cuisine art
...razor role reversal
When I created L’enclume, I made a strange
decision for a chef about to open a restaurant: I
decided that it wasn’t going to be just about the
food. Instead, I thought about what it means to
have a dining experience—to journey through the
lush floral blanket of the Southern Lakelands, past
the 50s seaside resorts on Morecambe Bay and
into the Tolkien-esque village of Cartmel. I chose
the name L’enclume (the French word for ‘anvil’)
as a nod to the 13th century origins of the building
as the village smithy; someone with whom chefs
might have a bit in common. It was a risk creating
such a unique gastronomic destination—the
radical flavours and textures and rapid turnover
of my tasting menus aren’t what most expect to
find in sylvan fields, but it’s this radical contrast
that inspires my menus.
