Ennerdale’s Shepherds Arms Hotel: Great Food, Ales, and Views
Ennerdale’s Shepherds Arms Hotel: Great Food, Ales, and Views
There are many reasons to visit Ennerdale, whether that be to discover and take in the stunning scenery of one of Cumbria’s prettiest valleys, trek around the lakeside, or, as many do, head to The Shepherds Arms and enjoy all it has to offer.
The Shepherd’s Arms Hotel is a popular village inn that serves wholesome, homemade food and is popular with both locals and visitors.
Owner Keith Milburn has run the inn for over 12 years, and hospitality runs in the family as his great uncle ran The Scale Hill Hotel at Loweswater for decades.
During the winter months, great food is served all day from noon on Thursdays to Sundays and from 5.00 pm on Mondays to Wednesdays, either in the dining room, bar, conservatory, or, if it’s not too chilly, in their massive beer garden.
The brightly lit, quaint dining room is available to hire and is perfect for small functions, meetings, AGMs, and the like.
How would you best describe the food?
Keith said, “We serve wholesome, homemade food, and we do source our food from local suppliers. You can’t beat homemade food, and that’s what we do; everything is prepared from scratch. That’s down to Helen, our chef; her skills have been honed over the years and she simply serves up good food. She has a natural talent.”
Favourite dish?
“I’m going to have to say the steak and ale pie, people come back and say I’ll try something different, then order the pie again and again, but our fish & chips and steaks are up there too, plus, of course, our Sunday roasts,” says Keith.
Being a real village inn, real ale is to be expected, and they don’t fail to impress. Here you can enjoy any of the three on tap, and they only serve Cumbrian ales, which we like.
As it stands, a pint of either ale or craft lager costs £3.80, which is pretty awesome.
The Shepherds Arms is a great venue for a family celebration or a get-together for a walking or cycling weekend, and if you fancy a getaway on your doorstep, there is currently an offer running: when you stay for two nights, you will get two courses for only £10.50 (except steak). There are eight rooms to choose from, and all are of a really high standard and sparkling.
Keith says, “We have a great following from the locals, and it’s thanks to them that we can keep going; they’re very loyal and really got behind us during the lockdown, ordering takeaways; as a result, we still offer takeaways, including our Sunday dinners, which are seriously popular.
If you are thinking of coming along for a Sunday lunch, you will have to pre-book as it gets so busy.
Menus, special offers, and information are available on the Shepherd’s Arms Hotel’s website www.shepherdsarms.com
