As previously mentioned, things are a tad too busy at the mo to fully devote my time to these pages, a state of affairs I’m hoping will clear up in the not too distant future.
Until it does, there are still good things ticking along in the background, such as this maiden visit to Cartmel, aka Rogan World, for an overnighter and tea at Rogan and Co.
A couple of quick points. Firstly: I’d never been arsed about Rogan’s highly lauded flagship restaurant L’Enclume, but our bedroom during this stay was practically above the place and going purely on some of the aromas drifting in through the window – heady, inviting, fairytale scents that I couldn’t identify – I’m now intrigued. Sure, it means the prospect of a million-course marathon but, honestly, I reckon it will be worth it.
Secondly: Rogan and Co, the cutesy sibling spot at the other end of the village dubbed as a ‘neighbourhood restaurant’ is anything but a simple ‘neighbourhood restaurant’. Aye, there’s an informal buzz and clatter about the place but the stuff coming out of the kitchen is pin-sharp and precise.
After a triumvirate of down-in-one snacks (whipped cods roe, excellent parmesan sable, truffle pudding) came a glazed loaf and posh butters. As a devoted bread-head myself (I simply lust the crust) I’m fully behind the elevation of the humble bread course over the last decade.
Dinner, bed and breakfast here is about £375. Considering there are some places with less pedigree sticking another ton on for the same package it’s a price that makes a stay at Rogan and Co, by comparison, stand-out value. But yes, we’re in the murky depths of a cost of living crisis so I’m not going to sit here and suggest it’s inexpensive. Worth it though, and that’s what counts.
Tomatoes from the Rogan farmstead down the road were, and I hate to be lazy here, summer on a plate (eugh, I know; apologies but it’s true). It felt like a very English gazpacho.
A chunk of miso-roasted pollock with shrimps and kohlrabi was almost dainty in its delivery – a plate of light-touch elegance. Indeed when I think back to Rogan and Co I recall a meal that stands out for its lightness and restraint in all the right places, with a team of engaging front-of-housers running the show with warmth and good humour.
Eating The North 
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