Located just outside the quintessentially English town of Appleby, the Manor is a fine example of Victorian built-to-last building at its best. Pitch pine door cases are of the best, and the dining room is panelled in oak. The hotel is surrounded by some half million acres of high quality landscape and every June the Horse Fair comes to Appleby.

Serious attention is given to the aspirations of the gourmand at Appleby Manor. The menu reflects the quality of locally sourced food with starters of ballotine of Cumbrian pheasant and foie gras, a delicious assiette of smoked Cumberland sausage with potato salad and quail's egg, mitton of pork with home-made piccalilli, sausage and caramelised onion, baked in a brioche with redcurrant sauce. Proximity to Scotland is invoked with the tower of Scotch haggis, involving creamed potato and swede puree topped with a poached egg, crisp fried onions and whisky Hollandaise.

The local theme is maintained with a confit of Cumbrian belly pork with an apple and black pudding timbale, butternut squash puree, champ potatoes and a home-made faggot. The roast loin of Kendal rough fell lamb is rolled with a rosemary and garlic farce, sat on pan-fried herb polenta. From the Atlantic come oven-baked tournedos of cod filled with a prawn and herb mousse wrapped in parma ham on slowly braised green lentils with glazed Parisienne potatoes, tempura of baby vegetables and tomato coulis.

Even the puddings have a Cumbrian tinge with sticky toffee pudding at the top of the list and an ever changing selection to follow. Local cheeses also feature and rumour has it that if you are very diplomatic a good, old-fashioned savoury is sometimes available. The wine list contains offerings from the vineyards of fourteen countries, and should be taken seriously. House wine starts at £13.95, by the glass at £3.50.