw the centre forced to announce redundancies impacting 32 staff members. As many arts and entertainment events are currently unviable, the Brewery's reopening drive is to be centred around its new culinary offerings.

Head of hospitality, Kerry Gossio, explained the concept behind this: “We are delighted to have Steven on board, he’s an incredible chef and his ideas and menu are completely in line with our vision for the Brewery as a welcoming home for great quality food, drink, culture and entertainment.

"Steven’s new menu totally encapsulates that, I’m particularly excited about the Bar Tapas, including sweetcorn and spring onion pancakes with curry mayo, smoked haddock and potato croquettes, and goats cheese tarte tatin.

"To have dishes created by a Michelin starred chef made so accessible and right here in Kendal is a real boost for us and the area as a whole.

"I’m looking forward to welcoming customers into the bar and restaurant, which we’ve revamped and is looking fantastic!”

Described as 'one of the greatest chefs of his generation' by the authoritative Great British Chefs website, Mr Doherty is known for his simple, unfussy cooking. Having worked in the heart of the Lake District for a number of years, his stated aim is to celebrate local produce and contemporary cooking.

Asked whether the new setting forced any compromises in drawing up menus, Mr Doherty said: “Not really! Great food needn’t be complicated, and we have worked on getting the best from local ingredients.

"The truth is that in Cumbria we are spoiled when it comes to local produce and we’ve been inventive with our choices. Whereas in the past I’d work with the most expensive cuts of meat or fish here we’ve made more humble ingredients the focus of our dishes.

"We want people to be able to enjoy the simple pleasure of good food with friends and family, it’s something that’s very dear to my heart and it’s been a pleasure creating a menu that is relaxed, informal and accessible while hopefully making it a lovely experience.

"We’re looking forward to getting busy!"