A UNIQUE chance to dine out on TOP of Latrigg is planned for Keswick Mountain Festival on Wednesday 13 May 2009 at 7.30pm. Sixty people will sit down for dinner on one of Keswick’s best-loved fells and enjoy panoramic views over Derwent Water.
Peter Sidwell
Local Celebrity Chef Peter Sidwell, the owner of Good Taste on Lake Road, has designed a special three-course menu featuring the best locally available and seasonal produce.
The more adventurous diners will hike to the event along one of many routes to the top of Latrigg. For those who really dress for the occasion, they can park some way up the fell and enjoy the last few hundred metres on foot.
On the summit of Latrigg they will be treated to a few surprises – like watching the 70 Latrigg Fell Race competitors speed up and down the fell to claim the title in the annual challenge! There may even be a challenge on the record time to run up and down – currently the legendary Kenny Stuart still holds the magnificent 16 minutes and 37 seconds record time from 1984 – and the rest of the very fit runners will still be savouring success after about 40 minutes.
Extreme Jesters Andy and Si from Jesters in Ambleside will be performing for diners and as they take their equipment everywhere, they’re not put off by the Latrigg climb!
This high altitude dinner will officially start the third annual Keswick Mountain Festival, sponsored by Jennings Brewery and Ordnance Survey, which sees hundreds of outdoor activities and some fantastic speakers gather in town for the five-day event.
Mountain Hardwear is providing expedition dome tents to enable the dinner to go ahead whatever the weather.
Peter Sidwell will have no worries about cooking at altitude thanks to the support of Coleman Stoves. Coleman are providing 100% propane fuelled FOLD ‘N GOTM Stoves which will challenge his perceptions of how a fuel should behave as it is more powerful and more extreme than a protane/butane mix.
He said: “I am totally fascinated by these stoves because they are so portable – folding down on themselves, they can cook in temperatures as low as -42 degrees Celsius and are really reliable for cooking outdoors, which I just love. Now I am hoping we don’t test them to that extremely low temperature on the night!”
Logistics for an event like this are not easy and that’s where a little local expert help is invaluable. Keswick Mountain Festival is delighted that Gordie Oliver, who runs Air Ventures Paragliding School, and Paul Chuter, from Agricultural Services Ltd, will be taking care of all the logistics, as they did a splendid job for the Festival last year.
Cheryl Frost, Keswick Mountain Festival Organiser, said: “This is truly a unique and exquisite once in a lifetime dining experience. It takes a huge amount of effort in preparation and is all over in a few hours, but it gives memories for life to those who are lucky enough to secure a place at the table.”
This event could not take place at all without the kind permission from the landowner Mr James Spedding, who came up with the idea of supporting local charity The Calvert Trust. The Calvert Trust has been enabling people with disabilities, together with their families and friends, to enjoy outdoor activities in the countryside for 30 years. For every £45 meal ticket sold, £5 will go straight to the Calvert Trust helping more people to say “It’s what you CAN do that counts.”
